ASCE Geo-Institute - April Meeting Announcement - April 21

When:  Apr 21, 2026 from 06:00 PM to 08:30 PM (ET)
Associated with  Georgia Geo Institute Chapter

I-40 Reconstruction in the Pigeon River Gorge, NC: Designing for Resilience after Hurricane Helene

Graham Elliott, PhD, PE, CEng MICE

Principal, Schnabel Engineering

Abstract

In September 2024 Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina, with extreme flooding and high velocity flows causing catastrophic damage to I-40 in the Pigeon River gorge.  An overview of this extreme event and its impact on the embankments and retaining walls will be presented. Post-event subsurface explorations will be discussed, including borings of various types, geophysics, and engineering geologic mapping. The geostructural design for permanent reconstruction will be described, highlighting application of Roller-compacted Concrete (RCC) buttressing and anchored Interlocking Pipe Pile (IPP) retaining walls.  The resiliency goals for the project will be discussed, as well as design issues at the interface between hydrological and geotechnical disciplines. 

Biography

Graham Elliott, PhD, PE, CEng MICE is a Principal with Schnabel Engineering. He is the current Chair of the Georgia Geo-Institute Chapter of the ASCE, and he serves on the ACEC Georgia/GDOT GPTQ Bridge and Structures Sub-committee.  In 2026 Graham joined the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) Technical Committee 303 on Coastal and River Disaster Mitigation and Rehabilitation.  Graham is leading Schnabel Engineering's team for the geotechnical/geostructural design of the permanent works to reconstruct I-40 in the Pigeon River gorge in North Carolina, the topic of the presentation.

Location

Georgia Power Building
241 Ralph McGill Blvd NE
Atlanta, GA 30308

Pricing Information

Registration Price
Student $20.00
Member $45.00
Non-member $45.00
Speaker Free
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