the official regon section aeg newsletter · 9/9/2015 · landslide technology, a division of...

Ross Powerhouse Final Rock Slide Mitigation, Diablo Lake, Whatcom County, Washington Guest Speaker: Benjamin George

Upcoming Meetings: Oct 20th Ian Madin Nov 17th TBD Dec 15th George Freitag Jan 6th AEG/ASCE Meeting Feb 16th Rob Webb Mar 15th TBD Apr 19th Paul Santi May 17th Jerry DeGraff and Student Poster Night

Tuesday, September 15th

Location: Old Market Pub

6959 SW Multnomah

Portland, Oregon

6:00 pm Social

6:45 pm Dinner

7:30 pm Presentation

Dinner: Pizza & Salad

$20 Dinner Students FREE with RSVP ($5 if no RSVP)

Reservations: [email protected] with “AEG Reservation” in the subject line or 971-222-2047 by 4pm Thur. Sept. 10

There is a $2 surcharge for those who do not reserve by the deadline

The Official

OREGON SECTION AEG NEWSLETTER http://www.aegoregon.org

O R E G O N S E C T I O N O F T H E A S S O C I A T I O N O F E N V I R O N M E N T A L & E N G I N E E R I N G G E O L O G I S T S

September 2015

Volume 16, Number 1

September Meeting Details

Seattle City Light (SCL) operates the Skagit Power Project located in the North Cascades National Park (NCNP) near Newhalem, Washington. The project facilities include a series of three dams on the Skagit River: Gorge Dam, Diablo Dam and Ross Dam that provide 17 percent of Seattle’s electrical energy. On the night of March 14, 2010 approximately 16,000 cubic yards of rock failed from a 400-foot tall slope about 1,500 feet downstream of the Ross Powerhouse. The event destroyed an 80-ton and a 100-ton barge landing along with two boat docks utilized by SCL, NCNP, Ross Lake Resort and the general public; and buried an access road between the powerhouse and the top of the dam. This road provides the only access between Ross Powerhouse and the dam for daily operation, emergency equipment and supplies. Access to the Ross facility is only possible by boat and barge across Diablo Lake, so loss of the landings posed a serious operational issue. The failure left the slope in a significantly unstable configuration with several very large overhanging blocks in the upper 150 feet of the scarp and blocks up to 25 feet across scattered throughout the debris pile and in Diablo Lake.

Landslide Technology, a Division of Cornforth Consultants, was asked to evaluate slope stability and provide long-term slope stabilization options. Bid quantities, final design plans and special provisions were developed in cooperation with SCL. A construction contract was awarded in early May 2010 and work was completed in mid-September 2013. Due to the required rope access and the complexity of the project, Landslide Technology was retained to provide on-site technical support to oversee construction and to act as the owner’s representative.

The Official Oregon Section AEG Newsletter http://www.aegoregon.org

Volume 16, Number 1

http://www.aegoregon.org

Bio: Benjamin A. George, PE, RG, CEG Ben is an Associate Engineer at Cornforth Consultants, Inc. (Landslide Technology), with over 11 years of engineering geology and geotechnical experience with an emphasis on rock slope stability and rockfall hazards working with federal and state transportation departments; local, state, and federal government agencies; and public utility companies. His experience includes development of mitigation measures for major rockfall and landslide hazards, geologic site reconnaissance, geotechnical and groundwater investigations, soil and rock material sources, mine tailing management, and construction observation. He is the senior lead of the CCI rope access team with extensive experience conducting on-slope work efforts related to reconnaissance, investigation and observation of rock slope stability projects. He received a BS and MS degree in Geology and Geological Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado. Mr. George is a Professional Engineer, a Registered/Professional Geologist and a Certified Engineering Geologist.

