Continuing Education Opportunity for the Practical Structural Engineer: | | | |
BENEATH THE SURFACE:
Geotechnical Insights for
Structural Practitioners
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WEBINAR SERIES - 3 Consecutive THURSDAYS:
OCT 30, NOV 6 & 13, 2025 | Noon - 1 p.m. ET
3.0 SEAMASS or NCSEA Diamond-Certified PDHs
OCT 30: Retaining Walls 101 for Structural Engineers
NOV 6: Ground Improvement & Recent MA Building Code Changes
NOV 13: Deep Foundation Specs: Bridging Design and Construction
Your opportunity to dig into geotechnical design topics with practicing experts who will share their firsthand experience and insights via three comprehensive presentations!
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Can't make the LIVE presentations? Register to receive the webinar recordings.
Only "live" attendees receive PDH credits.
| | Weekly Topics & Overviews: | | |
OCTOBER 30, 2025 | Noon - 1:00 P.M. ET:
Retaining Walls 101 for Structural Engineers
Presenter: Ryan Roy, PE
Principal, New England Region | Whitestone Associates, Inc.
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PRESENTATION OVERVIEW:
A geotechnical review of various types of earth retaining systems, including, cantilever, gravity, and MSE walls of various types. Potential failure modes, load application, and appropriate design methods will be presented. The influence of differing site conditions, including various soil types, groundwater, site drainage, presence of utilities and infiltration systems will be discussed. Life spans of the various types of walls and end of life strategies for aged walls will be presented, including the evaluation, repair, and reconstruction. Design of permanent rock cuts and soil slopes will be reviewed including site conditions that allow for these methods.
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NOVEMBER 6, 2025 | Noon - 1:00 p.m. ET:
Ground Improvement & Recent MA Building Code Changes
Presenters:
Michael Pockoski, PE
Ground Improvement Division Leader | Helical Drilling
Allen Bowers, Ph.D
Director of Engineering | Geopier
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PRESENTATION OVERVIEW:
The 10th Edition of the Massachusetts State Building Code introduces ground improvement requirements for the first time, with specific provisions for rigid inclusions. This presentation will examine how these changes influence ground improvement design and their direct impact on structural engineers. Key topics include the importance of service loading information, the interaction between ground improvement and foundation shear and bending performance, and the role of load testing in validating design assumptions. Attendees will gain practical insight into how collaboration between the geotechnical engineer, structural engineer, and ground improvement designer is critical for successful project outcomes.
Pictured: Applied shear forces (blue arrows) induce shear and bending in rigid inclusions.
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NOVEMBER 13, 2025 | Noon - 1:00 p.m. ET:
Deep Foundation Specs: Bridging Design and Construction
Presenter: Meeok Kim, Ph.D, PE
Principal | Brierly Associates
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PRESENTATION OVERVIEW:
This presentation addresses the development of deep foundation specifications with a focus on structural integrity and performance, constructability, and risk allocation. It discusses the importance of aligning specification language with site-specific geotechnical conditions and project delivery methods, while avoiding overly prescriptive requirements that may constrain construction flexibility and inflate costs. The session highlights the collaborative role of structural and geotechnical engineers in authoring specifications that accommodate various installation techniques, support realistic cost and schedule projections, and enable effective quality assurance through performance-based criteria and testing protocols.
Photo Credit: Phoenix Foundation Company, Inc.
| | EVENT TIMING & REGISTRATION | | |
WHEN: Thursdays: Oct 30, Nov 6 & 13, 2025 | Noon - 1:00 p.m. (ET)
WHERE: Online via Zoom Webinar; Registrants will receive access links prior to events
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INVESTMENT:
SEAMASS-Certified PDHs:
$30 per webinar (1.0 PDH) OR $75 for ALL 3 Webinars (3.0 PDHs)
NCSEA Diamond-Certified PDHs:
$35 per webinar (1.0 PDH) OR $90 for ALL 3 Webinars (3.0 PDHs)
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Click above to register for the full series OR individual events
Can't make the LIVE presentation? Register to receive the webinar recordings.
Only "live" attendees receive PDH credits.
