Tom Ramsey, Associate, Geosyntec Consultants, MD

In 2011, the Cherry Island Landfill expansion project was selected as a finalist for the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement award by the American Society of Engineers (ASCE), one of the most prestigious awards in civil engineering. This eSession will discuss the engineering challenges and triumphs that occurred from this expansion project.

The Cherry Island project included the construction of a 60 ft. high, 8,000 ft. long reinforced earth berm (one of the most massive reinforced earth berms ever used in an environmental application) over very poor foundation soils which experienced settlements up to 14 ft. during construction. To address the extensive design and construction issues associated with building a landfill expansion over unconsolidated sediments, a pioneering foundation improvement design technique that analyzes the performance of prefabricated vertical drains was developed in conjunction with world-renown experts in geotechnical design including Dr. James K. Mitchell and Dr. J. Michael Duncan of Virginia Tech as well as Dr. Dov Leshchinsky of the University of Delaware. This webinar will review the exhaustive design efforts, as well as the intensive coordination required during construction in order to bring the Cherry Island Expansion Construction Project to completion.

The public doesn’t often think of what happens to the waste and recyclables that are left on the curb every week, yet we in the industry know how complex and sophisticated the collection, processing, and management of solid wastes has become. The eSession will showcase the fact that the design and construction of solid waste management facilities can be on par with the most sophisticated engineering projects in the United States.