In this issue:
- Leading the charge with our new President: David Hamilton
- What's new in Sacramento?
- Let's make 2019 the best conference yet!
- Our year of growth (in pictures)
- Outstanding Project Award: ENGEO Blu Harbor Development
- RGE Exam Materials: Help us improve
- Get the word out - to students
- Members Club webpage announced
- EagleLift with an impressive lift - watch the video
- SoilStructure Software unveils an update
- Upcoming events & webinars - register now!
Leading the Charge with our new President, David Hamilton
Please welcome CalGeo's newest fearless leader: David Hamilton, Hamilton Associates
CalGeo starts its year off every July by welcoming in a new president and saying farewell to a cherished friend. Luckily Bob will still be around on the board for one more year as our Past-President, advising us on the road to greatness. Thank you as well to Hannes Richter for your years on the board and for serving the geotechnical community through CalGeo.
President's Message for 2018-2019:
CalGeo is the home for the committed geotechnical professional in private practice because only CalGeo provides the access, networking, training, leadership opportunities and industry advocacy that are central to a successful geotechnical consulting career in California.
CalGeo provides the dirt on industry news and trends, in the know, with access to the latest industry news, studies and trends.
CalGeo digs deeper on professional development staying current on the latest tools and techniques through workshops, seminars and training materials designed to advance the industry's leaders.
CalGeo builds upon your network of new business relationships and strengthens existing ones through CalGeo's extensive network of the top geotechnical professionals in private practice across the state.
CalGeo provides solid support on your issues, and stands up for the issues that matter most to consulting geotechnical professionals, being a strong voice for our members' interests at the local, state and federal levels.
CalGeo reinforces your professional credibility by adhering to a code of standards that guides their efforts and advances the stature of the geotechnical profession.
CalGeo exploded with 30% growth in the last year, be a part of the excitement! Check out our Members Club page for helpful tips and teachings to help you succeed in your geotechnical business career.
Here’s to another successful year!
Whats new in Sacramento?
SB993 Update
CalGeo is pleased to announce that we were able to join the coalition against SB 993 in May 2018 by being added to this coalition letter.
Thanks to the diverse testimony and all members supporting the coalition against SB993, we were able to address all the critical points that the committee needs to consider, from small business impact to competitive disadvantages and implementation challenges.
The Senate Governance and Finance Committee, on the morning of May 16th, 2018 held SB 993 (Hertzberg), declining to vote on the bill that proposes to tax services purchased or used by businesses in California. Instead, the committee plans to hold several additional hearings on the issue.
The next hearing took place on June 13. Senator Mike McGuire, who chairs the committee, said the hearing will include a panel discussion. He said this hearing and others will provide a “deeper dive” into the issue of taxing services. We will continue to follow this issue and keep our membership informed. The bill is still in this hearing process but we will keep on it!
Lets make 2019 the best conference yet!
CalGeo conferences are always a great mix of fun, friends and learning but we know we can make them even better. Please help us by taking this short 4-min survey with a few questions about golf, short courses, including Affiliates, more party time etc.

Our year of growth (in pictures)
CalGeo is excited about the growth we experienced in 2017-18. We saw membership increase by 25% and some record numbers at our events. Here is a short infographic to wow and amaze you:

Outstanding Project Award: ENGEO Blu Harbor Re-development
At our April conference in Santa Rosa, we were pleased to award ENGEO with an Outstanding Project Award for thier work on the Blu Harbor Re-development, Redwood City, CA.
Urban development in Northern California is fueling innovations in geotechnical engineering as more complex sites are developed. ENGEO Incorporated is the Geotechnical Engineer of Record for a high-density waterfront development project, Blu Harbor, in Redwood City, California. The U-shaped project site has an inner marina and its perimeter is surrounded by three channels. Site challenges include the presence of historically placed fill, sandy loose deposits, as well as soft, compressible soil locally known as Young Bay Mud.
ENGEO designed and constructed a waterfront stabilization system consisting of Deep Soil Mixing (DSM) columns, vinyl sheet pile fascia and concrete flood walls supported on shallow footings. The DSM system considered FHWA DSM design guidelines and seismic earth pressures applicable to the seismically active California region. The spoils generated from the DSM operation were reused as engineered fill to raise site grades. Construction of the residential development at the site was completed in September 2017.
For more information on this project, please contact: Janet Kan, [email protected]