Message from the Chair Greetings and welcome back from summer break! I’d like to welcome the 2015-2016 season with thanks to outgoing AEG Oregon Section Chair Linda Mark (ESA Vigil-Agrimis) who served our Section extremely well. Linda worked tirelessly during her term representing us and her dedication to the organization is extraordinary. Big thanks also to Past-Chair Darren Beckstrand (Cornforth Consultants), who has now completed his 5-year commitment of serving the Oregon Section! Our Section has a great history of leadership and the recent years have been no exception. I would also like to express sincere thanks to our other exceptional section volunteers, including: Mike Marshall (GRI), Program Chair; Scott Braunsten (PBS), Newsletter Editor; Keith Olsen (PRISM Climate Group), Website Editor; Erin Dunbar (GeoSyntec), Field Trip Chair; and Ruth Wilmoth (Columbia Geotechnical), Membership Chair. We wouldn’t be a successful Section without the dedicated efforts of these volunteers. Election results are in and the Board of the Oregon Section is pleased to welcome incoming Secretary Chris Humphrey (US Army Corps of Engineers)! Chris brings over 20 years of professional experience in the private and public sectors, as well as serving terms as a Board Member with the Oregon State Board of Geologist Examiners and long-standing service on the AEG Licensure Committee. Stephen Hay (ODOT) will now step into the Chair-Elect role and Mark Swank (PBS) will become Treasurer. I, Adam Reese (Apex Companies), am pleased to serve as your Oregon Section Chair this year. While our 2015/2016 meeting schedule is still developing, we have some exciting events in the works, including: Student Night, Richard Jahns Distinguished Lecturer, AEG National President, and our annual joint meeting with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Oregon Section Geotechnical Group. In addition, we’re hoping to have a joint meeting with the Association of Women Geoscientists (AWG). There is much to look forward to this year, starting with Ben George’s presentation at our September 15th meeting on the rock slope assessment and mitigation near the Ross Powerhouse (Skagit Power Project, North Cascades National Park). Later in the month on September 26th, the Oregon Section of AEG will be hosting a field trip to the Newberg-Dundee Bypass Project. Finally, the AEG 58th Annual Meeting is coming up September 21-26 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Born and raised in the Keystone State, I’ll be pleased to represent the Oregon Section at the annual AEG Board of Directors meeting held immediately after the conference. I hope that some of you will be making the trip to the Steel City along with our two 2015 Student Award winners, so please feel free to join me for some pierogies and a Primanti Brothers sandwich while you’re there! Please help to make this a fun and successful year by attending the meetings and staying engaged. See you soon, Adam Reese, CEG Oregon AEG Section Chair

“Keen observation is at

least as necessary as

penetrating analysis”

Karl Terzaghi


Volume 16, Number 1


Thank You to our Beverage Sponsors from last season!

Western States Soil Conservation, Inc.

Anderson Environmental Contracting

Registration now open:

Pacific Northwest Mega-Earthquakes

Are you informed and ready for the Really Big One? Is the Northwest ready for the Really Big One?

Energy Infrastructure Preparedness for a Cascadia Mega-Earthquake

Northwest Energy Association and

The NW Section Society of Petroleum Engineers 2015 Symposium

October 2-3, 2015 - Hood River, Oregon [limited to 100 – register early!]

The probability of a mega-earthquake is 30% in the next 50 years. This one-day Symposium and second-day field trip provide a unique opportunity to learn about the geology behind the mega-earthquakes, their history and re-gional impact, and preparation for mitigating that impact in western Oregon and Washington. Current knowledge and the present status of mitigation planning will be the focus of this symposium. Symposium speakers are leading researchers and representatives of primary response organizations. Scheduled speakers are:

♦ Ray Wells, US Geological Survey ♦ Chris Goldfinger, Oregon State Univ. ♦ ♦ Ray Weldon, U of Oregon ♦ Bill Steele, Univ. of Washington ♦

♦ Yumei Wang, Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries ♦ ♦ Alan Hull, Golder Associates ♦ ♦ Tammy Moore, Williams Pipeline ♦

♦ Leon Kempner, Bonneville Power ♦ ♦ Laurie Holien, Oregon Office of Emergency Management ♦

♦ Scott Burns, Portland State U

Find the program and registration information at nwenergy.us Please feel free to forward this announcement to interested associates

The Oregon Section of AEG will be hosting a field trip to the Newberg-Dundee Bypass Project on Saturday September 26th from 10 AM – 2 PM. Field trip leaders will be from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and GRI. Attendees will have the opportunity to tour Phase 1 of the project currently under construction. Field trip stops will include retaining walls, buttresses, bridges, and landslides. Phase 1 of the project is expected to open to vehicles in 2017.

