San Francisco Geo-Institute

San Francisco Geo-Institute (SFGI)

For the latest announcements regarding events, dinner meetings, and news, please visit the SFGI LinkedIn Group or sign up for email updates. If you are interested in learning more about SFGI, check out our past events.

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About Us

The Geo-Institute (G-I) is a specialty membership organization focused on geo-professionals and the geo-industry. It is one of American Society of Civil Engineers’ eight specialty Institutes. Similarly, SFGI is the local specialty chapter mirroring the goals and purposes of the G-I. The purpose of SFGI is to locally promote an interest in and the general advancement of engineering knowledge in the fields of geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering, and related earth sciences.

Our geo-professionals work to improve the built environment, prevent the loss of life and property from natural and man-made hazards, and construct sound and reliable engineered facilities and structures.

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UPCOMING EVENT

SFGI Dinner Presentation

Underpinning the Salt Lake City Temple

by

Eric Lindquist, PhD, PE
President & Chairman at Brierley Associates
And
Rob Jameson
Executive Vice President of Planning and Engineering for Malcolm Drilling

Thursday, February 27th, 2025
5:30 – 8:30 PM

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$95 – Professionals and Guests
$25 – Students

REGISTER

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The Salt Lake Temple is undergoing its most significant renovation since its dedication in 1893. Work on the historic stone structure includes seismic retrofitting using base isolation and structural reinforcement. The overall Temple Square development also includes the construction of new buildings and facilities all around the Temple itself, with extensive underground works that in some cases extended substantially deeper than the historic structure’s foundations.
Our presentation will focus on the temporary underpinning of the masonry perimeter walls of this massive structure that was necessary to construct foundations for the base isolation system. Conventional needle beam or direct structural underpinning were precluded by the immense weight and width of the foundations. Instead, the design-build team supported the structure on confined soil “columns” located directly below its stacked stone footings while excavating 18 feet below the original bearing elevation along the Temple’s outer perimeter and interior walls. After the retrofit is complete, the Temple will be supported on a raft of concrete-filled steel pipes connected into reinforced concrete transfer and foundation beams, which are separated vertically by the base isolators. To allow free movement of the structure above the base isolators in the event of a future earthquake, the soil directly below the walls and steel pipes will be excavated once load transfer to the new foundations has been completed.
Shoring system stiffness was critical to limiting settlement of the Temple, and construction methods were selected to minimize detrimental installation effects. Multiple shoring and underpinning techniques were employed to meet the challenge of protecting the existing Temple, including micropiles, secant piles, soldier piles and lagging, tieback anchors, tensioned tie-rods, hand-dug underpinning piers, pre-loaded internal bracing, soil nailing and consolidation grouting.

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Speakers:

Eric Lindquist

Eric was recently promoted to President of Brierley Associates after serving as the firm’s nationwide Director of Engineering for 12 years and Chairman for the last 5 years. He has spent 33 years working as a geo-structural engineer on many of California’s largest infrastructure projects, including BART’s southern expansion along the west and east sides of the bay, including the VTA’s BART Silicon Valley Phase I and II extensions, the Los Angeles Metro Gold Line, the seismic retrofit of the Golden Gate Bridge approaches and anchorage houses, and Central Subway in San Francsico. His design experience includes temporary and permanent support of excavation and earth retaining structures, underpinning, slope repairs, tunnels, shafts, trestles, retaining walls, cofferdams, shallow and deep foundations, ground improvement, and pipelines.
Eric graduated from UC Berkeley with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. He then continued his studies at Berkeley, earning his master’s degree and PhD in Geotechnical Engineering. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in multiple states and is registered Structural Engineer in Utah. He has two grown children and lives in the East Bay with his wife, Lisa, and their 14-year-old Black Lab, Kona.

Rob Jameson

Rob is Executive Vice President of Planning and Engineering for Malcolm Drilling. Mr. Jameson has over 30 years of experience in the specialty foundation industry, working with ground improvement, deep foundations, and excavation support systems, including Boston’s Central Artery/Tunnel, City Creek in Salt Lake City and the Port of Miami Tunnel.
Mr. Jameson joined Malcolm Drilling in 2003, with initial focus in Northern California, Nevada, and the Mountain states. He took on corporate responsibilities in 2014 and now oversees engineering and technical risk management for Malcolm nationwide. His work has included key roles on the 1 st & Mission (Oceanwide) Project in San Francisco, Gordie Howe Bridge in Detroit, and the Salt Lake City Temple seismic retrofit.
Rob earned his BA at Cambridge University in England, and worked several years for Golder in Europe then earned his Master’s Degree from MIT. He lives in San Francisco with his family.

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Location:
Scott’s Seafood Jack London Square
2 Broadway
Oakland, California
*NEW ROOM* The dinner presentation will be held in the ROOM C

Date and Time:
Thursday, February 27th, 2025

5:30 pm – 6:30 pm: Registration and Social Hour
6:30 pm – 7:15 pm: Dinner
7:15 pm – 8:30 pm: Presentation

REGISTER

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**Send us an email at ascesfgeo@gmail.com to get involved!**