1. GeoDesign, Inc.
December 3rd, 2014
Serge Bachinsky 1
Serge Bachinsky
Civil Engineering
December 3rd, 2014
Mentor: Shawn Dimke

2. 2 GeoDesign, Inc.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Company History………………………………………………….…….……….…………………3
Intern’s Role……………………………………..……….……………….………………..………..3
List of Projects..……………………………………………………………………….………….....4
Proof Rolls………………………………...………………………...….…..……………….4
Density Testing……………………………………………………….…….……………..4
Cement Amending………………………………………………….…….………………5
Helical Anchors……………………………………………………….….………………..6
Soldier Piles…………………………………………………………….…..……………….6
Tieback Anchors……………………….…………………………….….………………..6
Executive Summary………………………………………………………….……………………8
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………..………………………8
Buzz Words……………………..……………………………………………………...…….….....10

3. GeoDesign, Inc.
December 3rd, 2014
Serge Bachinsky 3
COMPANY HISTORY
GeoDesign, Inc. is an employee owned company that was founded in
1997 that is headquartered in Portland with locations in Washington and
California. GeoDesign provides a full range of integrated geotechnical
engineering, environmental, geological, hydrogeological, and pavement
design consulting services, backed by over 70 experts in the field. From
planning and design through construction, they offer comprehensive
solutions to support commercial and industrial developments, mixed-use and
community developments, transportation projects, property transactions,
regulatory compliance, water supply, and wastewater projects.
Whether it’s geotechnical evaluations, environmental site assessments,
navigating permitting difficulties, or any number of other technical issues,
GeoDesign, Inc. is there to help with any project needs. They provide
geotechnical investigations, slope stability analysis, seismic evaluations and
upgrades, environmental site assessments, paving testing, and much more.
GeoDesign, Inc. is dedicated to help in making informed decisions about any
project – and that means providing recommendations that clearly present
risks, issues, and alternatives.
INTERNS ROLE
An intern’s role at GeoDesign are those of any entry-level geotechnical
technician within the company. The role includes performing
geotechnical/construction materials testing and exploration in the field,
reporting field samples to GeoDesign’s in-house laboratory for analysis,
communicating findings and results to engineers and professionals, and
providing construction observation and monitoring. Geotechnical technicians
at GeoDesign are the eyes and ears for the project engineer with the

4. 4 GeoDesign, Inc.
responsibility to inspect, analyze, and communicate their findings to the
associated project engineer. A geotechnical technician’s main goal is to
assure projects compliance with design recommendations.
LIST OF PROJECTS:
PROOF ROLLS: Proof roll is the process of slowly rolling a fully loaded
water truck, dump truck, or any other available heavy construction vehicle
over a surface that consists of either subgrade, base rock, cement treated fill,
or structural fill. It is the geotechnical technicians duty to observe for any
deflections, pumping, rutting, or cracking in the surface. Where proof rolling
indicates areas of soft subgrade or areas of non-uniform subgrade stability,
the designated project engineer will investigate the source of the problem.
The project engineer will check the subgrade materials, density, moisture
content, and work with the contractor in resolving any deficiencies that may
have been found.
DENSITY TESTING: A geotechnical technician at GeoDesign receives
training and certification on using a Troxler nuclear densometer gauge. A
Troxler nuclear densometer gauge is a field instrument in which is used to
determine the density of a compacted material, whether it is asphalt, base
rock, subgrade, or trench backfill. The device determines the density of
material by counting the photons emitted by radioactive source (cesium-137)
that are read by detector tubes in the gauge base. One tube produces
radiation that interacts with the atoms in the soil to calculate the density,
while the other tube interacts with hydrogen atoms to calculate the
percentage of water in the soil. The geotechnical technician then compares
the field density tests to the lab produced (D1557) optimum compaction
proctor. Depending on the material being tested and the depth at which the

5. GeoDesign, Inc.
December 3rd, 2014
Serge Bachinsky 5
density test shots are being taken at, the geotechnical technician determines
whether the compaction meets the project specifications. If compaction does
not meet the project specifications, re-compaction is recommended until
density tests provide satisfactory results.
CEMENT AMENDING: Cement soil amendments can provide a timely and
cost effective solution to winter time site work or any soils with high
moisture contents. The addition of cement to native soil improves its
workability and strength properties. Subgrade and fill soils where excessive
moisture and inadequate compaction make construction nearly impossible
can be managed by the addition of cement. Cement is an effective soil
amendment for silt and sand soils where high natural moisture contents
cause rutting and soft subgrade conditions. Cement amendment provides
large increase in soil strength and is a cost-effective solution to wet and soft,
subgrade conditions. A geotechnical technician at GeoDesign observes the
cement amending process and monitors the amount of cement being placed
and the moisture content before the amending process. If the moisture
content is low at the time of the cement soil stabilization process, the
technician will monitor whether moisture treatment may be needed or the
possibility of applying a reduced amount of cement. After the application of
cement, tilling, compacting, and grading, the technician tests the treated soil
for compaction and moisture contents using a Troxler nuclear gauge for
verification to project specifications.

