In this issue:
- Loss Prevention Seminars
- Online Registration Update
- Outstanding Project Awards - CALL FOR ENTRIES
- From the Vault
- #GivingTuesday Continues
- EagleLift Project Spotlight
- Upcoming Events
- CalGeo Welcomes New Members
Give the Gift of Education at our Loss Prevention Seminars
CalGeo's Loss Prevention Seminars are designed for technicians, staff engineers and geologists of all skill levels. By increasing the knowledge and skill base of your field personnel, we hope to reduce your liability and losses and increase productivity. Attendees will earn valuable Professional Development Hours (PDH) or CEU credits without losing time at the office. CalGeo's Saturday morning course includes a full breakfast and 4-hours of practical training and skill development for technical and field personnel. Only held once-a-year and not to be missed!
Southern California LPS: January 20, 2018, Embassy Suites Hotel, Santa Ana, CA
Northern California LPS: February 10, 2018, Courtyard Marriott Hotel, Fairfield, CA
Program
7:30 to 7:50 am. Registration and Buffet Breakfast
7:50 to 8:00 am. Welcome and Introduction
8:00 to 8:45 am. “Special Inspection Basics for the Field Technician” by Norm Biehn,GMU Geotechncial, Inc.
8:45 to 9:50 am. “How to do a Better Job in the Field and Stay out of a Lawsuit” by Tom Blackburn, Blackburn Consulting Group
9:50 to 10:00 am. Break and Breakfast Sponsors Presentation
10:00 to 11:00 am “Boring Logs- What’s Important & What’s Not: A Scientific Viewpoint” by Dr. Richard Laton, Cal State Fullerton
11:00 to 12:00 pm. “Cement Treated Soils, Base Materials & Full Depth Reclamation: How to Handle from a Soil Technicians Perspective” – QA/QC Means and Methods by Paul Soltis, Twining Inc.
12:00 pm Seminar Conclusion and Distribution of Certificates
Cost 
Members: $130 Early-bird registration by December 31st! $150 after the New Year. Non-members: $200
Register for NorCal LPS HERE
Register for SoCal LPS HERE
Online Registration Update
If you've been hibernating all fall, you may have missed that CalGeo has a new website and registration system. Users can login using their e-mail address and password to easily register for events throughout the site.
Important Note: ONLY the contacts noted in your annual membership application/renewal are in our system. Please have those contacts register people for events and select the option REGISTER GUEST. Its not really a "guest" but its another person at your firm that will recieve the member pricing. If you do not have a profile and create one, you will be treated as a non-member and only provided with the non-member prices. Please e-mail Kelly Cabal: [email protected] if you need help converting your profile or with any registration issue. We can also register over the phone: (949) 391-2436
Quick Links:
Member Portal/Profile
Forgot Username? (Its probably your e-mail)
Forgot Password?
Job Board - View Postings
Don't forget to update your records with our new address:
1048 Irvine Ave. #994, Newport Beach, CA 92660 Tel: (949) 391-2GEO (2436)
Outstanding Project Awards - CALL FOR ENTRIES
As 2017 comes to an end, we all ask ourselves "What have we accomplished this year?" If you've been a part of an interesting project, share your work (and recieve an award!).
Each year at our Annual Conference, CalGeo puts the spotlight on the best geotechnical projects in the state with our Outstanding Project Awards. A panel of your peers select the year's finest work in a number of categories, providing winners with a powerful new marketing message, and everyone with the opportunity to learn from exciting, innovative approaches to challenging situations.
Call for Entries
Download the entry forms below. The deadline for Outstanding Project Award Entries is January 20, 2018. A fee of $100/members and $300/non-members is required for each entry. Firms/individuals may submit multiple entries but will only be awarded a maximum of one award.
DOWNLOAD ENTRY FORM
PAY ENTRY FEE ON-LINE
The 2018 CalGeo Annual Conference will be held April 19-21, 2018 at the Flamingo Conference Resort and Spa in Santa Rosa, CA. The Outstanding Project Awards luncheon will take place the final afternoon, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Click HERE for event details.
We have added 3 short courses ahead of the annual conference. Check out the details on our website:
Wednesday April 18 from 10am-5pm: Financial Management fo A/E/C Firm Leaders by PSMJ
Thursday April 19th from 8am-12pm: 2D & 3D Slope Stability by Rocscience
Thursday April 19th from 1pm-5pm: Site Characterization by Dr. Jason DeJong, UC Davis
From the Vault: Video killed the radio star
This month we take it back to the October 1989 edition of the Geogram to bring you the 1989 CGEA Membership Survey Summary. It is so interesting how many of the issues faced almost 30-years ago are still relevant today. As for the desired conference program topics in #4, check out our annual conference program to see how well we covered these areas!
