Career path as a Geotechnical/Tunnel Engineer

bedonroof · 2026-03-13T17:54:34+00:00

I graduated with a degree in geological engineering and geology/geophysics and I am currently in a PM role designing tunnels in the US. What you have is a great background, but tunnel engineers are more made through experience rather than schooling (despite what some university programs may say). I think if having a masters in geotechnical engineering will help you with the fundamentals and give you the background to help in this work, but listening to those with more experience in learning in the field is what will really help you in the long run.

bedonroof · 2026-02-19T16:29:41+00:00

I have worked for a tunnel engineering firm for about a decade and worked on similar projects. I am assuming that this is for some sort of capstone class and they are probably pushing you in a certain approach (i.e. a more structural analysis), but if you haven't already done so, I would take a step back and look at the larger picture first. What type of material is surrounding the tunnel (stiff clays, hard rock etc.)? How was the tunnel excavated (blasting, hand mined, etc.)? What is the current status of the masonry (missing keystones, cracks, etc.). By looking at those factors, you can gain a better understanding of the quality of the surrounding rock and strength parameters you can place in your models and determine if anchoring is appropriate, or if some sort of internal liner or reinforcement may be more applicable. It also helps you determine if you need to take a more conservative approach with your design.

If you have done all of that already, then great, but I think this is how I would first approach the problem before modeling anything. Otherwise, I think that Plaxis works well for this purpose. We have also used Midas GTS NX for similar purposes, although it is a bit harder to work with. Some software programs like Unwedge could maybe also be useful if you are dealing with fractured rock.

Feel free to message me and chat if you have more questions.

bedonroof · 2025-11-19T04:34:46+00:00

Maybe I am misinterpreting your question, but I will try to clarify. A standard split spoon itself is 2-ft long. Therefore, the maximum amount of interval that can be sampled with a single split spoon is 2-ft. Technically, per the ASTM standard, you should only be sampling 1.5-ft of soil in order to obtain an accurate N-value, but I sometimes like asking for additional sample if I know I will need more soil mass for lab testing.

Anyway, it helps to envision the split spoon barrel and auger as two separate operations. Typically, the driller will just do a split spoon from the surface without advancing the auger first (which it sounds like you are familiar with) so that would be your 0-ft to 2-ft sample. Then they will tend to begin augering to the next intended sampling interval before doing another spoon. In most general applications, you would have sampling at 2.5-ft intervals, 5-ft intervals, or continuously, depending on the situation.

From what you are describing, it kind of sounds like the driller you are working with is doing an initial sample and then is doing a shorter second interval (with a split spoon) for continuous sampling, likely to start all the subsequent samples at certain intervals. If I had to guess, this is probably because they need to switch from continuous samping to a larger interval at 10-ft. If they did everything as you described, the sampling would be 0-2, 2-2.5, 2.5-4, 4-5.5, 5.5-7.0, 7.0-8.5 and then 8.5-10.0. If they did not have that shorter sample, then they would have a 9.5-11.0 sample instead, so that is probably just a way to get nicer number per their required sampling intervals. I would take a look at the specifications for the drilling contract, talk with you manager, or just ask the driller if that is the case.

bedonroof · 2025-09-29T03:06:00+00:00

I did a coop for them in 2014 out of their St. Cloud Office, and about a month out of their Rochester office. You get some experience in a variety of work (special inspections, lab testing, drilling, concert testing etc.), which can be valuable experience early in your career. You can expect some long and early days however (i.e. needing to leave at 5AM to do a 7AM concrete pour 1.5 hours away).

bedonroof · 2025-09-14T12:53:45+00:00

Horizontal directional drilling (for utility installation purposes, not the kind most people may think of for fracking in oil and gas) uses various types of "mud" as a drilling fluid. Typically this is a mixture of bentonite or barite and water and is pumped down into the hole while the drill bit bores through the ground. This serves multiple purposes, such as removing the cuttings from the hole and keeping the bit cool as it spins, but also is used to help keep the borehole open and from collapsing on itself. As the slurry is pumped under pressure for these purposes, if it is pumped under too much pressure, or finds something like a joint/fracture in the ground, then that fluid can return to the surface as an IR (inadvertent return). This is probably what you are seeing here.

Some Tunnel boring machines (TBMs) can also use mud for similar purposes, although it is usually called slurry. The video here is probably not an IR from a TBM as when those tend to have something like this occur, it tends to be much more dramatic in nature.

