• Secure Online Registration (Please note that online registration will close two days prior to the seminar.)
• Registration Form
• Cancellation Policy

Seminar Description

Provincial regulations state that a report certified by a professional engineer or geoscientist may be required for assessment of land for development.  In cases of land development with sloping grounds, evaluation of the stability of the slopes in earthquakes would be included in the scope of assessment.  However, certifying “that the land may be used safely for the use intended” has been a challenge for engineers and geoscientists.   The need for consideration of seismic hazards for slopes, including new regulated hazard levels, adds to the challenge.

The APEGBC Guidelines for Legislated Landslide Assessments for Residential Developments in BC has recently been updated.   It contains revised practice guidelines, a new, state-of-the-art method for seismic assessment of slopes, and a Landslide Assessment Assurance Statement for use when Professional Engineers and Geoscientists are submitting certified written assurances that a ground slope is “safe.”

This seminar will explain the issues, describe the Guidelines, and examines the application of the Guidelines, all in regards to seismic assessments of slopes.  In the seminar, experienced engineers and geoscientists will present the new seismic assessment method in detail along with brief references back to old methods; experienced approving officers will discuss the impact of the new guidelines on approvals by authorities and public understanding.  Implied by the new guidelines are a definition of “safe” and the application of the concept of risks, which may be adopted for use in assessments for other hazards.

The sequence of presentation will take the participants logically through the issue and the approval process for land development.  Participants will learn how to convey the assessment results and how important the implications of the results are in the approval process.  A panel discussion is scheduled at the end to facilitate discussions by, to allow further questions from and to promote exchange of experience among all participants.

Instructors:

Steven Kuan, Ph.D., P.Eng. is a Senior Seismic Engineer with the Building and Safety Policy Branch in the Ministry of Housing and Social Development.  The Building and Safety Policy Branch is responsible for developing and maintaining building regulations in B.C., including the BC Building Code.  A graduate of The University of British Columbia, Steven has many years of experience in government, consulting, teaching and research.  He is active in various professional organizations and committees.  He was co-manager of the APEGBC Task Force on Seismic Slope Stability.

Doug VanDine, P.Eng., P.Geo. has worked as a geological and geotechnical engineer in the province, and elsewhere, for over 35 years.  His work has been primarily associated with landslides and other natural hazards – for residential development, transportation infrastructure, and resource development.

Bob Patrick, P.Eng. is a geotechnical engineer with over 28 years of consulting experience throughout western Canada and internationally. He is a Principal Engineer with EBA Engineering Consultants Ltd.  Mr. Patrick received his Bachelor of Engineering Science from the University of Western Ontario and a Masters of Science from the University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.  His involvement with APEGBC has included positions on the Task Force for Seismic Slope Stability and the Joint Practice Board, as well as serving on the Division of Engineers and Geoscientists in the Forest Sector Newsletter Editorial Board.

Ernest Naesgaard, P.Eng., is a senior geotechnical engineer and principal of Naesgaard Geotechnical Ltd. with over 35 years' experience in subsurface site investigation and geotechnical design work.  He has carried out foundation and site preparation designs for a wide variety of structures in varying soil types including: highrise developments, industrial factories, warehouses, water-edge structures, residential subdivisions, excavation shoring, tanks, dams, and major bridges.  He has conducted analyses for seismic risk assessment; liquefaction assessment; soil dynamics; soil-structure interaction; slope stability; pile driving; lateral pile; and settlement assessment.  Mr. Naesgaard has also carried out complex dynamic soil-structure numerical analyses for several major projects.

Toby Seward is the Director of Development and the Subdivision Approving Officer for the City of Nanaimo.  He has worked in various land development and building inspection roles during his 22 years at the City.  During the past 15 years, Toby has extensive involvement in geotechnical engineering issues, working with developers, engineers, and builders to facilitate development on steep slopes, including high bank waterfront, steep hillsides, ground water control and retaining walls.

Don Gilliespie – Bio will be coming soon.

Cancellation Policy

Registered attendees unable to attend the event may designate a substitute, provided APEGBC receives written notification at least one business day prior to the event. Registration information for the substitute attendee should accompany the notice. If notice of cancellation of registration is received:

•  5 business days or more prior to the event, a refund will be processed
•  Less than 5 business days prior to the event, no refunds apply

Substitute registrants are permitted up to the day of the seminar and member/non-member fees will be applied. The organizers reserve the right to cancel the event if less than the minimum required participants have registered. Liability limited to registration fee.

*Webcast Instructions:
System requirements:

• Pentium class 600 MHz PC or better
• Windows 98, ME, NT, 2000 or XP
• Full-duplex sound card
• 28.8 kbps modem dial-up or better (Greater than 56K recommended)
• Internet Explorer 5.5 (or higher)
• Cookies must be enabled (no cookie mongers)

You will need speakers to hear audio. IE service packs should be current, and since a software download is required, your network, firewall and/or PC security must be set to allow this.

Upon registration, you will be forwarded instructions on how to access the session.

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