By: Carolyn Wehner

The Pittsburgh Geo Institute Chapter opened the 2018-2019 program year on September 27th at ESWP with the presentation “Emergency Rock Slide Stabilization with Shear Pins: Design, Construction, the Media” by Sebastian Lobo-Guerrero, Ph.D. P.E.  The presentation covered the emergency response to stabilize a massive rock slide in Central Pennsylvania that was endangering a shopping plaza, a gas line, and electrical utilities located at its toe. The potential impact to these features made quick action to fix the slide critical. Due to the threat, the project received significant media attention that played both a positive and negative role in the project.

The permanent remediation of the landslide involved the design and construction of shear pins (uncased micropiles). The remediation involved partial top down excavation of the landslide. This excavation removed the top portion of the landslide mass to unload the slope. The material removed was used to construct a buttress to provide temporary support of the slope until shear pins could be installed. The shear pins were installed to cut off the landslide slip plane.  

The presenter, Sebastian Lobo-Guerrero Ph.D., P.E., is currently a project manager and laboratory manager at American Geotechnical and Environmental Services’s (A.G.E.S.) Pittsburgh, PA headquarters.  Sebastian has more than 16 years of experience as a geotechnical engineer and has authored more than 40 technical papers published in scientific journals, geotechnical magazines, and conference proceedings worldwide.  He is a former chair of the Pittsburgh G-I chapter, and a former Director of the ASCE Pittsburgh Section.

In addition to the technical presentation, the incoming G-I Chapter Chair, Greg Braun, P.E., introduced the 2018-2019 Pittsburgh G-I Chapter board members and highlighted the program year. The Geo Institute’s new board members along with upcoming G-I dinner meetings can be viewed on the Chapter’s webpage.