TRI Environmental’s John Allen, P.E. will lead a half-day short course on “Slope Stability and Interface Friction Using Geosynthetics” during GeoAmericas 2016 in Miami. Allen has announced the addition of three speakers who will provide additional technical insight and multi-lingual support: Dr. Vincius Benjamim, P.Eng; Renzo Vihelmo Ayala Alarco, M. Sc., P.Eng.; and Dr. Patrick Fox, P.E., D.GE, F.ASCE.
Benjamim is the Technical Director for Eng Consultoria E Projetos (Brazil). Ayala is the Head of Geotechnical Engineering and Research for Anddes Asociados SAC (Peru). Fox is the John A. and Harriette K. Shaw Professor and the Department Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Pennsylvania State University.
Along with Allen, who serves as TRI’s Division Director, the course will deliver considerable depth in field experience and research across multiple engineering sectors (mining, waste management, energy, etc.).
GeoAmericas 2016 is the 3rd Pan-American Conference on Geosynthetics. It will be held April 10 – 13 at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel in Miami, Florida, USA. More information on the event, including online registration for short courses and the full conference, is available at www.geoamericas2016.org.
INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON SLOPE STABILITY
The expansion of the slope stability session into Spanish and Portuguese-language support makes it the sixth of 13 short courses at GeoAmericas 2016 to facilitate direct interaction between English, Spanish, and Portuguese speakers.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity to add these speakers,” John Allen said. “The translation support on technical engineering topics will be welcomed by course participants, just as it will to the conference in general. But these three also bring exceptional experience with topics like MSE Wall design, heap leach pad design and stability, dynamic testing, and much more.”
“Slope Stability and Interface Friction Using Geosynthetics” will be held on the afternoon of April 10 at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel (venue for all GeoAmericas 2016 activities). The course will explore the use of geosynthetics in slope stability design of containment systems for ponds, landfills and heap leach pads.
Discussion will include conceptualization and analysis for a variety of complex and modern conditions, and course attendees will learn how to prescribe a testing program that models site conditions while recognizing common assumptions.
Also of note, data interpretation and the limitations of using historical data will be covered.
Additional topics:
- Traditional and polymer-amended geosynthetic clay liners
- Oversize particles
- Multi-layer testing
- High stress conditions
- Shear-induced geomembrane damage
- Interlocking due to settlement
- Ash and gypsum stability
- Temperature-dependent testing
- Probabilistic model setup for acceptance of conforming material expansion design and testing
