23rd Edition | 1st Quarter 2021 |
|
Please join us in welcoming our New Director! |
|
J. Derek Bradner P.E., PLS joined our team in 2018, following a nearly 30-year career with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) where he most recently served as Regional Engineer with the Location & Surveys (L&S) Unit. Derek and his wife Grace have three children, John, Evan and Alannah. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, attending NC State sporting events, and being outdoors. Derek will continue to work in GEL Solutions' Greensboro, North Carolina office in his new role. |
|
"As Director, I am excited to be a part of GEL Solutions and The GEL Group, Inc. family. Many challenges and opportunities lie ahead and our team is ready. We at GEL Solutions are committed and ready to provide you real world solutions to your subsurface utility engineering (SUE), geophysical and survey needs. I look forward to serving you as Director of GEL Solutions as we all move forward together in 2021." |
|
J. Derek Bradner P.E., PLS
Director
|
|
The GEL Group Celebrates 40 years |
|
The business that would ultimately become The GEL Group Inc. was founded by George and Molly Greene on February 11th, 1981 with a handful of employees providing analytical services. As the United States increased its awareness of the need for a cleaner environment, this fostered a regulatory framework and nationwide clean-up activities. These initiatives allowed both our laboratories and consulting and engineering groups to excel over the past four decades. The GEL Group umbrella now encompasses three businesses: GEL Laboratories LLC, GEL Engineering LLC, and GEL Solutions LLC. Our sister laboratory, Cape Fear Analytical LLC, provides specialty analytical services out of Wilmington, North Carolina.
The Greenes established the company on the simple premise that if you solve problems and treat people well, they will return when new needs arise. These principles have remained intact and are the foundation of GEL today. We are incredibly honored and grateful to have served our clients for the past 40 years.
|
|
A New PLS in North Carolina |
|
Raleigh Survey Operations Manager, George Hart, PLS, recently acquired his PLS license in North Carolina. We applaud George for his years of commitment and taking the next step in his career.
|
|
ASHE South Carolina Chapter Coming Soon! |
|
AEC professionals across the state have been working diligently with peers in the highway industry to get the American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE) South Carolina chapter off the ground!
ASHE provides a forum for members and partners of the highway industry to promote a safe, efficient, and sustainable highway system through education, innovations, and fellowship. With the new chapter close to kick off, we encourage our friends in South Carolina to get involved and help us build this great network.
Visit the ASHE-SC website or their LinkedIn page for more updates and information.
|
|
Your next opportunity is waiting for you! |
|
We are always looking for highly motivated, energetic professionals who share our culture, core values and goals. If you fit that description and would like to be part of a well-respected firm, enhance your skill set, and work with some of the most knowledgeable professionals in our industry, we invite you to apply. |
|
Visit our careers page for a list of regularly updated postings.
|
|
All events have been cancelled, postponed or rescheduled as organizers monitor the COVID-19 pandemic. |
|
We have missed seeing our friends and industry peers over the past year and look forward to seeing you again soon! |
|
Our recognized employees from 4th quarter, 2020: |
|
October 2020
Jimmy Toole, PLS | Senior Land Surveyor
Asheville, North Carolina
As a licensed surveyor with many years of experience and extensive expertise, he brings a valuable component to our team. Jimmy is well known for sharing his knowledge with younger staff and offering his insight on techniques and problem solving skills in the field. In his 5+ years on our team, his contributions have been vital to our surveying services in Western North Carolina and to GEL Solutions as a whole. We thank Jimmy for his hard work and dedication to our team!
|
|
November 2020
Richard Ringler | Operations Manager
Raleigh, North Carolina
Richard joined our team in April 2015. His dedication was recognized early on, eventually earning him the SUE Operations Manager position in Raleigh. In September 2020, Richard stepped up to take on the role of Raleigh Operations Manager and he has hit the ground running. Throughout his tenure at GEL, Richard has managed a wide range of complex SUE, geophysical and other unique projects. We can always count on him to deliver 100% effort and excellent service to our clients. We thank Richard for his incredible commitment to our team and we look to even greater things to come in his expanded role!
|
|
December 2020
Greg Tyler | Director of Graphics & PR
Charleston, South Carolina
Greg joined GEL Laboratories in September 2009 and has served in many roles, including PM Assistant, Rad Safety, and Lab Waste Management. His versatility, creative abilities, and skills in graphic design were recognized early on. In June 2018, Greg shed his PPE and joined GEL Solutions as our Director of Graphics & Public Relations. Greg’s graphics abilities have made a tremendous impact and have taken our advertising, proposals, newsletters, photography, web content, and social media presence to a new level. Greg has a knack for figuring out how to make the mundane come to life, and he has added a new level of professionalism to all of our marketing materials. We thank Greg for his commitment to our team and look forward to seeing what he comes up with next!
|
|
The Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI) method is a very effective geophysical method that measures the response of the underlying materials to an applied current through a series of electrodes placed along a traverse of the area of interest. Using post processing and tomographic inversion algorithms a stratigraphic model of the subsurface is realized. Geologic materials such as clay, sand, and bedrock exhibit a wide range of porosity, mineralogy, and pore water content. These variations are directly related to the electrical resistivity of that material. As a result, the method is ideal for profiling bedrock topography, mapping lenses of clays, sands, and silts, as well as identifying landfill, burials and voids. Contamination plumes, if the result of a conductive or resistive source, are also detectable with the ERI method.
Modern multi-channel systems such as the systems used by GEL Solutions can yield data collection of several thousands of feet per day and simultaneously record data for traverse and sounding depending on the project scope. Traverse data is ideal for mapping geologic contacts or other lateral variations in the subsurface while soundings provide details of variations with depth.
|
|
Industrial Facility Example: |
|
Applications Include:
Depth to bedrock profiling
Landfill delineation and thickness evaluations
Groundwater exploration
Fracture and structural geologic investigations
Karst or other void detection
Acid mine drainage evaluation
Mapping of aggregates/materials such as sand, clay, and gravel
Ore deposit mapping
|
|
Visit our website for more details about ER and other geophysical methods and services.
|
|
Stepping Up to Lead Safety Management |
|
|
|
When it comes to ensuring the safety of employees in our industry, organization is essential. In 2020, Kristan Dahl began taking over all internal safety management responsibilities for GEL Solutions. Kristan has embraced the role and has made noticeable impacts within just a few months. She has implemented creative methods to communicate safety topics, requirements, and expectations with our staff. Her diligence and attention to detail have been valuable assets in maintaining the success of our safety program.
Our team is in good hands with Kristan at the helm. We commend her for stepping up and doing her part to ensure safety and compliance at GEL Solutions!
|
|
A Unique Tool to Help Scientists Study What’s Underground |
|
A new, unconventional source is being studied to provide a picture of what lies under the surface: Trains! For the past 10 years, scientists have been researching ways to utilize the vibrations from moving trains to produce usable underground data.
"Moving trains send seismic waves into the earth, almost like a continuous miniature earthquake. As those waves wash over geological features under the surface, they change form accordingly. For the past decade, scientists have found that they can harness those waves, listening to their vibrations from a distance and unpacking the noise to build a picture of what those waves have passed through."
Due to its range of variables, the execution of this method is still a work in progress but experts are excited about its possibilities.
Read the full article published by Popular Science here.
|
|
In North Carolina, any engineering and surveying services are performed by GEL Engineering of NC, Inc. from the Greensboro and Raleigh locations. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
