Every geotechnical decision is only as good as the data behind it. Subsurface investigation is where engineering judgment meets the drill rig — planning the program, supervising the work, and converting raw recovery into reliable design input.
On the US-Westlake Brine Pipeline Replacement in Plaquemine, LA, I supervised a 6-borehole, 260-LF subsurface investigation using dry and wet rotary drilling. I directed SPT and Shelby tube sampling, coordinated with the drilling contractor and client, and documented stratigraphy, sample recovery, and groundwater observations in real time.
Core boxes are the geologist's narrative of the subsurface. I log lithology, discontinuity spacing and condition, weathering, and compute Rock Quality Designation (RQD) per Deere. These logs feed directly into RMR/Q ratings and into the GBR baseline conversation.
SPT N-values calibrated for hammer energy, pocket-penetrometer and Torvane on cohesive samples, and field permeability checks together build a layered picture of strength, stiffness, and hydraulic behavior that lab testing alone cannot provide.
For the White Pine HDD Crossings in Clay, NY, I ran drilling-fluid and annular pressure calculations for 7 crossings, documented pressure limits to avoid hydraulic fracture (frac-out), and communicated constructability considerations back to the project team.