Ground Improvement Techniques for Geotechnical Engineering Professionals – Ep 010

In this episode, we talk to John R. Grillo, P.E., a Project Executive at Keller about ground improvement techniques, deep foundation design, and the latest drilling techniques they have been using. He also provides some great advice for geotechnical engineers who are looking at moving into a leadership role. Engineering Quotes: Here Are Some of the Questions We Ask John R. Grillo, P.E.: What are some of the techniques used to improve the ground? How do you select which ground improvement technique to use? What are some of the latest drilling techniques that geotechnical engineers might not have heard about? What are some of the soft skills engineers should focus on in this field of work? How can transitioning from focusing on deep foundations to focusing on ground improvement impact your career? What are some of the things a manager can do in their relationships with their staff that can be rewarding to their career? What advice can you give geotechnical engineers that may be considering moving into a management or leadership position? Here Are Some of the Key Points Discussed About Ground Improvement, Deep Foundation Design, and the Latest Drilling Techniques: There are two main technologies used for building a foundation in intermediate structures. They are aggregate piers and ridged inclusions. These techniques for ground improvement can save owners a lot of money compared to driving piles. When using ground improvement for structural slabs, you are counting on the ground to provide support for that slab and to control settlement differential in total. This means you are improving the ground so that it accepts those defamation limits. To decide which type of ground improvement should be used for a specific project, you need to find out which technique will be the least amount of work but will still stand up to what is needed from it. Transitioning from deep foundations to ground improvement can be a challenge because you cannot approach the projects in the same way you did previously. You need to be all-in when it comes to learning the ground improvement techniques and how to implement them. When bidding on projects for ground improvement, you should focus on SPTs and CPTs. Use the SPTs to physically touch it, classify it, get some limits, and get your consolidation information. The CPTs are valuable because you get many data points and a lot of information from the data points. The scale of the job will dictate how much testing needs to be done. Soft skills that engineers should focus on learning are their approach, leading conversations, being empathetic, and understanding team members’ point of view. To make your relationship with your staff better as a manager, you should raise your staff by giving them the confidence to make the decisions they need to make and grow as a team. Let your staff understand that every time there is a new job, everyone is learning something new. Some advice for geotechnical engineers who are looking at moving into a leadership role is: Do not be afraid to take a chance. A little risk is OK. Calculate your risks and understand where your benefits could be. Work hard and learn everything you can because part of getting to the leadership role is having emotional intelligence and technical intelligence. You need to both put your team together and put the people in the right spots. More Details in This Episode… About John R. Grillo, P.E. Mr. Grillo is a Project Executive at Keller North America, Inc. He has been a member of the Keller team since 2011 and has over 15 years of experience as a geotechnical engineer and specialty contractor. John is currently the ground improvement division manager for the Rockaway office.