August 2016, Vol. 71 No. 8
Features
Geotechnics For Trenchless Short Course
Planning is being finalized on a Geotechnics for Trenchless Construction short course co-sponsored by the Colorado School of Mines Center for Underground Construction and Louisiana Tech’s Trenchless Technology Center.
The three-day session will be held Nov. 1-3 at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) campus in Golden, CO. It is co-sponsored by Underground Construction.
Broadly defined, geotechnics applies knowledge of earth sciences to engineering that relates to the earth’s crust, soil, rocks and other materials. This new course will cover all aspects of geotechnical engineering for microtunneling and trenchless construction and will be instructed by the foremost industry experts, said Trenchless Technology Center (TTC) Director Tom Iseley, Ph.D., P.E.
Dr. Pricilla Nelson, department head and professor for the CSM department of mining engineering, said “Trenchless construction has a growing and bright future in the United States, and it is important to create professional development opportunities that serve engineers, contractors and owners in the industry.
“Partnering with the TTC, we are developing a sequence of short courses that build knowledge and skills for the industry and also encourage greater engagement of academe (faculty and students) in the industry,” she added. “The CSM/TTC collaboration will also include applied research, and any proceeds from courses will be reinvested in the academic programs at the two schools.”
Who can benefit
Iseley said course content is designed for system owners, consulting engineers, contractors, public utility personnel, equipment manufacturers and suppliers involved in the planning, design, construction and management of microtunneling and trenchless projects.
The course will consist of classroom lectures and hands-on practical sessions.
Daily session topics and instructors are being finalized, but there will be lectures on each subject, one focusing on the fundamentals and the second focusing on applications and implementation. At the end of each day, there will be a hands-on laboratory session guided by a CSM faculty member and industry participants with high levels of expertise.
Evening events will include a hosted first-day reception with sponsor booths; the second-day banquet featuring a guest speaker; and the final evenin’s discussion panel and question-and-answer period with leading industry speakers.
CSM will award 3.0 CEUs upon successful completion of this course. An optional four-day course will include field visits and demonstrations in the Denver area.
Development team
In addition to Iseley and Nelson, Dr. Reza Hedayat, assistant professor, CSM, is also serving as a course director.
The concept of this short course is to truly have industry leaders guiding the presentations to ensure a professional, practical and beneficial curriculum. Steering committee members for developing the program include: Dr. David Bennett, Bennett Trenchless Engineers; Glenn Boyce, Jacobs Associates; Steven Kramer, AECOM; Joe Barsoom, Stantec; Larry Johnson, Hobas Pipe USA; Barry Sorteberg, Clean Slurry Technology; Ray Post, Huxted Tunneling; Nod Clarke-Hackston, VMT GmbH; Craig Camp, Hatch Mott MacDonald; Vojtech Gall, Gall Zeidler Consultants; Eric Eisold, Bradshaw Construction Corp; David Ellett,(BRH-Garver Construction; Patrick Germain, Herrenknecht; Nick Strater, Brierley Associates; Robert Goodfellow and Paul Headland, Aldea Services LLC; and Nate Soule, Lithos Engineering.
The Colorado School of Mines is a public research university devoted to engineering and applied science. It has the highest admissions standards of any public university in Colorado and among the highest of any public university in the U.S. It has distinguished itself by developing a curriculum and research program geared towards responsible stewardship of the earth and its resources and strong education and research programs in traditional fields of science and engineering,
The Trenchless Technology Center at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, LA, is a cooperative research center for academia, government and industry. TTC’s mission is to advance trenchless technology by serving as an independent source of knowledge, research and education in the field of trenchless construction.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
www.csmspace.com/events/trenchless
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