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Geohazard Association Newsletter | August 2016
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| AGHP COMMITTEES The AGHP Rope Access Committee led a successful short course on Sunday, 10 July 2016 just prior to the start of the 67th Highway Geology Symposium (HGS) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The need for this short course was identified in the position paper written by the committee earlier this year. Led by Committee Chairman John Duffy, the morning consisted of contractors, government representatives, trainers, and engineers presenting and discussing their viewpoints on rope access climbing and scaling in a geohazard environment. The discussions included the use of slope site assessments (SSAs). Members from each group made a presentation on their perspective of the state of practice and discussed the needs and unique challenges faced by geohazard climbers. Consultant to AGHP Steve Wilcox gave a brief report on the development of the AGHP Climbing Guidance Document.  A big focus of the day was on the needs of the community. Hot topics included: training, strategy, and even the development of equipment better suited to the environment. Twenty-six attendees and the instructors then traveled to Waldo Canyon to perform a slope site assessment using the AGHP Slope Scaling Assessment form. The afternoon concluded with a review and open discussion on the results of the slope site assessments. The Rope Access Committee will use the discussion to refine the form and its directions. The committee plans to move forward with the development of the Geohazard Rope Access Guidance Document and, ultimately, a certification program. Post Support Systems Post Support System design is, as many of us know, a topic in need of attention. On Monday, 11 July 2016, the AGHP Post Support System Committee led an open forum on the purpose, functions, and design of post base support systems in a rockfall barrier system. This event also took place in conjunction with the HGS. The room was very full and the discussion was active, with a significant focus on the need for better design methodologies. Through the presentation of case studies, the committee clearly illustrated that the diversity in approach and lack of guidance specific to support system design often leave designers struggling to follow the rules and, simultaneously, pass the straight face test (to quote Dave Scarpato). Numerous groups around the world are working to develop reasonable, documented methods to address over-design issues; but, at this time, there are not any well-documented resources in North America. The Post Support System Committee is working toward a compellation of best practices to help support engineers in their endeavors. If you are interested in this topic, if you have a case study that may be used in the design method development, please contact Committee Chair Tim Shevlin ([email protected]) or Committee Co-Chair Ahren Bichler ([email protected]). New AGHP Committee! The Geohazard Monitoring and Instrumentation Committee is being formed with the intent of providing a current and substantive base of information in the fields of Geohazard Monitoring and Instrumentation. In the short term, the committee hopes to create use of instrumentation best practices for the different types of monitoring equipment, work with vendors, research best use practices, and provide professionals with knowledge and examples of the different monitoring equipment. Also, the committee aims to advise on the strengths and limitations of the different methods in the field. A committee formation meeting will take place in early September. For more information and to find out how you can participate, please contact Becky Slaybaugh at [email protected]. AGHP PHOTO CONTEST RESULTS
 Read about the winning entries in an article published on Geosynthetica.net. NOTE: The editor reports that this is the most viewed story on Geosynthetica to date in August! Share your successes. The engineering community wants to learn from them!
UPCOMING EVENTS Select geohazard events/opportunities and AGHP committee and board conference call schedules are listed below. NOTE: Participation in the conference calls is limited to the applicable committee or board members. Please contact Becky Slaybaugh ([email protected]) for additional details and how to join a call.
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS The Board of Directors would like to formally welcome the newest members of the Association of GeoHazard Professionals.
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| www.GeohazardAssociation.org The Association of Geohazard Professionals (AGHP) provides resources and mechanisms to elevate the state of practice and the reach of the geohazard marketplace. |
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