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Supporting The Next Phase of Second Avenue Subway
Geocomp has been contracted by the Connect Plus Partners, JV to deliver geotechnical and structural monitoring for Phase 2 of New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Second Avenue Subway, one of the most complex transit infrastructure projects in North America. The 44-month contract reflects the long-term scope and critical importance of monitoring throughout construction.
This phase of the project will extend the Q line north into East Harlem, requiring excavation of an existing cavern at 116th Street, upgrades to active stations, and construction of new tunnels and underground access points. Operating beneath such a dense urban environment requires a precise understanding of how the ground and nearby structures respond during construction.
Geocomp will combine automated and manual monitoring systems to track surface and subsurface movement in real time. All data will be delivered through iSiteCentral®, the company’s secure, web based platform, giving project teams clear, timely insight to support safe construction, regulatory compliance, and rapid decision making.
Sean P. O’Brien, P.E., President of Geocomp, said: “Projects of this scale demand more than data, they require understanding. With decades of experience on complex subway and tunneling programs in New York and around the world, we know how critical it is to continuously understand ground and structural behavior. Our role is to work closely with the project team to determine what matters at each stage and translate monitoring information into insight that supports confident, timely decisions.”
From Graduate Research to Academic Leadership: Advancing Geotechnical Innovation
Advanced geotechnical research depends on reliable laboratory data, hands-on training, and technical support that evolves with the researcher’s work. For Dr. Daniel Adeleke, Geocomp products have been part of that journey from graduate research to academic leadership.
Daniel first worked with Geocomp equipment from 2018 to 2020 during his master’s studies at the University of Cape Town. Using Geocomp’s Large Direct Shear system, he
advanced research on municipal solid waste geosynthetic liner design while building a strong technical foundation through hands-on laboratory testing and training.
He later continued his research in the United States during his Ph.D., applying Geocomp systems to work on bentonite polymer composites in geosynthetic liners, with ongoing
technical support and collaboration from the Geocomp team.
Today, as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Swarthmore College, Daniel has invested in Geocomp’s Direct Simple Shear system with consolidation capabilities to further expand his research and generate high-quality laboratory data. The addition of the system also enhances hands-on engineering education within Swarthmore’s Engineering Department, giving students valuable exposure to advanced geotechnical testing in a liberal arts setting.
Daniel’s journey reflects Geocomp’s commitment to supporting researchers, educators, and students with the tools, training, technical support, and confidence needed to
advance innovation and inspire the next generation of geotechnical engineers.
Built on Trust: Supporting TVA’s Long-Term Infrastructure Resilience
For owners of critical power infrastructure, resilience depends on more than periodic inspections. It requires trusted engineering judgment, timely data, and practical tools that help teams manage risk, meet evolving regulations, and make cost-effective decisions. For more than 15 years, Geocomp has partnered with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to support the safety, performance, and long-term resilience of critical power infrastructure across the Tennessee Valley region.
The relationship began in the aftermath of the 2008 Kingston Fossil Plant coal ash spill, when TVA engaged Geocomp to support recovery and long-term risk management efforts. Geocomp implemented a large-scale monitoring program for coal combustion residuals (CCR) facilities, including a customized iSiteCentral® platform that provided TVA teams with real-time rainfall and stormwater data across key sites. With timely, actionable information at their fingertips, TVA was better equipped to make informed decisions and protect surrounding communities.
As federal CCR regulations evolved, Geocomp’s scope expanded. TVA needed to demonstrate that its facilities met increasingly stringent structural and seismic stability standards – a challenge requiring both technical rigor and engineering judgement.
Geocomp’s consulting team developed site specific advanced approaches to assess in-situ pore pressures and facility performance, while GeoTesting Express conducted advanced laboratory testing to characterize the dynamic behavior of CCR materials. Together, these performance-based engineering analyses for facilities including Shawnee, Allen, Cumberland, Johnsville, Gallatin, Paradise, and Bull Run—help TVA demonstrate regulatory compliance, replace overly conservative assumptions with defensible engineering judgement, and avoid millions of dollars in unnecessary remediation and closure costs.
