GeoStabilization International wins the 2023 Best of the Best Award in Specialty Construction from Engineering News-Record (ENR) for innovative stabilization work at a Maryland quarry. The company was also honored with four Best Project 2023 awards for its expertise in emergency response, stabilization, and bridge remediation in the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, New England, and Mountain States regions.
After judging by more than 100 construction industry experts selected by ENR editors, regional project awards were determined. Winners from each regional category, representing nearly 200 projects in total, then moved up to the national competition, with a new group of judges from across the U.S. and industry sectors choosing honorees in 20 industry categories. Best of the best project award winners were selected based on teamwork, safety, overcoming challenges, innovation, and quality.
"We pride ourselves in being experts in protecting people and critical infrastructure from the dangers of geohazards. With every project, we use that expertise to provide safe, quality, and innovative solutions that our customers and partners can depend on," said Dominic Ivankovich, GeoStabilization International CEO. "Being recognized by ENR is a testament to the commitment and passion that every one of our crew members brings to the jobsite daily. We are incredibly honored to receive this recognition."
GeoStabilization has provided more than 6,000 cost-effective, custom geohazard mitigation solutions, many completed under FEMA-declared natural disasters and requiring expedited design and rapid mobilization. The team of geologists, geotechnical engineers, equipment operators, and rockfall remediation technicians is strategically decentralized across the United States and Canada - providing localized expertise and the ability to respond to sites within 24 hours. Teams were honored with ENR awards for the following projects:
Best of the Best in Specialty Construction: Highwall Stabilization at Maryland Quarry
Located in Cockeysville, Maryland, the Texas Quarry produces aggregates for Martin Marietta - a leading supplier of building materials, including aggregates, cement, ready-mixed concrete, and asphalt. When two areas of the quarry's critical infrastructure began to experience unfavorable geological structure and rockfall events, immediate stabilization was needed to ensure the operation could continue safely and effectively.
The focus areas included stabilization of the primary crusher outer highwall corner and rockfall mitigation along the conveyor near the highwall. GeoStabilization first conducted a project analysis with advanced technologies such as structural mapping and historic ground change detection. From there, the team developed and implemented safe, effective, and sustainable design-build solutions that restored highwall and slope stability. ENR recognized GeoStabilization as a Mid-Atlantic Regional Award winner and Best of the Best in Specialty Construction for its advanced design elements that enhanced the durability of the structures, provided cost-savings for the client, and improved the infrastructure quality for the community. Read the full article here.
Best Project - Midwest: Retaining Wall Stabilization in Illinois
When a landslide hit Riverview Drive in Alton, Illinois, taking with it nearly 18 feet of roadway, repair, and stabilization were critical to public safety. GeoStabilization proposed a solution that utilized small-diameter elements and machinery instead of large-scale structures. The approach involved constructing a soil nail wall and a micropile-supported pile cap to stabilize the slope and support a Geosynthetically Confined Soil (GCS) wall to form the grade for the new roadway. A pin and mesh soil reinforcement system was also implemented for additional stability.
During construction, safety was front and center - with soil nails drilled from the top using a long-reach excavator arm, micropiles drilled using remote-controlled equipment, and the pin and mesh system drilled on rappel. ENR's full article can be found here.
Best Project - New England: Historic Stone Bridge Remediation in Massachusetts
In New England, GeoStabilization was recognized by ENR for the design and construction methodology for repairs of three stone bridges owned by CSX. The bridges needed remediation due to foundation scour, bridge seat deterioration, stone mortar deterioration, and voids within stone piers - structural issues that needed to be addressed before the end of 2022.
GeoStabilization's innovative design and construction included sheet pile foundation scour protection, anchor and shotcrete bridge seat repair, tuckpointing stone masonry structures, and high-strength grout void fill for stone piers. Steel through rods were added to tie the exposed sheet pile sections together and add rigidity to the structure, with the sheet piles left in place to serve as formwork for the backfill concrete and additional protection against future scour. These innovative solutions helped elevate industry standards by demonstrating that even historically significant structures can be restored with modern technologies and materials while retaining their original appearance and character. Read the full project details here.
Best Project - Mountain States: Emergency Slope Stabilization in Yellowstone
In June 2022, Yellowstone National Park experienced historic flooding - damaging roads, water and wastewater systems, electrical infrastructure, and other critical park infrastructure. To help reconstruct the damaged roadways, GeoStabilization International was awarded two emergency design-build contracts for slope stabilization.
The first was on the Old Gardiner Road Bypass at Mammoth Hot Springs, where damage at the Park's North Entrance cut off access to Gardiner, Montana. Continuously grouted hollow and solid bar soil nails combined with high-tension TECCO Green mesh stabilized large cut slopes as part of constructing a new road corridor. This approach resulted in an economical solution that allowed the overall project to be completed expeditiously.
The second project included work at the Park's East Entrance Gates adjacent to Middle Creek, where flooding caused bank erosion and placed U.S. Highway 14 in Wyoming at risk. On the bank adjacent to Middle Creek, crews built approximately 120 linear feet of roadway. To address the erosion, they used soil nails and shotcrete to rebuild lost shoulder width, with vertical micropiles and rip rap for additional scour protection at the toe of the slope. The GeoStabilization team ensured that this section of Highway 14 remained open to tourism during and after construction - and they worked closely with WYDOT and Federal Agencies to ensure repairs were completed safely, efficiently, and with minimal impact on the area. Read more about these projects here.
About GeoStabilization International®
GeoStabilization International® is the leading geohazard mitigation firm operating throughout the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. GeoStabilization specializes in emergency slope stabilization and landslide repair, rockfall mitigation, grouting, and micropiles using design/build contracting. GeoStabilization International's team includes some of the brightest and most dedicated professionals in the geohazard mitigation industry. Their expertise, proprietary tools, and worldwide partnerships allow them to repair virtually any slope stability or foundation problem in any geologic setting. Please visit our website for more information.
