Understanding Expansive Soils and Ground Movement
Beyond Inspection – Part 2 In the previous article, we introduced a simple but important idea: Inspection measures quality. It does not create it. To understand why this distinction matters, let’s examine one of the most common activities in construction: field density testing. A Typical Construction Project Consider a typical residential street. The contractor has … Read more
Part 1: Why We Test and Inspect So Much—And Still Have Problems Walk onto almost any construction project today and you’ll find quality everywhere. Owners, engineers, contractors, municipalities, and third-party consultants all contribute to an impressive system of testing and inspection. Yet despite all of this effort, construction projects continue to experience defects, rework, delays, … Read more
Every day I observe the world around me. Sometimes those observations come from a construction site. Sometimes they come from a meeting with a client, a conversation with an employee, a technical report, a book, or simply reflecting on my own experiences. For many years, I thought these were separate interests. Geotechnical engineering.Construction.Quality.Leadership.Business.People. Over time, … Read more
Why successful foundations depend on much more than foundation design. When a foundation develops cracks or movement, the first question is often: “Was the foundation designed correctly?” It is a reasonable question. But it is also an incomplete one. In reality, foundation performance is much more complex. A residential foundation is part of a much … Read more
A homeowner walks through a newly built house in Central Texas. Six months in: The builder says it’s normal.The homeowner is not convinced. A geotechnical report exists.A foundation was designed.The house was built “per plans.” Yet something is moving. A few miles away, a newly constructed street shows early distress: Repairs are made.The problem returns. … Read more