ODOT has been working for many years with the local communities to plan the bypass which will significantly reduce congestion on OR 99W. Additional project information can be found at the link below.

There is no cost for the field trip, and attendees will meet at the Rogers Landing County Park in Newberg at 10 AM. Attendees need to bring a hard hat and safety vest and wear hiking or work boots. ODOT will have extra safety vests and hard hats available. Lunch will held on the project site, however, food and beverages will not be provided so please bring a bag lunch.

Please RSVP to Stephen Hay, ODOT Engineering Geologist/AEG Chair-Elect at [email protected] by September 15th if you plan to attend. The Oregon Section of AEG, ODOT, and GRI look forward to seeing you on the 26th.

http://www.oregonjta.org/region2/?p=highway99w&expandable=2

Newberg-Dundee Bypass Field Trip-September 26, 2015

“The earth is large and

old enough to teach us

modesty.”

Hans Cloos


Volume 16, Number 1



Volume 16, Number 1


“Keen observation is at

least as necessary as

penetrating analysis”

Karl Terzaghi


Volume 16, Number 1



Volume 16, Number 1


Apex Companies, LLC

Columbia Geotechnical

ESA Vigil-Agrimis

GRI

NACSE

Oregon Department of Transportation

OSU

PBS Engineering and Environmental

Portland State University

PRISM Climate Group

US Army Corps of Engineers

Thanks For Supporting AEG


Volume 16, Number 1


Field-Trip Chair:

Erin Dunbar

[email protected]

The Oregon Section is also on the web at

http://www.aegoregon.org National AEG webpage:

http://aegweb.org

The Oregon Section Newsletter OREGON SECTION AEG NEWSLETTER is published monthly from September through May. Subscriptions are for members of AEG affiliated with the Oregon Section or other Sections, and other interested people who have requested and paid a local subscription fee of $10.00. E-mail subscriptions are free. News items are invited and should be sent to: Scott Braunsten, OR Section AEG Newsletter Editor, PBS Engineering and Environmental, 4412 SW Corbett Avenue, Portland, OR 97239, e-mail: [email protected], phone (503) 417-7737. Electronic media is preferred. Deadline for submittal is the 25th of the month. Advertising: business card $100/yr; ¼ page $200/yr; ½ page $350/yr; 1 page $450/yr. Please notify Scott if you have a change to your email or mailing address.

The Association of Engineering Geologists (AEG) contributes to its members' professional success and

the public welfare by providing leadership, advocacy, and applied research in environmental and

engineering geology. AEG's values are based on the belief that its members have a responsibility to

assume stewardship over their fields of expertise. AEG is the acknowledged international leader in

environmental and engineering geology, and is greatly respected for its stewardship of the profession.

Section Officers & Committee Chairs Chair:

Adam Reese

Apex Companies, LLC

[email protected]

Membership Chair:

Ruth Wilmoth

Columbia Geotechnical, Inc.

[email protected]

Visiting Professional Pro-

gram (VPP) Chair:

Vacant

Legislature Chair:

Vacant

Newsletter Editor:

Scott Braunsten


[email protected]

Webpage Editor:

Keith Olson

PRISM Climate Group, NACSE,

OSU

[email protected]

Could Be

You ?

Program Chair:

Michael Marshall

GRI

[email protected]

Treasurer:

Mark Swank


[email protected]

Chair Elect:

Stephen Hay

Oregon Department of Transportation

[email protected]

Could Be

You ?

PSU Student Chapter President:

Portland State University

Past Chair:

Linda Mark

ESA Vigil-Agrimis

[email protected]

Subscribe to the newsletter by sending any e-mail to

[email protected]

Secretary:

Chris Humphrey

US Army Corps of Engineers

[email protected]

the official regon section aeg newsletter · 9/9/2015 · landslide technology, a division of...

Documents