6. 6 GeoDesign, Inc.
HELICAL ANCHORS: Helical anchors, also known as piers, piles or
screwpiles, are deep foundation solutions used to secure new or repair
existing foundations. Due to their design and ease to install, they are most
commonly used whenever soil conditions prevent standard foundation
solutions. Instead of requiring large excavation work, they thread into the
ground. This minimizes installation time, requires little soil disturbance, and
most importantly transfers the weight of the structure to load bearing soil. A
geotechnical technician at GeoDesign observes the installation of the helical
anchors and monitors the depth at which the anchors meet the design torque
of the projects specifications using a pressure gauge.
SOLDIER PILES: Soldier piles and lagging is an earth retention technique
that retains soil, using vertical steel piles with horizontal lagging. Typically,
H-piles are drilled or driven at regular intervals along the planned excavation
perimeter. Lagging consisting typically of wood is inserted behind the front
pile flanges as the excavation progresses. The lagging effectively resists the
load of the retained soil and transfers it to the piles. A geotechnical technician
at GeoDesign observes the drilling/driving installation process of the piles,
monitoring the soils at which depths are encountered, and the depth of the
water table (if encountered). The technician also verifies that the depths of
the piles are installed to the design specifications.
TIEBACK ANCHORS: Tieback anchors are structural elements installed
near horizontal in soil or rock that are used to transmit an applied tensile
load into the ground. Tieback anchors consist of a high strength tendon (bar
or strand) grouted into a drilled hole and tensioned against a structural
anchorage such as a soldier pile wall, a sheet pile wall, or a concrete or
shotcrete waler. The steel tendons have a free stressing (unbounded) length

7. GeoDesign, Inc.
December 3rd, 2014
Serge Bachinsky 7
and a bonded length. The bonded portion of a tieback is the length of the
tendon that is bonded to the anchor grout and transmits the applied tensile
load into the ground. The unbounded length is the portion of the tendon that
is free to elongate elastically and transfer the resisting force from the bond
length to the anchorage. Tieback anchors are applications for soldier pile
retaining structures and shoring systems, slope and landslide stabilization,
rock anchors, existing retaining wall retrofits, and additional lateral support
for new foundations.
A geotechnical technician at GeoDesign observes the drilling and
installation process of the tieback anchors, monitoring the soils at which
depths are encountered, and the depth of the water table (if encountered).
The technician also verifies the lengths of each individual tieback anchors for
unbounded/bonded zones. The technician furthermore monitors the amount
of grout placed into each tieback and that the depths of the tiebacks are
installed to the design specifications. After 72-hours of grout curing time, the
technician will then perform proof tests (133% design load) on all tieback
anchors and performance tests (150% design load) on a select few tieback
anchors. Using a loading schedule, the technician will then hold the tieback
anchors at the tested load for 10 minutes monitoring for creep and calculate
for elastic displacement. If the tieback meets the design specifications then it
is locked off at its 100% design load. If the tieback testing fails, testing is
extended to a full hour with extended parameters. If the tieback fails the
extended test, re-grouting, 72-hour waiting period, and re-testing is cycled
over.

8. 8 GeoDesign, Inc.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
GeoDesign, Inc. is an employee owned company that was founded in
1997 and provides a full range of integrated geotechnical engineering,
environmental, geological, hydrogeological, and pavement design consulting
services. They provide geotechnical investigations, slope stability analysis,
seismic evaluations and upgrades, environmental site assessments, paving
testing, and much more. An intern’s role at GeoDesign are those of any entry-
level geotechnical technician within the company. The role includes
performing geotechnical/construction materials testing and exploration in
the field, reporting field samples to GeoDesign’s in-house laboratory for
analysis, communicating findings and results to engineers and professionals,
and providing construction observation and monitoring. A geotechnical
technician at GeoDesign will be exposed to, but not limited to, proof rolls,
density testing, cement amending, helical anchors, soldier piles, tieback
anchors, and so much more. Geotechnical technicians at GeoDesign are the
eyes and ears for the project engineer with the responsibility to inspect,
analyze, and communicate their findings to the associated project engineer. A
geotechnical technician’s main goal is to assure projects compliance with
design recommendations.
CONCLUSION
Through my internship at GeoDesign, I experienced the workplace
responsibilities and expectations of an entry-level geotechnical engineer. By
giving me the opportunity to collaborate with others and the responsibility to
inspect/observe projects, GeoDesign was able to educate me the methods
that worked accurately and efficiently. I learned how to search for the
information I needed from others and to communicate information that
others needed. Through these underlying lessons, I learned quickly what to

9. GeoDesign, Inc.
December 3rd, 2014
Serge Bachinsky 9
observe for, what to expect, what works, and what doesn’t work in the field.
My exposure to field employees and representatives from other companies
will also benefit me when working with individuals in the future. The
geotechnical exposure GeoDesign has offered me is beneficiary to any future
geotechnical work atmospheres I may encounter. GeoDesign has given me a
unique experience to take onto the rest of my engineering career, and I would
like to thank everyone that had made it possible. Thank you!

10. 1
0 GeoDesign, Inc.
BUZZ WORDS
AST – Above Storage Tank
BGS – Below Ground Surface
COS – Construction Observation Services
CSL – Cross-Hole Sonic Logging
DSIC – Drill Shaft Inspection Camera
ESA – Environmental Site Assessment
FWD – Falling Weight Deflectometer
GDI – GeoDesign, Inc.
HSP – Health Safety Plan
IBC – International Building Codes
LIDAR – Light Detection and Ranging
LL – Liquid Limit
MDL – Method Detection Limit
MRL – Method Reported Limit
MSEW – Mechanical Stabilized Earth Walls
OSSC – Oregon Standards Specification Checklist
OWRD – Oregon Water Resources Department
PA – Project Assistant
PDA – Pile Driving Analysis
PI – Plasticity Index
PIC – Principal in Charge
PID – Photo Ionization Detection
PL – Plastic Limit
RBC – Risk Based Concentrations
SMP – Soil Management Plan
UST – Underground Storage Tank