R&D
Collaboration with Drnevich
Geocomp is updating the resonant column torsional shear device originally developed by Professor Vincent Drnevich of Purdue University. Professor Drnevich recently visited to collaborate with the Geocomp R&D team in enhancing the functionality of the device.
From left to right: Professor Vincent Drnevich,
Rachid Hankour, and Chafik Hankour
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Australia—The Next Outback for Geocomp
Automated Geotechnical Testing Seminars Held
Geocomp was represented by Rachid
Hankour (left), director of Lab Systems, and
Babur R. Mian (right), COO and EVP, pictured
with Neil Hunt of ACS (center).
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Geocomp Corporation conducted a series of one-day seminars in Australia from August 14 - 24. Hosted by Australia Calibration Services (ACS) – the firm’s Australian agent – the seminars took place in Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, Toowoomba, and Perth. The presentations by Dr. Hankour covered the use of automated systems for soil laboratory testing, and included demonstrations of Geocomp’s automated systems, such as Load Trac-II, Flow Trac-II, and Shear Trac-II. 
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From the Lab
Interface Shear Tests
(continued from page 2)
- Super/Sub-strata – Not only will the materials being tested affect the shear resistance, but the layers above and below those being tested can have an effect on the result.
- Orientation of geosynthetics – It is important to specify the direction of shear: machine or cross-machine. Due to manufacturing processes, the results between each may vary. In addition, the side of the geosynthetic can affect test results greatly (e.g., some GCLs have a non-woven geotextile on one side and a woven geotextile on the other).
GeoTesting Express (GTX) has developed an Interface Shear Chain of Custody and Test Request Form which may be downloaded from our website at http://www.geocomp.com/GeoTesting/res-UsefulForms.htm. This form allows you to specify the key parameters required for interface shear testing and helps ensure you receive useful, applicable interface shear test data. GTX is accredited by the Geosynthetic Accreditation Institute – Laboratory Accreditation Program (GAI-LAP) for the performance of interface shear testing. In addition, GTX’s Gary T. Torosian, vice president and director of Testing Services, is ASTM task group leader for the ASTM D 5321 test standard.
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Noteworthy
Marr Keynote at XIII PCSMGE
Dr. W. Allen Marr was a keynote lecturer at the XIII Pan-American Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering held at Isla Margarita, Venezuela in July. Marr spoke about the “Role of Performance Monitoring in Risk Management.” A key point of the presentation was a demonstration that effective performance monitoring can reduce risk by at least one order of magnitude on many projects.
From the Photo Gallery
UC Davis Medal Presentation
Geocomp’s president and CEO, Dr. W. Allen Marr (left), recipient of the University of California - Davis 2007 Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Medal, at the College of Engineering commencement in June.
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The medal and inscription
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