RGE Exam Materials: Help us improve
Okay, we'll admit it: CalGeo's RGE exam materials are getting pretty old. We want to change this but need your help! If you have recently taken the RGE exam or used CalGeo's materials, please let us know so we take your advice on how to improve.
If you have any comments or want to sit in on a few conference calls, please e-mail us and let us know your thoughts!
Our plan is to try and re-do each module one by one to update them to current standards, what is on the test, and easy to use/read materials.
Get the word out... to students
Due to our job shortage in geotechnical engineering, CalGeo is actively trying to foster more student chapers and involvement.
We have partnered with Cue Career to create some videos about young professionals and recently graduating students coming out of college. Take a look and forward to your friends!
Thank you to Arielle from CalGeo's UCLA student chapter and Rob Sandquist from Blackburn Consulting for dedicating their time to this. More videos to be added soon!

Members Club Webpage - check it out
In an effort to offer more value and content to our loyal CalGeo members, we have created a Members Club webpage that will be continually updated with useful content, videos, webinars and training materials. This will only be accessible to CalGeo members with a login and password. If you are an employee of a member firm (or not sure), contact kelly@calgeo.org to get your login/password.
If you are the key contact/representative of your firm - check out this short video on how to update your, and your company's profile on our website as well as add other employees as linked profiles for easy registration for events.
Other items on the Members Club page include:
- Short powerpoint on how to improve at networking (and survive those cocktail mixers)
- June regional meeting recorded talk and slides on Montecito Mudslides by Chris Doolittle, County of Santa Barbara Public Works
- Link to conference preference survey
As a reminder - our membership year renews this September. Please feel free to e-mail us if you have any comments or requests on how we can serve our membership better.
EagleLIFT with an impressive lift - watch the video
EagleLIFT completes an incredible project in Brisbane, CA, where they lifted a 45,000 sqft warehouse 15 inches from exterior to interior. The project is completed using a combination of Push Piers and Polyurethane Grout. Click the image below to watch!

SoilStructure Software unveils an update
SoilStructure Software has revised its CANTILEVER SHORING Software. It can now handle Soldier Piles, Secant Piles, Tangent Piles, Sheet Piles & Landslide Piers. You may also add seismic load, strip load and vertical uniform surcharge.
Try a DEMO NOW>>
In an effort to provide economical shoring design, a soils report should contain the following parameters for the design of Cantilever Shoring:
- Backfill earth pressure for level and inclined backfill (this has to be Active earth pressure, At rest earth pressure only applies when there is a lateral restraint at the top of the wall)
- Passive resistance for level & descending slopes (should allow a 133% increases in passive when seismic earth pressures are included)
- Ignore passive resistance height = 1 per diameter minimum
- Passive wedge multiplier = 2.0 to 3.0 times pier diameter
- Minimum drilled pier diameter = 1.5 ft
- Minimum drilled pier horizontal spacing = 2.5 Pier Diameters
- Maximum drilled pier horizontal spacing = 6.0 Pier Diameters
- Minimum soldier beam embedment = 1.3H, where H = shored height
- Cohesion (only in passive zone), if we have Silty/Clayey Soils or Bedrock
- Minimum foundation setback (daylight) distance = 10 ft or H/3, whichever is greater
- Concrete encasing the soldier beams = f’c and Cement Type
- Allowable skin friction for axial downward loads
- Lagging pressure (level backfill), should include surcharge effects
- Seismic earth pressure thrust and its location from base of wall, for Cuts exceeding 6 ft
- Max. Deflection at top of soldier pile = H/180
Upcoming Events & Webinars for Emerging Professionals
Do you live in SoCal? Join the webcast of the meeting in LA or OC. Click HERE to e-mail Neal Berliner regarding an LA web broadcast and HERE to e-mail Mike Moscrop for an OC location webcast.
July 18 Emerging Professionals Meeting, Sacramento or web-link in LA & OC
August 15 Emerging Professionals Meeting, Sacramento or web-link in LA & OC
October 24-27 Deep Foundations Institute Annual Conference, Anaheim
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