Today, the relationship continues to grow—both in technology and technical depth. On the monitoring side, TVA relies on iSiteCentral® across 11 plants and four dams, with recent platform enhancements including integration with TVA’s internal data systems and Storm Return Interval tracking, helping TVA identify extreme weather events, conduct required inspections, and monitor changing site conditions from a laptop or mobile device. On the consulting side, Geocomp continues to support TVA’s active compliance programs, including ongoing seismic stability assessments under the EPA 2024 Legacy CCR Rule—work that draws on years of site-specific data, established laboratory programs, and a deep understanding of TVA’s facilities and regulatory landscape.
The Geocomp -TVA relationship reflects what long-term collaboration can achieve: hands-on engineering expertise, trusted client relationships, and practical technology working together to help manage risk, support compliance, reduce costs, and strengthen infrastructure that millions of people rely on every day.
GeoTesting Express Supports Next Phase of the Cape Cod Bridges Program
Major bridge replacement programs depend on reliable subsurface data long before construction begins. As MassDOT advances the Cape Cod Bridges Program, GeoTesting
Express is helping provide the laboratory testing needed to inform design and construction decisions for this landmark infrastructure investment. The multi-billion-dollar project is advancing efforts to replace the Sagamore and Bourne bridges and improve mobility, accessibility, and long-term infrastructure resilience between Cape Cod and mainland Massachusetts.
As the project moves into procurement, GeoTesting Express (GTX) is already supporting the initiative through extensive rock core and soil sample testing, completing more than 500 tests including Atterberg Limits, Sieve Analysis, Incremental Consolidation, UU Triaxial, Direct Shear, and more. This comprehensive laboratory testing program is helping provide the critical geotechnical data needed to inform design and construction decisions for this landmark infrastructure investment.
Originally completed in 1935, the Sagamore and Bourne bridges were designed to accommodate approximately one million annual trips. Today, the two bridges collectively support nearly 38 million crossings each year, making them vital transportation links for residents, businesses, and the region’s tourism economy. With increasing traffic demands and aging infrastructure, both bridges are now considered functionally obsolete.
Once completed, the new bridge structures are expected to significantly improve safety, traffic flow, reliability, and overall connectivity to and from Cape Cod for all road users.
This transformative project represents one of the most important transportation infrastructure initiatives in Massachusetts, and GTX is proud to contribute to the laboratory testing expertise and reliable data needed to support its advancement.
Spotlight on Our People
João Machado Speaks at Geo-Institute Seminar Series
João Machado, Products RDP Geotechnical Engineer at Geocomp, visited Texas A&M University, where he toured the Center for Infrastructure Renewal (CIR) research facilities and delivered a seminar titled “Automated Laboratory Testing Implementation to De-risk Tailing Dams” as part of the Geo-Institute Seminar Series. The presentation focused on geotechnical challenges associated with tailing dams, current decommissioning efforts, and the role of laboratory testing in stability assessments and removal strategies.
Danilo Zeppilli Earns Professional Engineer License
Danilo Zeppilli, Ph.D, P.E., Geotechnical Laboratory Engineer for GeoTesting Express’ MA laboratory, officially received his Professional Engineer (P.E.) license in the state of Rhode Island and Georgia, after successfully passing the P.E. exam last summer. Achieving a P.E. license represents one of the highest standards in the engineering profession and authorizes engineers to sign and seal engineering plans and offer services directly to the public. Congratulations to Danilo on this significant professional milestone and achievement.
Andrew Yeskoo Presents on DFOS Workshop at ICSMGE
Andrew Yeskoo, Ph.D, P.E., Senior Engineer at Geocomp, presented “Soil Monitoring Using DFOS: Practical Considerations” as part of Workshop 2 at the International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ICSMGE) in Vienna, Austria. The workshop explored the practical application of Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing (DFOS) in geotechnical monitoring, including installation methods, system configuration, live event detection, data interpretation, and case studies. Andrew’s expertise focuses on advanced instrumentation and distributed fiber optic sensing for infrastructure monitoring projects around the world.
Amir Babaee Receives 2026 Clemens Herschel Award
Amir Babaee, Ph.D., Geotechnical Laboratory Engineer for GeoTesting Express’ MA laboratory, received the 2026 Clemens Herschel Award from the Boston Society of Civil Engineers Section (BSCES) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) at its annual awards banquet. The award recognizes his paper, “Evaluation of Quality-Control Measures for Active Control Constant Volume Cyclic Direct Simple Shear Tests,” co-authored with Dr. Christopher Baxter from the University of Rhode Island. Amir will also present the paper at the 13th National Conference on Earthquake Engineering (NCEE) in Portland, Oregon, this July.