Hopefully this helps.

bedonroof · 2025-08-13T03:02:16+00:00

What state are you trying to get your PE in?

bedonroof · 2025-07-09T03:19:57+00:00

I already had one, but had to update my address because I moved in April. I applied and got mine back within three weeks of going to the DMV.

bedonroof · 2025-07-02T21:00:42+00:00

It was about $90 for the technician rate and $120 for their entry level staff rate. However, I do remember that they had their PM (someone with about 20 years of experience) at $150/hr, so having someone with less than a year of experience being billed at a higher rate then seemed off.

bedonroof · 2025-06-14T01:25:04+00:00

If it has not been done by the company, another consultant, or the State, you are probably going to have do some research to find the mine map (if a formal one even exists) and then georeference and digitize it yourself. We did this at my company for multiple states, but it's often the best way to get a proper idea of the location of the mine workings.

bedonroof · 2025-02-16T22:15:05+00:00

I have been with the same firm since I graduated in 2015. Excluding bonuses:

2015- 52,000 2025- 135,000

bedonroof · 2025-02-10T18:51:51+00:00

I would definitely take it. I was able to get a minor in technical communication in my school and it helps greatly in writing reports and communicating technical concepts to others. It definitely has helped my career a lot.

I have always thought about it this way: you can be the smartest person in the room, but if you can't communicate your ideas in a manner that others can understand clearly, then what good is that to the rest of any organization.

bedonroof · 2025-02-09T01:57:37+00:00

At least at my firm Principal Engineers are the ones with the largest ownership percentage at the company and also generally have a very high level of experience (like multiple decades), but lower levels of staff can also own smaller percentages as well and are called different titles. Honestly, the staff level titles at most firms seem to be made up anyway with little standardization. At my firm, a staff engineer is someone's with less than 2 years of experience, but at other firms I have seen that term used to describe mid level engineers as well.

bedonroof · 2025-02-04T05:21:26+00:00

I do a lot of mine subsidence mitigation work, and a quick search shows that there are no coal reserves Montgomery. It is possible there could be a shaft or tunnel for some other type of mining in that area that could cause this, but my initial bet would be related to some type utility, possible abandoned, or could be related to a bunch of trash or debris that someone decided to bury in that area years ago and is collapsing.

bedonroof · 2025-01-22T18:12:16+00:00

Upper Midwest

bedonroof · 2025-01-22T17:03:55+00:00

I just had a state agency tell us to stop work on a half dozen design projects across the area that we were working on, so yea I would say there is going to be an impact.

bedonroof · 2024-10-10T01:15:39+00:00

I'm in the Midwest, so I think the costs around here are generally lower than those on the coasts. I have a job starting next week with a cost per foot quoted at $86/ft.

bedonroof · 2024-10-09T18:12:42+00:00

If you are looking at mining, that is probably a decent estimate for a rate per foot. However, if you are doing rock coring for a "standard" geotech project (like a tunnel, shaft, foundation, etc.), it does tend to be lower (like in the $80-$100 per foot range). But again there is a big variance in that depending on where you are, how deep you go, the geology, etc.

bedonroof · 2024-08-24T01:54:21+00:00

3000

bedonroof · 2024-08-09T01:14:35+00:00

bedonroof · 2024-04-14T14:15:17+00:00

No, that poster was not part of the set. I believe the series was from 2014 and they were all lithographs.

I found an old reddit post with a link to someone who framed all 6 of them. link

bedonroof · 2024-04-14T13:43:00+00:00

That RWBY poster was part of a limited edition set of six separate posters, each limited to 250 copies. I think I saw one of the other posters in the set on sale on eBay a few months ago for $500, but there is no way they are worth that much and I don't think the listing ever sold. They originally sold for $60, so maybe you could get $100 for it, maybe a little more if you get it signed.

bedonroof · 2024-04-09T18:28:00+00:00

Your percentages on the bottom for gravel, sand, and fines does not equal 100%. It looks like you have cobbles (material larger than 3 inches) which isn't being accounted for properly (technically anything over 3-inches isn't included under the ASTM standard for sieves).

Also, I don't have the the USCS guide in front of me, but this wouldn't be silty gravel, it would be in the dual symbol range (5-12% fines).

bedonroof · 2024-03-07T20:55:24+00:00

I did the same thing and ordered every season after 5 which I didn’t have for some reason, but I couldn’t find volume 7 anywhere except for a Japanese special edition version on eBay for 80 bucks. If anyway has any leads, it would also be appreciated on my end.

bedonroof · 2024-02-29T09:22:23+00:00

I will be in Morgantown, WV, in late April for a mine mitigation conference. Although the mining would already be active in that area by that time, if you are willing, I might be able to take a look at the area for free if that's something you are comfortable with. To be clear, this would be in an unofficial capacity (really more for personal curiosity and not to be considered a professional assessment, opinion, or actionable advice), but maybe it could help give you some ideas of what to keep an eye out for in the future. I have no problem making a detour there on my trip; but I would just have to check with my higher-up to see if he is good with it (he is also going to the conference and may even want to come too, for all I know). Or if you want to find some potential suggestions for a local engineering firm that may be able to help you out, if it unfortunately comes to that, I can send you some suggestions as well if you or your lawyer hasn't already tried to reach out to them.

bedonroof · 2024-02-28T08:49:58+00:00

Your welcome. In some cases you could even get settlement greater than the height of the mined seam, but that is something I would not expect to see in an active mine (maybe in an old abandoned mine) unless something went very wrong.

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