Meeting/Event Information

Join your peers for the next G-I Houston Chapter Luncheon Technical Session:

MSE INSPECTION TOOL FOR THE NEW ASSET MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IN KANSAS

Geotechnical asset management (GAM) demonstrates stewardship, provides data and processes for making informed decisions, and can enable financial savings throughout the geotechnical life cycle. For a GAM program to be effective, a well-defined inspection system for evaluating the current condition of assets is required. This talk will describe how we developed an inspection system for mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls, optimized to meet the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) monitoring goals. The inspection included 14 inspectable items, including a measurement of the backfill using electrical resistivity. Laboratory electrical resistivity measurements were obtained in previous research and an in situ electrical resistivity measurement was developed for inspection purposes. KDOT selected 18 walls that were surveyed using the new inspection sheet and in situ electrical resistivity method. The inspection tool used an overall rating on a four to one scale, where four was “good” and one was “severe,” based on a weighted average of the 14 item ratings. Although there is literature on what a DOT may inspect on an MSE wall, there is currently no data available on which inspection item is most important. This talk will also discuss how we determined the weights of 14 inspection items, interviewing 30 experts from North America using the analytical hierarchy process. Overall, experts prioritize scour, internal drainage, wall tilting, and panel bowing as the most important, and panel staining and coping damage as least important. In using the weights, the final overall rating for each wall was more reflective of our teams opinion of the wall condition. By implementing this system now, KDOT can begin to track how emphasizing the inspectable elements with the weighting system relates to the long-term behavior of an MSE wall. It will be valuable to reevaluate the weighting system in 10-15 years to note which elements were actually indicative of an issue with the service life of the structure. Furthermore, the life cycle of an asset or assets can now be tracked individually or as a part of a class that could be based on asset type, construction method, contractor, material supplier, or any other criteria. This information can be used to evaluate the relative benefits of a wide range of engineering options.

Speaker: Stacey Kulesza, Ph.D., P.E. Where: One Westchase Ground Floor Conference Room, 10777 Westheimer Rd., Suite 110, Houston, TX, 77042 When: Thursday, February 13, 2025, 11:30 AM to 1 PM Online Tickets*: Member: $25; Government Employee: $20; Student: $5; Non-Member: $30 Walk-in Tickets **: Member: $30; Non-Member: $35 **CC not accepted. Checks preferred; Address checks to "ASCE Houston".

* We accept RSVPs on the website (not via e-mail). There will be a no-show penalty fee of $25 if RSVP was made.

Speaker Bio: Dr. Stacey Kulesza is an associate professor at Texas State University in the geotechnical area. After she received her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University in 2013, she was an assistant/associate professor at Kansas State University from 2013-2021. Dr. Kulesza's research focuses on in situ and laboratory characterization of geo-materials with applied geophysics, identifying anthropogenic impacts on soil properties, and monitoring deteriorating infrastructure. She also studies asset-based frameworks that support diverse pathways towards creating authentic engineering identities. Her research sponsors include the US Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration, National Science Foundation, Kansas Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She is the director of the new US DOT CREATE University Transportation Center, led by Texas State with four partner universities, that will focus on coastal transportation infrastructure durability. She is a licensed engineer in the State of Kansas and happy to engage in any lively geo-discussions during or after the presentation.