Every geotechnical engineer eventually faces a project where the soil refuses to behave as expected. In this episode of Rock Solid Leaders, Dr. Yazen Khasawneh of the University of Notre Dame and Spencer Ness of Terracon discuss how under-consolidated soils challenged conventional lateral pile design and why field observations ultimately changed their understanding of the problem.

The conversation explores the limitations of traditional testing methods, the importance of selecting the right soil parameters, and why engineering judgment remains indispensable even as computational models become more sophisticated. The discussion also examines how artificial intelligence may reshape geotechnical engineering while reinforcing that successful designs will always depend on quality field data and a solid understanding of soil behavior.

Whether you're a practicing engineer, researcher, or student, this episode offers valuable lessons on uncertainty, investigation, and the importance of listening to what the ground is telling you.

In this episode of Rock Solid Leaders, Matt Silveston speaks with Duncan C. Wyllie, Ph.D., P.Eng., Principal Engineer with Wyllie & Norrish Rock Engineers Ltd., about risk management in geotechnical engineering.

Dr. Wyllie explains that geotechnical risk is not defined by a factor of safety alone. It requires an understanding of both the probability of an event and the consequence if that event occurs. He discusses the importance of quantifying risk where possible, including the use of risk frameworks such as FN charts.

The conversation also addresses one of the central challenges in geotechnical practice: making decisions with incomplete information. Dr. Wyllie discusses the limits of subsurface investigation, the danger of assuming conditions are uniform, and the need for careful field judgment. He shares examples from rock engineering where surface conditions appeared competent, but subsurface conditions told a different story.

The discussion moves into practical lessons from rock slopes, rock anchors, blasting, long-term weathering, and maintenance. Dr. Wyllie emphasizes that geotechnical risk does not end when construction is complete. Rock, soil, water, ice, roots, and time continue to affect performance long after a project is built.

The episode also includes a direct discussion on language in geotechnical reports. Dr. Wyllie identifies “assume” and “guarantee” as words that deserve particular caution because they can imply a level of certainty that geotechnical engineers often do not have.

This episode serves as a preview of Dr. Wyllie’s GeoVirginias presentation, Risk Management for Geotechnical Engineering, and provides practical insight for engineers, owners, public agencies, and younger professionals learning how to evaluate and communicate risk.

The ground is hidden. The risk is real.

In this episode of Rock Solid Leaders, Matt Silveston talks with Dr. Mazen Adib of Fugro about geotechnical leadership in large design-build projects.

They discuss managing subsurface uncertainty, identifying risk early, the growing use of AI, CPT-centric design, instrumentation, artesian pressures, and the line between innovation and unacceptable risk.

Mazen also shares a practical framework for improving consistency, quality control, and decision-making on complex infrastructure projects.

Engineering with Courage | Dr. Amy Cerato

What happens when an engineer is forced to choose between staying silent and standing up for what they believe is right?

In this episode of Rock Solid Leaders, Matt Silveston sits down with Dr. Amy Cerato, Presidential Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Oklahoma, to discuss how a proposed highway through her community transformed her from an internationally recognized geotechnical researcher into a leading voice for engineering ethics, public policy, and infrastructure accountability.

Dr. Cerato shares how technical expertise, communication, and leadership intersect when engineering decisions affect people's lives. The conversation explores the responsibilities engineers have beyond design, the importance of critical thinking, why maintaining infrastructure often deserves greater priority than building new, and the courage required to challenge the status quo.

Whether you're an engineer, student, or elected leader, this episode offers valuable insights into leadership, integrity, and the lasting impact of using your expertise to serve the public.

“Between 1900 and 1980 we had about seven or eight king-tide events a year. Today, it’s closer to eighty. Resilience isn’t optional anymore—it’s survival.”Charleston City Councilman Mike Seekings joins Matt Silveston to talk about what happens when a historic coastal city faces a rising ocean. From king tides that now flood streets weekly to the rebirth of the Low Battery seawall and the launch of Lowcountry Rapid Transit, this conversation explores leadership in a city learning to live with water and move through it.

Mike shares how Charleston rebuilt its most iconic wall without raising taxes, why transit is a cornerstone of resilience, and what leadership looks like when every decision carries long-term consequences.

Key Themes:

• The measurable rise in tidal flooding and what it means for the city’s future.

• The Low Battery seawall: a century-old structure reborn through political persistence and public transparency.

• Funding infrastructure through tourism revenues, not new taxes.

• Why public transit and the 21-mile Lowcountry Rapid Transit project represent a new model of resilience.

On this episode of Rock Solid Leaders, Congressman Garret Graves joins Matt Silveston to explore what it means to build a Resilient Nation.
From leading Louisiana’s post-Katrina recovery to reshaping national policy on infrastructure and energy, Graves shares what he’s learned about preparing for storms—both literal and political.

This conversation dives deep into how America can move from reaction to readiness, from rebuilding to building stronger.

“Resiliency isn’t about bouncing back—it’s about bouncing forward.”

DIGGING DEEPER: Frédéric Massé on Urban Foundations and Real-Time Risk Management

What does it take to build safely in the middle of a crowded city?

In this episode of ROCK SOLID LEADERS, Frédéric Massé (Nicholson Construction) shares hard-earned lessons from projects in Pittsburgh and beyond. From unexpected underground obstructions to managing noise, vibration, and logistics, he explains how geotechnical contractors solve the toughest challenges when space is limited and the stakes are high.

Listeners will learn:

• How real-time monitoring has prevented costly failures on active sites

• How re-purposing exiting site features can save both time and money

• Why hands-on construction experience is essential for young engineers

• The rise of design-build contracting in U.S. geotechnics

If you’re building in urban environments—or preparing to—this episode shows what it really takes to succeed underground.

Forty years is a long wait for an update.

The new Foundations and Earth Structures Design Manual (DM 7.2) is here — modernized, reorganized, and built to guide engineers through the most critical foundation decisions of our time.

In this episode of ROCK SOLID LEADERS, Michael McGuire (Lafayette College), one of the manual’s lead authors, breaks down what’s changed, why it matters, and how it will shape the future of design education and practice.

Listeners will learn:

• The biggest updates in DM 7.2, from shear strength to deep foundations

• Why the manual is both a roadmap for students and a tool for practitioners

• Where AI fits into the next generation of engineering design tools

This isn’t just an update. It’s a design revolution.

P-Y curves may sound like a niche topic, but they’re central to how we design deep foundations under lateral loads.

In this episode of ROCK SOLID LEADERS, we get technical. Dr. Anne Lemnitzer (UC Irvine) explains why P-Y curves matter, how they’re evolving with new research, and what that means for geotechnical and structural engineering.

Listeners will learn:

• How new testing is reshaping old assumptions

• What engineers must consider when applying P-Y curves to real-world projects

• Advice for young engineers

If you’ve ever designed or relied on a foundation, this episode will change the way you think about laterally loaded piles.

The future of geotechnical engineering won’t look like its past.

In this episode of ROCK SOLID LEADERS, Dr. Carlos Santamarina (Georgia Tech) shares how geotechnical engineering is evolving — and how artificial intelligence is changing the way we study and design with soil.

Listeners will learn:

• How AI is transforming subsurface exploration and data interpretation

• Why cross-disciplinary thinking will define the next generation of geotechnics

• The challenges of applying new tools to old problems like liquefaction and slope stability

• How young engineers can prepare for a profession in transition

If you want to know where geotechnical engineering is headed — and how AI is accelerating that shift — this episode is for you.