Rock Solid Leaders

The ground is hidden. The risk is real. In this episode of Rock Solid Leaders, Matt Silveston talks with Dr. Mazen Adib of Fugro about geotechnical leadership in large design-build projects. They discuss managing subsurface uncertainty, identifying risk early, the growing use of AI, CPT-centric design, instrumentation, artesian pressures, and the line between innovation and unacceptable risk. Maze...

Engineering with Courage | Dr. Amy Cerato What happens when an engineer is forced to choose between staying silent and standing up for what they believe is right? In this episode of Rock Solid Leaders , Matt Silveston sits down with Dr. Amy Cerato, Presidential Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Oklahoma, to discuss how a proposed highway through her community transformed her from...

“Between 1900 and 1980 we had about seven or eight king-tide events a year. Today, it’s closer to eighty. Resilience isn’t optional anymore—it’s survival.”Charleston City Councilman Mike Seekings joins Matt Silveston to talk about what happens when a historic coastal city faces a rising ocean. From king tides that now flood streets weekly to the rebirth of the Low Battery seawall and the launch of...

On this episode of Rock Solid Leaders , Congressman Garret Graves joins Matt Silveston to explore what it means to build a Resilient Nation . From leading Louisiana’s post-Katrina recovery to reshaping national policy on infrastructure and energy, Graves shares what he’s learned about preparing for storms—both literal and political. This conversation dives deep into how America can move from react...

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 ge...

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 wil...

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 ass...

The future of geotechnical engineering won’t look like its past. In this episode of ROCK SOLID LEADERS , Dr. Carlos Santamarina (Georgia Tech) shares how geotechnical engineering is evolving — and how artificial intelligence is changing the way we study and design with soil. Listeners will learn: How AI is transforming subsurface exploration and data interpretation Why cross-disciplinary thinking...

Hidden Shaking: Russell Green on Earthquake Risks When the Christchurch earthquake struck, entire neighborhoods sank as the ground beneath them turned to liquid. In this episode of ROCK SOLID LEADERS , Dr. Russell Green (Virginia Tech) explains why liquefaction remains one of the most destructive—and misunderstood—earthquake hazards. He breaks down what happened in Christchurch, what those failure...

Buried Risks: When the Ground Rewrites the Plan A shipwreck under a city block. A bulkhead failing in a storm. A sensor that says “stop—now.” In this episode of ROCK SOLID LEADERS , Damian Siebert (Haley & Aldrich) takes us inside urban geotechnical work where surprises are guaranteed and decisions can’t wait. You’ll hear: The enabling work that quietly makes—or breaks—projects How real-time m...

The ground never lies — but it doesn’t always tell the whole story. On this episode of ROCK SOLID LEADERS , I sit down with Dr. Ellen Rathje (University of Texas at Austin) to uncover the seismic truth behind earthquake risk. Ellen reveals: Why small details determine survival or collapse How new tools are reshaping seismic risk assessment What past earthquakes teach us about preparing for the nex...

Deep Foundations: Paul Axtell on Drilled Shafts What really holds up our biggest bridges? In this episode, Paul Axtell (Dan Brown and Associates) talks about drilled shafts, field challenges, and the mindset required to lead in geotechnical engineering. A conversation about risk, resilience, and building strength from the ground down.

The biggest risk on any project isn’t underground—it’s in the decisions we make. In this episode, Aaron Mann  reveals how optimism bias, loss aversion, and overconfidence can quietly unravel even themost skilled teams. We talk about why smart people are more vulnerable than they think, and how leaders can build cultures that resist bias and protect judgment under pressure. If you’ve ever led throu...

Nature’s Armor: Where biology meets geotechnical innovation What if soil could protect itself? In this episode of ROCK SOLID LEADERS, I talk with Dr. Brina Montoya of NC State to explore how microbes can turn sand into stone through a process called bio-cementation. From wave tank studies showing bio-cemented dunes resistinghurricane waves to field trials that balance plant growth and soil stabili...

Innovation in geotechnical engineering doesn’t come easy—Mary Nodine shares the wins, the pushback, and the promise of Measurement While Drilling (MWD).A discussion with Mary Nodine in advance of her presentation at GeoCarolinas.