Speaker
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Mark Farrow PESenior Vice President | Alliance Geotechnical GroupMr. Farrow has served as a geotechnical engineering consultant in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex since 1975 and has performed thousands of geotechnical investigations and forensic investigations across the entire state. His technical experience includes project management, consulting on structural failures, investigation of landslides, retaining wall failures and testifying as an expert witness in geotechnical, civil and hydrology related matters. Typical project involvement has included treatment plants, deep pump stations, tollways and highways, all types of retaining walls, roadways, bridges, drainage structures, as well as airport facilities, numerous schools and college facilities, high, mid and low rise office buildings, hotels, hospitals, commercial buildings, malls and industrial projects.
Mark’s early geotechnical experience differs from most geotech engineers. Between 1975 and 1985, Mark served as a geotechnical field engineer on large construction projects involving foundation installations for all types of structures (industrial and low-rise structures as well as mid-rise and hi-rise office towers). Mark also served as a geotechnical field engineer for various projects involving massive earthwork. This early experience is invaluable for consulting on forensic investigations and litigation related to design and/or construction defects.
Mark has served as the Geotechnical Engineer and has been the prime geotechnical consultant for several major Tollway projects and many projects at Love Field Airport and D/FW International Airport including several parking garages, and terminal expansions, new maintenance buildings and De-icing facilities, taxiway, runway and apron expansions, and various other forensic investigations.
Local Time
- Timezone: America/New_York
- Date: Sep 18 2026
- Time: 10:15 AM - 11:15 AM
Long-Term Geotechnical Liabilities Caused by Elevated Groundwater Levels After Construction
Geotechnical reports by all engineers always include groundwater conditions existing at the time of the site and investigation. The reports also indicate the probability of groundwater fluctuation at the time of construction. However, most reports don’t identify the risk of serious structural issues that can develop after construction due to sustained elevated groundwater levels over the serviceable life of the structure (which is typically over 50 years).
In areas located within Dallas County and Rockwall County and elsewhere, many sites are underlined by the Eagle Ford Shale Formation and the Taylor Marl Ozan Formation. Deep highly active clay soils and weathered shale strata are present within these areas that are highly expansive and highly corrosive to buried concrete due to high soluble sulfate levels. An elevated groundwater condition over the life of facilities at these unstable sites will eventually cause excessive deep-seated soil swelling below foundations, floor slabs and flat work. Conditions that are often overlooked are related to elevated groundwater levels within soil layers that contain high soluble sulfates. These conditions can cause excessive corrosion of concrete within drilled shafts when the soluble sulfates within the soil are exposed to groundwater. Then after the steel reinforcement within the drilled shafts is exposed to the high plasticity clay due to excessive concrete corrosion, the steel reinforcement will also corrode. When these conditions occur, serious structural issues will obviously become problematic to owners and will cause serious long-term safety issues. This paper address several conditions that can cause elevated groundwater levels.
