During a feasibility study to evaluate repair alternatives, GRI determined that the most economical option was to repair the lift station in its existing location by stabilizing the slope with a rock buttress and reusing the existing wet well.  According to project manager Chris Ell, the slope repair proposed by GRI will cost the City half of their original estimate for rebuilding the lift station.  GRI is currently completing the final design and plans and specifications for the repairs and will provide support during construction of the rock buttress.

GRI is also designing repairs for storm-related landslides at two locations along the Chetco River and a site near Gold Beach for Curry County and Oregon Department of Transportation.

Chris is a registered professional engineer in Oregon and California and professional geotechnical engineer in Oregon. He has 12 years of geotechnical experience on a variety of notable public and private sector projects throughout Oregon, Washington, and California. Design of deep foundations for bridges and other large structures, retaining structures for roadway embankments, excavation support, seismic design, and landslide stabilization are just a few areas of his interest and expertise.

Chris brings strong analytical skills and a team-oriented management approach to projects together with the firmwide resources of GRI.

You can contact Chris at cell@gri.com or 503-641-3478.

As a subcontractor to David Evans and Associates, Inc., GRI provided geotechnical services to develop design alternatives for restoring the viaduct, which will include new foundations; repair, replacement, or improvement of retaining walls; and new roadway pavement.  Our work included review of available information for the structure, a site reconnaissance, preparation of an exploration work plan, and subsurface explorations in a sensitive environmental and scenic area.  The challenging site conditions and project requirements have given rise to innovative and cost-effective solutions that will extend the life of this remarkable facility for at least another 50 years.

The City of Portland's Fire Station 21 is located on the east bank of the Willamette River at the foot of the Hawthorne Bridge. The facility’s location on the waterfront allows Portland Fire & Rescue personnel to respond quickly to emergencies on the river and along the Eastbank Esplanade. As part of a seismic upgrade, the City is planning to replace the existing station, which was built in 1961, with a two-story, LEED Gold-certified building. Improvements will also include a new boathouse and dock extension. 

GRI evaluated subsurface conditions at the site and provided the design team with geotechnical recommendations for design and construction of the improvements. Soil borings were drilled in the river and on the upland portion of the site and disclosed that the existing station is underlain by soils that are at risk of liquefaction and lateral spreading during a strong earthquake. To stabilize the soil, we recommended ground improvement using compaction grouting, which is performed by advancing a hollow pipe into the soil and pumping concrete under pressure into the soil as the pipe is withdrawn. This technique creates a column of overlapping grout bulbs that densify the surrounding soil and decrease its liquefaction potential.  

According to the Daily Journal of Commerce, construction of the project is scheduled to begin this fall.

GRI and KPFF Consulting Engineerscompleted the geotechnical and civil engineering design efforts for the new homeport facility, which opened in August 2011 and includes a 1,300-ft-long pier that serves six research and survey vessels, over 40,000 sq ft of office and warehouse space, and a small boat dock. KPFF and GRI worked collaboratively to deliver this complex project on a tight timeline while providing careful consideration of the delicate coastal ecosystem.  Project innovations included an all-precast superstructure, an innovative stepped pile foundation, and daylight-enhancing reflective paint beneath the pier.

The client was truly impressed with the engineers’ expertise and creative strategies employed to meet the project schedule. Port of Newport General Manager, Don Mann, stated, "KPFF and GRI demonstrated incredible responsiveness throughout the project. They collaborated closely with more than a dozen different partners including NOAA, the Port [of Newport], City of Newport, the architect, contractor, environmental consultant, and multiple regulatory agencies. They carefully addressed each party's concerns, responded at a moment's notice to questions, and examined various solutions to any given problem."

In collaboration with Gerding Edlen and SERA Architects, we assisted with the environmental cleanup of the site, which was necessitated by its use as a gasoline station in the 1950s.  Our environmental services included soil, groundwater, and soil vapor sampling and supervising removal of contaminated fill and an underground storage tank. Working with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, we kept the project on track, which allowed the developer to obtain building permits 4 months after demolition of the building.

Our second entry, US 20: Simpson Creek Curves Realignment project won an Honor Award in the Transportation category.  This 2-mile section of highway in Lincoln County, Oregon, included eight new retaining walls, new soil and rock cut slopes up to 160 ft high, and a new fish-friendly bridge over Simpson Creek.

Photo courtesy of ODOT

Working as a consultant to Walker Macy, GRI provided geotechnical design services for soil and rock cuts and associated retaining walls for the entry road to the park.  If you'd like more information about the project, contact GRI’s project engineer, Tammy Kimball, PE.

Photograph by Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department showing John Day River flowing into Cottonwood Canyon 

Scott has been actively involved with ASCE throughout his career.  He served 2 years as program chair for the Oregon Section and led fundraising and organizational efforts for the ASCE Younger Member Forum golf tournament for the last 7 years. In 2009, he helped start the American Council of Engineering Companies-Oregon’s  Future Leaders Forum committee.  He also recently joined the national committee for ASCE's Coasts, Oceans, Ports and Rivers Institute (COPRI).

GRI opened our Vancouver office in 2008 to better serve our Washington clients.  Examples of projects the Vancouver office has worked on include Washington State University’s Vancouver campus; the Port of Vancouver’s West Vancouver Freight Access project, and Fisher Creek Corporate Campus in Camas. We also provided geotechnical design services to the Washington State Department of Transportation for the SR 16 Interchange in Tacoma.

(Photo:  Building A nearing completion at Fisher Creek Corporate Campus in Camas, Washington)

Jack began working part time at GRI in 2005 while finishing his master’s degree at Oregon State University and joined the staff full time in 2007.  Since then he has focused on design of deep excavations, seismic design considerations, and instrumentation monitoring.  He can often be found at construction sites evaluating foundation subgrades or observing micropile load tests.

GRI provided geotechnical and engineering geology design services for the project as part of an on-call contract with Oregon Department of Transportation and observed earthwork and construction of foundations for the new bridge and associated improvements.

GRI is part of a multi-discipline design team led by David Evans and Associates, Inc., that is working with the Federal Highway Administration and Oregon Department of Transportation to restore and strengthen the viaduct after nearly a century of use.  The goal of the work is to structurally strengthen the viaduct while preserving the appearance and as much of the original structure as possible.  The challenging site conditions as well as the project requirements have given rise to innovative, yet cost-effective, solutions that will extend the life of this remarkable facility for at least another 50 years.

Courtesy of ODOT Photo and Video Services