#99 - Case History - How Did That Get There?

#99 - Case History - How Did That Get There?

From GBA Podcast by Geoprofessional Business Association

April 14, 2026 · 25 min

About this episode

The episode discusses a geotechnical case history involving a lawsuit over retaining wall deflection after a shopping center demolition.

GBA Case History Series – Case History #99 - How Did That Get There? Summary Member Firm provides geotechnical engineering services and CoMET for a new project on the site of an existing shopping center. CoMET services were provided “as needed” for demolition of the shopping center. A few years after the completion of construction, one of the three new retaining walls deflected significantly. Investigation of the backfill led to some surprises. On cue, the owner sued to reclaim the repair costs. Our Hosts: Elizabeth Brown, PE - Principal Geotechnical Engineer/ JLT Consultants Elizabeth is the Principal Geotechnical Engineer at JLT Consultants in Boise, Idaho. Elizabeth has performed and/or assisted with numerous geotechnical investigations throughout Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming managing projects, providing geotechnical design, project quality control, cost and value engineering, and evaluating geotechnical constructability issues. Tim Rodriguez – COO/ BSK Associates Tim is the Chief Operating Officer of Geoprofessional Services at BSK Associates, an employee-owned engineering firm. With over 30 years in materials testing and inspection, he oversees six Northern…

People in this episode

Hosts: Elizabeth Brown, Tim Rodriguez

Topics covered

  • geotechnical engineering
  • construction
  • legal issues
  • project management
  • case history

Keywords

  • geotechnical engineering
  • retaining walls
  • construction defects
  • lawsuit
  • project management

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: JLT Consultants, BSK Associates

Places: Boise, Idaho, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, Northern California

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