CE297:
Geotechnical and
Environmental Failures |
Gallery
of Geostrophic Wonders
(turn on
your sound)
1.Deadly
Gas (Or Just More Hollywood)?
2.Feel
My Earthquake Pain!
3.Fountains
of the Deep
4.The
Uselessness of Elephants
5.There's
a Tiger in Your Dam(need Quicktime)
6.Brendan
Sexton Factors an Equation
7.Enjoy
the Big One, Right Now(in progress)
8.Download
Your Own Planetary System Here!
9.Soda
Preliminary for Spring 2001
Causes and consequences of the failure of buildings, earth structures, waste storage, and high hazard facilities in contact with the environment; technical, ethical, economic, legal, and business aspects; failure analysis and forensic problems; prevention, liability, and dispute management. Case history approach based on the instructor's files including earthquake, flood, and hazardous waste facilities. Student observation, participation in active lawsuits where possible.
Spring Quarter 2001 Thursday 8:30
am – 10:50 pm; Room Blume 540-108
Instructor: Richard
Meehan Office Hours: Thurs. 10:50-12:00
Telephone: 323-0525 e-mail:
rlmeehan@stanford.edu
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Thurs. 4/5 | First Class (Note: Bold indicates cases available in the Terman Library) For a head start pick up and start to read Jonathan Harr's paperback, A Civil Action, and check out the website on this case at Harvard. | Introduction; Development of landforms; Rise of sea level, creation of estuarine lands, with urban society including kings, bureaucracies, corporations, and specialists; civil liability of business and government, including tort liability from negligence; statuary limitations and expansions; role of professions, privileges and obligations |
Thurs. 4/12 | Criminal and civil liability; Prepare position for Whu Case (criminal liability); study handout on legal system; read first third Civil Action; writeups for Lakeshore Case (professional liability) and Gary Steel (settlement damage) | Quiz ; discuss legal discovery process and cost; discussLakeshore Case and Gary Steel; Whu Case trial simulation. |
Thurs. 4/19 | Urban infrastructure I; Second third Civil Action; review and prepare brief summary of website of Vista Pacifica Case; prepare written summary of Brimmer Case (in glacial coastal terrain); Ross store explosion | discuss two assigned cases |
Thurs. 4/26 | Finish Civil Action
Earthquake issues in the urban environment; Baldwin Hills land development issues |
Field trip to Lakeshore and Dunn sites; meet at parking garage 8:30 am Thurs |
Thurs. 5/3 | Insurance coverage issues; Writeup Gibault, Cabigas, Fong ; Finish Civil Action | Debate Gibault, Cabigas, and Fong cases; review earthquake sound simulations. |
Thurs. 5/10 | Construction accidents: Writeup Artacad, Writeup Discovery Bay Case | Urban foundation construction issues Groundwater, settlement, hazardous waste; Boston public library; debate Art Academy |
Thurs. 5/17 | Construction defects:Writeup Vista Park, Seeno | Field trip; Menlo Park expansive soils; Portola Valley land planning and earthquake fault issues. |
Thurs. 5/24 | environmental liabilities: Study and prepare for class debate, Canard Brothers Landfill | Negotiation excercise in class |
Thurs. 5/31 | Government liability flooding: Your instructor's sorry but useful experiences in Thailand; Schnurle, Linda, Arboga, Pajaro | Flood issues including geographic and engineering aspects; law of negligence and inverse condemnation as applied to government agencies. |