Mercer University engineering students got a firsthand look at how geotechnical engineering is used in the real world during a recent visit to the School of Medicine construction site.
Sheridan Construction hosted 13 students in Dr. Saumya Amarasiri’s spring semester geotechnical engineering lab at the site in downtown Macon. Students heard from engineers with Terracon, a consulting engineering firm, about the critical early steps of preparing a site for construction.
“It was super practical to go out and kind of have an internship-like experience in class,” said civil engineering major Christopher Reason, EGR ’28. “I learned a lot from that lab.”
Geotechnical engineering focuses on how earth materials, such as soil, rock and groundwater, affect construction. Terracon geotechnical engineer Pierce Mastrion, EGR ’23, walked students through his firm’s work on the School of Medicine site.
He started the visit by talking about the importance of geology and the effect it has on city planning. He explained that the job of geotechnical engineers is to evaluate the ground’s subsurface conditions and provide recommendations that help engineers and owners safely develop a site.
Mastrion, who majored in civil engineering at Mercer, told students about the pre-site work Terracon did, such as soil and environmental testing and geophysical seismic surveys.
“We talked a little bit about the different exploration techniques we use to explore what’s below the ground and talked about our design process and how we walked Mercer through their different options and what they can do to make the site buildable and to be able to support this new medical school building,” he said.
The site is located adjacent to the Ocmulgee River basin and was filled over time with soil and other materials. In some areas, the fill extends to depths of about 40 feet, which requires careful geotechnical evaluation and foundation design.
Mastrion said he enjoyed showing students what geotechnical engineering looks like in the field and how what they’re learning in the classroom translates into a career. The students were engaged during the visit, he said.
“A few of them were interested in careers in geotechnical engineering, and so it gave them a little bit more perspective of what that looks like in real life,” he said.
Dr. Amarasiri, assistant professor of environmental and civil engineering, said it’s important for students to see engineering in practice. Sheridan Construction was more than eager to help.
“Anytime we can help students connect theory to practice, we’re all in,” said Christy Kovac, president and CEO of Sheridan. “These are the future leaders of our industry.”
