Who says we only work on drilled shafts??  Robert had the opportunity to work for Kiewit Engineering Company providing geotechnical engineering support to Gulf Intracoastal Constructors (GIC), a joint venture of Kiewit and Traylor Brothers on the  Gulf Intracoastal Waterway West Closure Project near Belle Chase, Louisiana.  The project is part of the overall flood protection system improvements that are supposed to protect New Orleans from future hurricanes.  The key components of this particular project are a massive gate and pump station across the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.  Go For more information on the project, go here, here, and here (video from Corps of Engineers).

Robert spent a good part of the summer in New Orleans doing a variety of geotechnical engineering tasks to support the construction efforts of GIC.  The main thing he worked on was the test pile program.  The project included a massive test pile program with 24 test piles spread among 5 test sites with various combinations of dynamic, static axial, static tension, and static lateral tests.  The piles were mostly open-ended steel pipe piles varying from 18” to 54” in diameter.  A few 18” x 18” pre-stressed precast concrete piles were also thrown in for good measure.   In addition to performing drivability studies and evaluating tests data, Robert got to spend some time in the wonderful June and July weather in southern Louisiana on the site observing pile installation and testing.  And as always, he came back with a lot of pictures.  Here are a few to enjoy.