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Geopier’s Rammed Aggregate Pier (RAP) technology solution costs clients 30 to 50% less than deep foundations. Today, over 10,000 structures worldwide are supported by RAP technologies, rigid inclusions, and our rail and slope reinforcement solutions. Geopier systems are used to reinforce inadequate soils and have become effective replacements for massive over-excavation and replacement of deep foundations, including driven piles, drilled shafts or augered cast-in-place piles.
LEARN MORE: Geopier.com CONTACT: Brian Foley, PE
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Helical Drilling is a geotechnical design/build contractor focused on providing innovative, efficient, adaptable geotechnical engineering and ground construction solutions to general contractors, owners, and engineers throughout the Northeastern United States. Helical specializes in Geopier® Rammed Aggregate Pier® and rigid inclusion ground improvement, earth retention, deep foundations, and other geotechnical construction solutions.
LEARN MORE: HelicalDrilling.com CONTACT: Derek Simpson, PE
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As the world-leading geotechnical specialty contractor, Keller develops innovative, practical, and cost-effective solutions to geotechnical challenges across the entire construction industry, building the foundations for a sustainable future.
LEARN MORE: Keller-na.com Contact: Michael Capraro
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Ryan Roy, PE - Principal, New England Region
Whitestone Associates, Inc.
For nearly 30 years, Mr. Roy has served as a senior geotechnical, construction materials testing, and environmental consultant associated with site development for projects throughout the Northeast. He has vast experience with projects involving geotechnical engineering, hydrology, and hydrogeology. He has served as an expert witness on numerous geotechnical and hydrogeological projects that required a cross-disciplined approach to evaluate and understand construction impacts on various materials and resources. His expert opinion has helped people to better understand the causes of complex issues relating to soil and groundwater, and how they are affected by construction activities.
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| Mr. Roy has evaluated the hydrogeology of hundreds of sites associated with stormwater management systems and potential groundwater concerns. Groundwater concerns have included the need for mounding analyses and evaluation of construction influences on nearby sites, structures, and wetlands. He has used ground penetrating radar techniques to evaluate the presence of utilities, voids, and bedrock. He has also reviewed and evaluated construction and blasting-related vibrations on sites as they relate to the seismic effects on structures, utilities, and bedrock subgrades. Significant blasting projects have included bedrock cuts in excess of 50 feet. | | |
Michael Pockoski, PE - Ground Improvement Division Lead Helical Drilling
Mike Pockoski, PE is the Ground Improvement Division Leader at Helical Drilling, a design/build contractor specializing in the development, design, and installation of ground improvement systems throughout the Northeast. Mike holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech.
| | | With over two decades of experience in geotechnical engineering, Mike began his career as a consultant with GZA GeoEnvironmental and Kleinfelder. He later joined Geopier Foundation Company, where he served as Eastern Area Manager for nearly 15 years. During his tenure, Mike was instrumental in the development and analysis of innovative ground improvement technologies, including Rammed Aggregate Piers and Rigid Inclusions, and oversaw the design and construction of several thousand ground improvement projects across the eastern United States and Canada. | | |
Allen Bowers, Ph.D - Director of Engineering
Geopier
Allen Bowers, Ph.D has over a decade of experience in the geotechnical engineering industry. During his time at Geopier, he has worked as a Senior Project Engineer, East North America Manager, and currently serves as the Director of Engineering.
As Director of Engineering, he leads the engineering group in the implementation of ground improvement technology to solve numerous geotechnical challenges such as foundation support, slope stability, and liquefaction mitigation.
| | | Prior to joining Geopier, Dr. Bowers practiced at Schnabel Engineering where he specialized in geostructural design, soil-structure interaction, and the utilization of finite element analysis to study complex geotechnical problems. Dr. Bowers graduated from Virginia Tech with a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering with a geotechnical emphasis. His graduate research implemented numerical models and field tests to study the utilization of bridge foundations to harvest geothermal energy for bridge deck deicing and temperature control. | | |
Meeok Kim, Ph.D, PE - Principal
Brierly Associates
Meeok Kim, Ph.D, PE is a geostructural engineer with more than 20 years of experience in the design and analysis of complex below-grade systems, including deep foundations, slurry walls, and soil-structure interaction.
She leads Brierley Associates’ Boston office; serves as chair of the Deep Foundations Institute’s Slurry Wall Committee; and contributes to various committees and professional organizations.
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