Cross-USA lecture Tour 2020-2021

Liz Smith, P.E., G.E., D.GE

Liz Smith, P.E., G.E., D.GE, M.ASCE is a Senior Principal and National Transportation Program Manager at Terracon Consultants Inc. She has over 35 years’ experience, including significant expertise related to geotechnical engineering for design-build transportation projects and slope and retaining wall failure evaluations and remediation. She has successfully managed several complex geotechnical design-build projects with geotechnical fees up to $12 million and construction costs up to $2 billion.

Ms. Smith has been involved in several other areas of transportation geotechnical engineering that include consulting for design-build teams to resolve geotechnical problems that arise on complex projects; owner oversight; and evaluation and repair of foundation, slope and retaining wall failures.

Liz’s most recent design-build projects include Oak Hill Parkway, Austin, Texas; SH130 Forensic Studies, Austin, Texas; Transform 66 -Outside the Beltway Project, Segment 3, Fairfax County, Virginia; Loop 375 Border Highway, El Paso, Texas; US 183 South (Bergstrom Expressway) in Austin, Texas; and I-35E Managed Lanes Project in Dallas and Denton Counties, Texas. She has been geotechnical lead on major proposals and projects across the country including Hawaii, Washington, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Minnesota, Missouri, Texas, and Virginia.

She has authored papers and given presentations at numerous professional and technical meetings.

Liz is an active member of the following organizations:

  • American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
  • ASCE Geo Institute, Deep Foundations Committee
  • Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA)
  • Deep Foundations Institute (DFI), Drilled Shafts Committee, Women in Deep Foundations Committee
  • Transportation Research Board (TRB) Committees: Project Delivery Methods, AFH15; Foundations of Bridges and Other Structures, AFS30
  • Virginia Tech, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Alumni Advisory Board, Past Chair
  • Virginia Tech, CEE Academy of Distinguished Alumni
  • WTS, Past President, Heart of Texas/Austin Chapter

Liz is a Hokie from Virginia Tech with her BS and MS in Civil (geotechnical) engineering. She and her husband Jack have been married 36 years and have 3 adult sons, 2 daughters-in-law, and 2 grand-dogs. Liz and Jack are happy empty nesters and live in Round Rock, Texas.

Presentation Subjects for Cross-USA Lecture Tour 2020-2021:

  • Project Case Histories (example selections below)
    • Parkway over a Sanitary Landfill
    • I-35 kcICON Project, Kansas City, MO
    • US 70, Ruidoso, NM
    • I-35E Managed Lanes, Dallas and Denton Counties, TX
    • SR 520 Landslide, Bellevue, WA
  • Lessons learned from retaining wall and slope failures:
    • Soldier pile and lagging wall
    • Reinforced soil slope
    • MSE walls
  • MSE wall design overview
  • The Design-Build Experience
  • A-GAME: Use of Measuring While Drilling
  • Discussion Subjects (for groups that would prefer a more interactive Q&A type discussion):
    • Tips for Success for Young Engineers
    • Experiences of a Woman Geotechnical Consultant 
    • Drilled Shafts
    • Slopes and Walls and Why They Fail