Professional Engineers are problem solvers. As part of the design process, we typically work with others to design solutions to infrastructure problems, including identifying feasible solutions, evaluating the alternates, completing a design and overseeing construction. Professional engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public with the design process. However, what happens when things do not go as planned on a design project? Jon and Catherine will present a case study from a slope failure project. The design process was supposed to stabilize an existing slope supporting a roadway, but resulted in a failure of a retaining wall. The project details will be presented to demonstrate the “lessons learned” from this project and to provide insight as to what type of issues may result on a project, even when there is “sound engineering analysis” to support the design.

Jonathan Zaremski, PE, is currently the Geotechnical Group Manager with Somat Engineering. He received his BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1998. Catherine Weirauch, PE, is currently a project manager in the geotechnical group at Somat Engineering. She received her BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Michigan in 2007.