A one-day short course by Dov Leshchinsky and Ben Leshchinsky

Geosynthetic Reinforced Walls and Slopes

Executive Hotel, 4201 Lougheed Highway, Burnaby, BC V5C 3Y6

Friday, 07 February 2025

The VGS will be hosting a one-day short course on “Geosynthetic Reinforced Walls and Slopes” by Dov Leshchinsky, Emeritus Professor, University of Delaware, and Co-Founder, ADAMA Engineering, Corvallis and Ben Leshchinsky, Professor, Oregon State University, Corvallis.

Breakfast and lunch will be provided, as will snacks and beverages during the morning and afternoon breaks.

Space is limited to 100 registrants. Click here to register. Registration details are as follows:

For additional information or questions, please contact Tyler Southam (tyler.southam@tetratech.com).

Course Overview

Geosynthetics are a popular and effective construction material. These polymeric materials, when used as a reinforcement within soil, produce economical and safe geotechnical structures. It provides substantial time-savings compared to conventional construction approaches. This 1-day workshop will help attendees appreciate and implement design of mechanically stabilized earth walls and slopes. Lessons learned from failed structures conclude this workshop.

Key learning objectives for short course attendees are as follows:

• Relevant properties of geosynthetics in long-term applications

• Principles of reinforced soil

• Geosynthetic reinforced wall and slope systems

• Basic design of MSE walls and slopes

• Seismic aspects of design

• Lessons learned from failures

• Exposure to instructive software approaches facilitating reinforced structure

This workshop will enable participants to:

• Gain practical knowledge on reinforced walls and slopes including selection of geosynthetic reinforcement and design considerations

• Develop an appreciation of design considerations

Who Should Attend?

• Design specialists, geotechnical and senior construction engineers

• Consulting engineers, industrial technical representatives and academics who specialize in use of geosynthetics in construction

• Contractors associated with the construction of walls and slopes

• Forensic engineers

Schedule:

Presenters:

Professor Dov Leshchinsky has retired from the University of Delaware after 32 years of service. Prior to joining the faculty in Delaware, he worked as a geotechnical engineer with the Association of American Railroads in Chicago. At the University of Delaware, he had conducted research on slope stability, soil reinforcing, geosynthetics and dredged materials. The National Science Foundation, US Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Highway Administration and private industries have sponsored various research projects he had conducted. Much of his work has focused on comprehensive design methods for geosynthetic reinforced steep slopes and walls as well as geotextile tubes. He has published numerous referred papers in leading geotechnical journals. He has co-developed well-known design-oriented computer programs partially sponsored by FHWA and USCOE: FoSSA, ReSSA, MSEW, ReSlope, GeoCoPS. These design tools are being used worldwide.

Dov Leshchinsky is a consultant in ADAMA Engineering, Inc. He has been involved with advanced geotechnical consulting for over 40 years. Governmental agencies, geotechnical outfits, geosynthetic manufacturers, and law firms had retained him as an expert. He has been involved in large projects dealing construction over soft soil. He co-developed an NHI short course on Slopes and Embankments, once in 2001 and second in 2023. He has been co-teaching short courses on MSE Walls Reinforced Soil Slopes, Shallow Foundations, Slopes and Embankments, and Geosynthetic Reinforcement. The conference “Design and Practice of Geosynthetic-Reinforced Soil Structures,” held in Bologna, Italy, 2013, was labeled “Honoring Research Achievement of Professor Dov Leshchinsky” -- http://www.columbia.edu/cu/civileng/bologna2013/). He received the ASCE Martin S. Kapp Award in 2010 which states: “For his innovative contribution to the unified method of design and analysis of earth retaining structures and slopes as well as implementation of such technology through computer software and continuing education”.

Ben Leshchinsky is Professor and Richardson Chair in the College of Forestry and School of Civil and Construction Engineering (joint appointment) at Oregon State University. He received his B.S. from University of Delaware in 2007, and his MS and PhD from Columbia University in 2008 and 2012, respectively. His research focuses on evaluating the evolution of slope instability from a variety of disturbances as well as the design of geotechnical infrastructure under extreme conditions. He is currently an Associate Editor on four journal editorial boards, including the ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, Landslides, Geotextiles and Geomembranes, and Geosynthetics International. He is the recipient of the 2018 International Geosynthetics Society Young Researcher Award and the 2020 ASCE Arthur Casagrande Award. Most importantly, he has the honor of exhausting his patient family with lessons about soil mechanics and slope instability every time they enjoy a trip to the beach.