Geoengineering and Environmental Projects We’ve Worked On
GSI has worked on some of the largest, most complex projects in the Midwest for over 45 years. We offer a diverse portfolio of consulting services that provides integrated and comprehensive solutions to our clients. View our recent projects and see how we've helped our clients accomplish their project goals.
Wichita State University Innovation Campus – Wichita, KS
Services Provided: CMT, Environmental, Geotechnical
During the construction of the WSU Innovation Campus, GSI Engineering was called upon for multiple phases of the construction to assist with new apartments, retail, infrastructure, Pizza Hut museum, Partnership Building, Law Enforcement Training Center, Airbus building, and the new parking garage. For many of these projects GSI assisted with deep foundation installation monitoring and testing, construction materials testing, wetland & permitting, and other special inspection services. GSI was able to provide a diverse and experienced staff required for the multiple stages of the project and complete the various tasks needed to keep the project on schedule.
McConnell Air Force Base – Wichita, KS
Services Provided: CMT, Geotechnical
GSI was approached to assist in the construction of the new Regional Maintenance Training Facility for the new KC-46 refueler. The facility required large bays to house an entire engine for practical instruction, classrooms, etc. Though used by other aircraft, the introduction of the KC-46 also necessitated new aircraft de-icing pads with the need to safely drain away the liquid de-icer after it had been washed over the planes. For these large projects, GSI Engineering provided construction materials testing and special inspection services including masonry, structural steel and structural fill inspections.
Lakeside at the Waterfront Office Building – Wichita, KS
Services Provided: CMT
Working with Crossland Construction on the $13.7 million project, GSI provided deep foundation work to assist in the unique post-tensioned concrete construction. This type of construction can provide a maximized floor plan and spacious feeling but provides its own unique set of challenges. We were brought in especially to provide post tension cable inspection to keep the project secure, safe, and on track.
Midwest Transmission Line, Northwest MO
Services Provided: CMT, Geotechnical
GSI was called upon to assist with the construction of a new 180 mile 345 kV electrical transmission line in Northwest Missouri. This project included work with remote substations that required the use of a mobile laboratory to assist with the quick construction turn-around. GSI provided inputs for the MFAD design program used to analyze lateral loading of new transmission structures. In addition to extensive auger borings (approximately 160 boring locations), GSI’s scope of service included extensive rock coring as well as over 300 Pressuremeter tests (PMT).
Ogallala EPA Injections – Ogallala, NE
Services Provided: Drilling
A former dry cleaner site was found to have impacted with various contaminants, including chlorinated solvents. GSI was contracted by the EPA to break down the solvents in the aquifer, reducing the contamination, by using an injection of sodium permanganate quarterly for 5 years. Initially 7 injection sites were identified, each with 5-7 direct push points. These injections consisted of a 5% sodium permanganate solution injected at intervals 11-38 feet below ground surface, all conducted under Nebraska regulations.
EC/HPT and Well Installation – Medicine Lodge, KS
Services Provided: Drilling
Droughts were causing water shortages in municipal wells for Medicine Lodge but the town needed to find a more economical solution then repeated test-drilling and well installation. Their hydrogeologist approached GSI for assistance in profiling a 16 acre site. Using a technology called hydraulic profiling, GSI was able to profile the entire site within a week and recommend two proven locations for new wells. A test well was installed at one of the selected sites and was able to out-produce all their other municipal wells.
Four Season Dry Cleaner Site – Wichita, KS
Services Provided: Environmental
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) – Dry Cleaning Program identified a large area of groundwater contaminated with chlorinated solvents in west Wichita. KDHE requested that GSI conduct an emergency response action to connect over 200 homes to Wichita’s municipal water system. This emergency action covered an area over two and one-half miles by one mile in the City of Wichita. Providing in-field leadership to KDHE, GSI coordinated subcontractor activities, selection, and oversight. The project included daily coordination with over 200 homeowners, the various subcontractors, City of Wichita, and others.
