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Construction & Contractors/Expert Profile
Expertise
I can answer questions related to rock blasting, rock and soil excavation (such as tunnels and highway cuts), stability of such excavations, and foundations in rock and soil. I can also answer questions related to geology and mining.
Experience in the area
30+ years as a geotechnical engineer and minerals engineer. Active consulting practice in rock blasting, geotechnical engineering, and rock mechanics for mining and heavy construction.
Organizations
Society of Mining Engineers, Deep Foundations Institute, Association of Engineering Geologists, and International Society of Explosives Engineers.
Publications
Mining Engineering, AEG Bulletin.
Education/Credentials
BS and MS Geological Engineering
What do you like about this subject?
There are no two projects that are exactly alike, and not everyone can deal with the uncertainties inherent in designing with real earth materials.
What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?
The perfect blast, each and every time.
Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:
In geological engineering, unllike other engineering fields, the behavior and properties of the engineering medium (rock) cannot be fully controlled by Man. This makes geological engineering a complex mix of judgment, statistical evaluation, risk analysis, and explicit engineering calculation.
Something controversial or provocative about this subject
People think it is cool it is to perform blasting consulting. It would be much more cool if it were not necessary to drill holes in rocks first. Drilling a hole in a rock is an inherently difficult and refractory task.
Average Ratings
Recent Reviews from Users
K = Knowledgeability C = Clarity of Response T = Timeliness P = Politeness| User | Date | K | C | T | P | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jo | 11/11/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Thanks, I will definitely see a structural ..... |
| Tom | 11/02/09 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 10 | Thank you for your quick response. Your ..... |
| Peter | 10/01/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Thanks for your prompt reply. And the ..... |
| Ron Mauer | 08/23/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Great answer. Thanks |
| Ron Mauer | 08/23/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Recent Answers from Robert Cummings, P.E.
2009-11-11 Concrete Load Bearing:
My opinion after looking at the floor plans is that the kitchen wall running the long way probably is load-bearing, taking the upper story floor loads, because it coincides with the upper floor bathroom
2009-11-08 Load bearing concrete floor:
Floor slabs on grade should be analyzed for adequate structural live loads. Since floor slabs maybe designed for moving and extreme live loads, the design should be checked for stationary live loading
2009-11-08 Concrete Load Bearing:
I have tried to diagram the floor plans of the first and second stories to see what rooms and walls overlie first-floor walls and from your description I can't tell for sure because I am not sure whether
2009-11-02 Concrete loading:
The strength of concrete is measured in uniaxial compression on either a 4x8 right cylinder (small aggregate) or, for conventional 3/4 inch aggregate, a 6x12 right cylinder and refers to the strength after
2009-10-28 blasting and damaging vibrations:
A stop work order is pretty serious. Utilities continue to mis-apply conventional vibration criteria to underground installations, and gas companies get away with it more than other utilities because
Answers by Expert:
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