ASCE-GI August Luncheon by Maysill Pascal (Menard) 

Ground Improvement has become a cost-efficient and effective solution to support the development of sites with poor soils. This presentation will discuss various types of ground improvement techniques and the typical depths of treatment and applicable soils for each technique. Ground improvement techniques such as wick drains which speed up the rate of consolidation of clays and vibro- compaction techniques, including vibro-replacement which are typically used in sand will be briefly covered in the presentation.

More specifically, we will present CMC Rigid inclusions which often serve as a value engineered substitute for traditional deep foundation and piles, and provide cost savings, shorter schedules and more economical footing and slab designs. CMCs are rigid inclusions that are made of specially-designed cementitious lean concrete mix and installed using a displacement auger, generating little spoil. CMC Rigid Inclusions replace piles, and other types of foundation support by improving the bearing capacity of subsurface soils and reducing settlement.

This presentation will discuss the use of CMC rigid inclusions to support two residential structures and one large industrial warehouse where soil conditions would normally lead to the use of deep foundations. In the case of the warehouse, the presentation will discuss how CMC rigid inclusions allowed for the typically-designed structural slab, grade beam, hung utilities and pile cap was built with spread footings and slab on grade. Each of the sites will have poor soil conditions which will necessitate a design that would allow for the use of CMC Rigid Inclusions in place of previously proposed deep foundations.

Maysill Pascal, P.E. (USW a Menard Group USA Company Tampa, FL)

Ms Pascal is the Senior Regional Engineer/Sales Manager for USW a Menard Group USA Company. Menard Group USA is ground improvement contractor specializing in stabilization of soft ground. She graduated from Manhattan College, Riverdale NY with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and from Virginia Tech, Blacksburg VA with a M.S. in Geotechnical Engineering. Ms Pascal started her career working with Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers in the New York metropolitan area before moving to Haley and Aldrich in New Jersey and then to Golder Associates. While with Golder Associates she worked in several offices including New Jersey, Atlanta and Houston. Prior to joining Menard Group USA in December 2015, Ms Pascal had over 15 years of geotechnical consulting experience. She has worked on projects across the United States as well as internationally including work in Canada, Australia and the Caribbean.

Ms Pascal is a licensed engineer in 10 states. Ms Pascal is passionate about increasing the number of women in the STEM fields and to that end she is the Chair of the Deep Foundation Institute’s Women in Deep Foundation Committee. Ms. Pascal also a member of Virginia Tech’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni board.