1.) Main reasons for originally joining CGEA: The following are the predominant issues presented by the respondents:
- Communication and information sharing with others in the industry.
- Support and advancement of professionalism
- Business and management technique enhancements
- Loss prevention issues
- Union concerns
2.) How long have you been a member?
Years of Membership: New 0-1 3-4 5-6 6-10 10+
No. of Firms Responding: 11 10 5 5 8 28
3.) What CGEA Services are most beneficial to member firms?
- Salary Survey (53)
- Technician Seminars (45)
- Semi-Annual Conference (36)
- Publications (29)
- Geogram (24)
- Technician Certification (18)
- Referral Program (9)
- Geotechnical Employment Service GES (7)
- Outstanding Project Awards (7)
These are all still great CalGeo benefits! Our 2017 salary survey is now available along with our Loss Prevention Seminars in Jan/Feb.
4.) Desired Conference Program Topics
- Legal/Loss Prevention
- Business Finances/Economics
- Business Development/Marketing
- Legislative
- Human Resource/Personnel
- Professional Development
- Management Techniques
- Personal Relationships & Development
Check out our Annual Conference program online and see how we managed to cover many of these areas in a short two-day event.
5.) Desired Accomplishments over the next 5 years:
- Reduce liability exposure
- Increase legislative activity
- Improve image of geotechnical engineering
- Increase member involvement in CGEA activities
- Improve professional relationships between firms
- Increase influence on government practices
- Board of Registration refinements
#GivingTuesay Continues
We've made it to the end of 2017! Before the tax year closes out, make sure to get in all your charitable donations. Extra cash laying around? CalGeo has a Student Outreach Fund that provides the opportunity for a group of CalGeo student chapter members to attend our annual conference each year. Its a great learning and networking opportunity for them - plus, free head hunting for that next job vacancy.
Please send Student and General Fund donations to: CalGeo @ 1048 Irvine Ave., #994, Newport Beach, CA 92627 (please note if donation is for student or general fund).
To make a donation via credit card, please e-mail [email protected] or call (949) 391-2436
EagleLift Completes Culvert Soil Stabilitzation Repair @ Vendenburg AFB Saving $1.5 Billion Mission
In the construction industry, deadlines are a way of life. Whether you are meeting proposal deadlines, managing costs, minimizing weather delays, meeting contract requirements, etc., the clock seems to always be ticking and pressure is continually mounting. However, recently EagleLIFT performed a culvert soil stabilization and slope repair project at Vandenberg AFB that, if not met, the deadlines would be a costly scenario.
Vandenberg AFB is a Department of Defense space and missile testing base located near Lompoc, California. Vandenberg launches a variety of critical rocket missions for military purposes and also leases launchpad facilities to SpaceX. As you can imagine, its activities are high-profile, high-budget, and highly sensitive to delays.
During the 2016-2017 rainy season, Vandenberg experienced extensive storm runoff that damaged an 84 inch, 200ft long corrugated metal drainage culvert, causing collapse at three separate locations and further degraded the culvert’s corroded bottom. The damage to the culvert caused severe inflow and infiltration (I/I) which destabilized an adjacent slope along the m ain supply road leading to Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6).
When an approximate 30ft deep sinkhole opened up by the supply road, a bypass road had to be installed in order to continue launch operations until a permanent fix was designed for the culvert. When concern began to grow that a 20ft high section of the adjacent slope would slip and the sinkhole wound endanger the new bypass road and delay an upcoming $1.5 billion mission, Vandenberg sought for a temporary fix to strengthen the culvert, slope and avert disastrous and costly delays.
Click HERE to read more!
Upcoming Events
Mark you calendars for these upcoming events, or download Outlook and iCal events through our new calendar.
CalGeo Loss Prevention Seminars:
SoCal Loss Prevention Seminar - January 20, 2018, Santa Ana, CA
NorCal Loss Prevention Seminar - February 10, 2018, Fairfield, CA
Annual Conference - April 19-21, 2018, Santa Rosa, CA. Details and registration now online!
Warm Welcome to our New Members!
CalGeo is pleased to announce a number of new members for 2017/2018. Lets give them a warm welcome and encourage them to join us at events and perhaps even a committee or two! Click on the logos below to visit their website.
Member Organizations:

Individual Members:
Jason Cox, Golder
Affiliate Organizations:
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