Mustard Motors Site (now Archer Credit Union) – Central City, NE
Services Provided: Environmental
GSI coordinated cleanup activities to promote property development with multiple parties including NDEQ, the new land owner, the land owner’s contractor, and various sub-contractors to perform the excavation during demolition of the buildings. GSI also demonstrated the foresight by installing horizontal Soil Vapor Extraction (SVE) wells and Air Sparge (AS) points while the excavation was open in case further remediation was needed in the future. This activity proved to be beneficial as NDEQ determined that further remediation was necessary. GSI was able to help keep the excavation and demolition activities on time and within scope.
Former Schilling Air Force Base – Salina, KS
Services Provided: Environmental
Schilling Air Force Base was a large, active military facility which closed in the 1960’s. Historical activities at the base produced nine recognized groundwater plumes. The major contaminants of these plumes are PCE, TCE and Carbon Tetrachloride. Stakeholders on this project include the are City of Salina, Salina Airport Authority, USD 305 and Kansas State University. One full-time GSI geologist working from GSI’s Salina office is dedicated to provide management and professional services to the remedial investigation, including: Hydrological Expertise; Vapor Intrusion Assessment; Community Relations; Coordinate Field Activities; Aquifer Testing; Soil Gas Assessment; Contaminant Source Area Characterization; Groundwater Characterization; Ground and Surface Water Monitoring; Field Planning and Oversight.
USD 259 New Southeast High School – Wichita, KS
Services Provided: Geotechnical
This $59 million project involved the construction of a new high school in southeast Wichita. The 305,000 square foot, multi-level school includes an auditorium, gymnasium, FEMA storm shelters, classroom space, a 5,000 seat stadium, outdoor sports courts, and large parking areas. GSI performed extensive testing to optimize the strength and estimate settlement of the significant amounts of fill placed beneath the facility.
Broadway Street Bridge – Wichita, KS
Services Provided: Drilling, Geotechnical
This project involved the replacement of an urban roadway bridge over an existing railway. The subsurface exploration included standard auger borings, direct-push probe borings, CPT soundings, and rock coring. GSI provided recommendations for large-diameter drilled shaft bridge piers, driven pile foundations, shallow foundations, detention pond construction, retaining walls, and embankments. The GSI team also set up and performed a large-scale load test of a Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil, Integrated Bridge System (GRS-IBS). The GRS-IBS system used on this project was the first time for Kansas.
Drury Inn & Suites Hotel and Parking Ramp at Iowa River Landing – Coralville, IA
Services Provided: Geotechnical
Iowa River Landing is a 180-acre mixed use development in Coralville, Iowa. GSI provided geotechnical engineering services for the 180-room Drury Inn & Suites and an adjacent parking ramp. To allow flexibility in the design of the seven-story reinforced concrete hotel, GSI provided recommendations for multiple foundation options, including drilled shafts, augered cast-in-place (ACIP) piles, and ground improvement for shallow foundations. The parking ramp included one at-grade level and one below-grade level and because of the highly sloped bedrock surface, was supported on driven H-pile foundations. GSI provided engineering recommendations for axial and lateral loading of deep foundations, settlement analysis of deep fills, and below-grade walls.
Wind Farms, O’Brien and Ida Counties, IA
Services Provided: Drilling, Geotechnical
GSI provided field exploration, laboratory testing, and geotechnical engineering recommendations for two wind farm projects in O’Brien and Ida Counties in Iowa. The two projects have a combined nominal capacity of 550 megawatts. GSI utilized multiple cone penetration testing (CPT), track and truck mounted drilling rigs, and auger drilling rigs to expedite the completion of the field investigation at each of the 255 proposed wind turbine locations. We worked closely with project land agents and surveyors to minimize damage to crops, only entering the sites once harvesting was complete. Field efforts were further complicated by one of the warmest and wettest winters on record in northwest Iowa. Through flexibility and careful coordination, GSI completed field work and delivered our recommendations to allow for construction to begin on both projects the following spring.
