DIGGING DEEPER: Frédéric Massé on Urban Foundations and Real-Time Risk Management

What does it take to build safely in the middle of a crowded city?

In this episode of ROCK SOLID LEADERS, Frédéric Massé (Nicholson Construction) shares hard-earned lessons from projects in Pittsburgh and beyond. From unexpected underground obstructions to managing noise, vibration, and logistics, he explains how geotechnical contractors solve the toughest challenges when space is limited and the stakes are high.

Listeners will learn:

• How real-time monitoring has prevented costly failures on active sites

• How re-purposing exiting site features can save both time and money

• Why hands-on construction experience is essential for young engineers

• The rise of design-build contracting in U.S. geotechnics

If you’re building in urban environments—or preparing to—this episode shows what it really takes to succeed underground.

Forty years is a long wait for an update.

The new Foundations and Earth Structures Design Manual (DM 7.2) is here — modernized, reorganized, and built to guide engineers through the most critical foundation decisions of our time.

In this episode of ROCK SOLID LEADERS, Michael McGuire (Lafayette College), one of the manual’s lead authors, breaks down what’s changed, why it matters, and how it will shape the future of design education and practice.

Listeners will learn:

• The biggest updates in DM 7.2, from shear strength to deep foundations

• Why the manual is both a roadmap for students and a tool for practitioners

• Where AI fits into the next generation of engineering design tools

This isn’t just an update. It’s a design revolution.

P-Y curves may sound like a niche topic, but they’re central to how we design deep foundations under lateral loads.

In this episode of ROCK SOLID LEADERS, we get technical. Dr. Anne Lemnitzer (UC Irvine) explains why P-Y curves matter, how they’re evolving with new research, and what that means for geotechnical and structural engineering.

Listeners will learn:

• How new testing is reshaping old assumptions

• What engineers must consider when applying P-Y curves to real-world projects

• Advice for young engineers

If you’ve ever designed or relied on a foundation, this episode will change the way you think about laterally loaded piles.