Rock Solid Leaders

Matt Silveston
  • 5.0(2개의 평가)
  • 직업

ROCK SOLID LEADERS goes behind the scenes with the experts and executives shaping today’s infrastructure. MATT SILVESTON hosts the podcast and highlights geotechnical innovators & industry leaders as they share lessons from major projects, ethical crossroads, and leadership under pressure. Each conversation uncovers how judgment, and technical skills combine to build resilient projects. Guests share candid stories of navigating complex challenges, balancing risk with vision, and leading teams where stakes are measured not just in dollars, but in public trust and long-term resilience.

  1. Tides and Transit — Mike Seekings on Charleston’s Water, Mobility, and Tough Choices

    2025. 10. 25.

    Tides and Transit — Mike Seekings on Charleston’s Water, Mobility, and Tough Choices

    “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 Lowcountry Rapid Transit, this conversation explores leadership in a city learning to live with water and move through it. Mike shares how Charleston rebuilt its most iconic wall without raising taxes, why transit is a cornerstone of resilience, and what leadership looks like when every decision carries long-term consequences. Key Themes: The measurable rise in tidal flooding and what it means for the city’s future. The Low Battery seawall: a century-old structure reborn through political persistence and public transparency. Funding infrastructure through tourism revenues, not new taxes. Why public transit and the 21-mile Lowcountry Rapid Transit project represent a new model of resilience.

    27분
  2. Resilient Nation: Congressman Garret Graves

    2025. 10. 09.

    Resilient Nation: Congressman Garret Graves

    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 reaction to readiness, from rebuilding to building stronger. “Resiliency isn’t about bouncing back—it’s about bouncing forward.”

    20분
  3. Digging Deeper: Frederic Masse on Urban Foundations and Real-Time Risk Management

    2025. 09. 28.

    Digging Deeper: Frederic Masse on Urban Foundations and Real-Time Risk Management

    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.

    18분
  4. Design REVOLUTION: Michael McGuire on DM 7.2

    2025. 09. 27.

    Design REVOLUTION: Michael McGuire on DM 7.2

    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.

    17분
  5. P-Y Curves and BEYOND: Anne Lemnitzer on Foundations and Resilience

    2025. 09. 24.

    P-Y Curves and BEYOND: Anne Lemnitzer on Foundations and Resilience

    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.

    27분
  6. Shaping the FUTURE: Carlos Santamarina on Geotechnics and AI

    2025. 09. 22.

    Shaping the FUTURE: Carlos Santamarina on Geotechnics and AI

    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 will define the next generation of geotechnics The challenges of applying new tools to old problems like liquefaction and slope stability How young engineers can prepare for a profession in transition If you want to know where geotechnical engineering is headed — and how AI is accelerating that shift — this episode is for you.

    17분
  7. Hidden Shaking: Russell Green on Earthquake Risks

    2025. 09. 18.

    Hidden Shaking: Russell Green on Earthquake Risks

    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 failures revealed, and the new tools engineers use to analyze and prepare for the next event. If you want to understand how earthquakes really reshape the ground—and what engineers are doing to stay ahead—this episode delivers the inside look.

    27분
  8. Buried Risks: Damian Siebert and the Hidden Challenges of Urban Projects

    2025. 09. 15.

    Buried Risks: Damian Siebert and the Hidden Challenges of Urban Projects

    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 monitoring can change the course of a project What it takes to deliver bad news and keep trust Designs that fail safely when the unknown shows up Why denser cities and aging utilities raise the stakes If you build in cities, this is your field manual for the ground you can’t see.

    20분
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소개

ROCK SOLID LEADERS goes behind the scenes with the experts and executives shaping today’s infrastructure. MATT SILVESTON hosts the podcast and highlights geotechnical innovators & industry leaders as they share lessons from major projects, ethical crossroads, and leadership under pressure. Each conversation uncovers how judgment, and technical skills combine to build resilient projects. Guests share candid stories of navigating complex challenges, balancing risk with vision, and leading teams where stakes are measured not just in dollars, but in public trust and long-term resilience.

정보

  • 제작진
    Matt Silveston
  • 방송 연도
    2025년
  • 에피소드
    13
  • 등급
    전체 연령 사용가
  • 저작권
    © Matt Silveston
  • 웹사이트 보기
    Rock Solid Leaders