PDCA ENGINEERING AFFILIATE MEMBER
it, the sheets themselves almost become
their own erosion and sedimentation
control measure.”
And, finally, a year after the awardwinning
work at MP 40.84 WB, Earth,
Inc. designed a 150-foot-long sheet pile
wall for slide remediation at Pennsylvania
Turnpike MP 53.05 WB. The concept used
was a variation of the MP 40.84 WB wall. It
reduced the number of fin sheets required
by utilizing H-piles as tie-down anchors
for the wall system, which also served to
improve global slope stability. Earth, Inc.
holds a second patent for this variation of
the original design concept.
Stable and consistent
Over the last 15 years, most of Earth,
Inc.’s work has been related to highways
and bridges.
“We do commercial work, but mostly
transportation,” said Sydlik. “Design
build projects are another line of work
for us. We especially love those, because
then you’re working for the contractor,
who hires the design expertise. It’s much
smoother because the project moves faster.
Over time, you find clients you like, and
you continue to work with them because
it’s enjoyable.”
While the company’s clients are
consistent, so is the Earth, Inc. staff, which
has changed little since the firm was
founded 37 years ago. Three of the eight
staff members have been there for 30 years;
three more have put in 25 years of service.
Sydlik’s daughter, Marie, is an engineer
who has worked for the firm for a decade.
“We’ve been a rather stable company
over time. Certainly, COVID-19 has cut
into our stability and work volume,
although it didn’t affect us right away. We
were involved in landslide repairs and
sinkhole remediation; these were jobs
that had to continue to maintain existing
transportation systems.”
Although work slowed down, Sydlik
reported it was starting to rebound in early
October, when he spoke with PileDriver.
Most recently, Earth, Inc. has been
involved in a slide remediation project in
a residential neighbourhood of Pittsburgh,
where drilled-in and grouted micropiles
(steel dowels) were aligned in two offset
rows. A permanent wall was created by
covering the micropiles with a reinforced
concrete cap, which will also serve as
a sidewalk.
Earth, Inc. joined PDCA in 2019 as an
engineering affiliate member, and Sydlik
Pile Driving
Analyzer® (PDA)
hopes to advocate within the membership
for sheet pile walls.
“I’d like to overcome the idea that you
don’t use sheet piles for permanent walls,”
he said. “It would be nice if we could get a
little more exposure for this type of work,
which uses large quantities of steel. We
could get more projects from open-minded
contractors who understand what’s going
on. But it won’t work if public agencies
aren’t willing to see sheet piles used as a
permanent wall structure.”
With more exciting work on the horizon,
Sydlik isn’t contemplating retirement
just yet.
“Twenty years ago, you were told you
had to have a succession plan. I keep
putting that off; I like the work. One of
these days, I will have to retire, but I guess
I’m not ready.”
He is proud of his company’s reputation
for engineering innovative solutions that
can save money and time.
“We are a small company but we’re not
afraid to do things differently, and that
sheet pile wall is a prime example,” he said.
“We haven’t been afraid to do things out of
the norm when we are confident in them.
I never could have done this kind of thing
working for another company.” t
The PDA is a high strain, dynamic load testing and pile driving monitoring
system. This versatile device can be used to perform dynamic load
testing on most types of deep foundations. The system can be
customized to best suit your project with cabled and wireless options
available. SiteLink® technology allows the engineer to analyze the PDA
data remotely, if desired.
To learn more about PDA, visit www.pile.com.
88 | ISSUE 6 2020 www.piledrivers.org
/www.pile.com
