The management and remediation of contaminated sites are strongly dependent on the diagnosis process during the site characterization program. A Conceptual Site Model (CSM) elaborated by use of high-resolution site characterization (HRSC) tools allows for a detailed diagnosis of geo-environmental issues. The piezocone (CPTu) test is a high-resolution to...

Electrical resistivity tests have long been used in geo-environmental site characterization because they provide qualitative data to identify the presence of contaminants in soil. The measurement of soil electrical resistivity is affected by many intervening factors, which are usually studied separately in the laboratory and are important to ensure the ...

Many embankment dams completed during the first six decades of the 20th century have been found deficient relative their ability to resist currently anticipated levels of seismic shaking and probable maximum flood. In this Fourth Victor de Mello Lecture, two recent case histories are described. One is a hydraulic fill structure completed in 1920 that is...

Geotechnical properties of dense to very dense sands at Channel Island Harbor in Oxnard, California, are re-evaluated after slope failures to select appropriate strength parameters for remedial and extension works. The revetment is excavated at a slope of 2:1 (horizontal: vertical) in estuarine and dune sands and covered with a geotextile filter and arm...