Bethesda engineer Victor Elias, 66, whose work ensured that major roads, rails and monuments sat firmly on the ground — no matter whether the ground was bedrock, landfill, sand or clay, died March 29 of complications related to cancer at Suburban Hospital.
Mr. Elias, a geotechnical engineer, supervised and directed soil and foundation studies for Interstate 95 in Boston and Maryland, sections of the Metrorail system and rehabilitation of the Jefferson Memorial’s main foundation.
He was recognized worldwide as an expert in soil reinforcement and the design of retaining walls, abutments and earth-fill structures. Mr. Elias also wrote or co-wrote more than 25 articles and Federal Highway Administration design manuals on ground improvement technologies.
“Every department of transportation across the country, every major consultant group and highway works department extensively relies upon manuals written by Victor Elias, and the cost savings to taxpayers is extremely significant,” said Ryan R. Berg, a Minnesota engineer who worked with him. “One of his gifts was an ability to clearly state the requirements for geotechnical design, which is very difficult to do.”
Geosynthetics are polymers that civil engineers use, from weed inhibitors for gardens to the high-strength plastic membranes that line landfills, said James G. Collin, a Bethesda consulting engineer who worked with Mr. Elias.
“One of his contributions was his evaluation of the durability of geosynthetic reinforcement,” Collin said. “To me, it was pretty clear in how he approached his work that he really had a passion for it. He was technically very astute. He did some litigation work as an expert witness, and I always felt I wanted him on my team, because he was very good and very intimidating as an adversary.”
His intimidating exterior hid a warm personality, Collin said. Mr. Elias enjoyed challenging colleagues and standards and arguing out a resolution, Berg agreed, but after he got to know a colleague, “he was a sweet man,” Collin said.
In his 40-year career, Mr. Elias lectured extensively and taught soil mechanics and foundation engineering at Johns Hopkins University. He was a guest lecturer at the University of Wisconsin, Polytechnic University in New York and Louisiana State University. He taught at workshops of federal and state transportation agencies and lectured at the American Society of Civil Engineers and international engineering society groups. He was an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association.
In 1993, he received the T. Allan Haliburton Medal from the American Society for Testing and Materials. In 2002, he was recognized by the International Geosynthetics Society for his work in the field.
Born in Belgrade, Mr. Elias fled his native country with his parents during World War II and landed in an Italian prison camp outside of Turin. After liberation by Americans in 1943, his family moved around Italy until immigrating to New York in 1949. He received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering from what is now Polytechnic University.
Survivors include his wife of 37 years, Geri Elias of Bethesda; and two sons, Andrew Elias of Washington and Kenneth Elias of Chevy Chase.
Written y Patricia Sullivan,
Washington Post Staff Writer

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