105 Tradesman Drive Suite B, Hutto, Texas 78634

512-387-1287

512-387-1287

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    • About Us
    • Geotechnical Lab Testing
    • Our Team
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  • Home
  • About Us
  • Geotechnical Lab Testing
  • Our Team
  • Certifications
  • Contact Us

Our Team

Joseph Chen, PH.D., Senior Geotechnical Lab Director

Joseph leads Geotechnical Testing Laboratory as Senior Laboratory Director at Alpine. Joseph holds Ph.D. and master degrees in Geotechnical Engineering from the University of Missouri - Columbia. He has worked as a Geotechnical Laboratory Testing Director and oversees the operations of the Laboratory Testing for more than 16 years. Before working at Alpine, Joseph founded several other advanced Geotechnical Testing Laboratories in Central Texas. Joseph is active at ASTM, AASHTO, and ASCE committees and conferences. He is also volunteering as a peer reviewer for numerous journals, and several committee positions for improving the testing standards or specifications.  


His responsibilities include supervising, training and monitoring technicians and laboratory workers. Joseph monitors projects’ scheduling, quality control, equipment management, and compliance & accreditations. Joseph’s work involves measuring soil engineering  properties through performance of numerous laboratory tests, including  both basic index property tests and high-end geotechnical tests such as  advanced triaxial compression/ extension, direct simple shear, 1-D  incremental (ILT), constant-rate-of-strain (CRS) consolidation tests,  and evaluation of shear strength behavior using the SHANSEP method that  provides stress history and undrain strength profile according to the  imposed field conditions. Joseph is also responsible for all associated data reduction, analyses, and formal report generation. He is an effective director leading the lab team members to provide quality services and achieve a high level of testing accuracy, thereby contributing to a well-engineered project. 


Publications

Chen, C-W,  and J.Y. Wu (2012), “Effects of Wetting on the Pullout Resistance of  Geogrids in Compacted Silty Sand,” The Electronic Journal of  Geotechnical Engineering, Vol. 17, pp. 2529-2540.

Chen, C-W.,  A. Tang (2011), "Evaluation of Connection Strength of Geogrid to Gabion  Wall." Advances in Pile Foundations, Geosynthetics, Geoinvestigations,  and Foundation Failure Analysis and Repairs, pp. 231-238.

Chen, C-W.,  A. Wang (2011), "An Examination of Fly Ash-Geogrid Interaction."  Proceedings of the 14th Asian Regional Conference on Soil Mechanics and  Geotechnical Engineering, May 23-27, Hong Kong, China, pp. 412-416.

Chen, C-W. (2010), "Triaxial Compression and Extension Tests for Fiber-Reinforced Silty Sand." Accepted to present at GoeShanghai, China.

Chen, C-W.,  and J.Y. Wu (2010), "Effects of Wetting on the Soil-geogrid  Interaction" Accepted to present at the 9th International Conference on  Geosynthetics – 9ICG, Brazil

Chen, C-W.,  and J.E. Loehr (2008), "Undrained and Drained Triaxial Tests of  Fiber-reinforced Sand." Proceedings of the 4th Asia Regional Conference  on Geosynthetics, June 17-20, Shanghai, China, pp. 114-120.

Chen, C-W.  (2007). "A Constitutive Model for Fiber-reinforced Soils." Dissertation  submitted in partial fulfillment for the requirements of the Doctoral  Degree, University of Missouri-Columbia.

Chen, C-W,  H. Salim, J.J. Bowders, J.E. Loehr, and J. Owen (2007), “Creep Behavior  of Recycled Plastic Lumber in Slope Stabilization Applications,”  Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 130-138.

Chen, C-W.  (2006). "Drained and Undrained Behavior of Fiber-reinforced Sand."  Midwest Transportation Consortium of Student Papers, Transportation  Scholars Conference, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Loehr, J.E., J.J. Bowders, C-W Chen,  K.S. Chandler, P.H. Carr, and T.W. Fennessey (2004), “Slope  Stabilization Using Recycled Plastic Pins,” Proceedings of 55th Annual  Highway Geology Symposium, September 7-10, Kansas City, Missouri, pp.  149-159.

Chen, C-W.  (2003), “Engineering Properties of Recycled Plastic Pins for Use in  Slope Stabilization”, Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment for the  requirements of Master of Science Degree, University of  Missouri-Columbia, 118 pp.

Bowders, J.J., J.E. Loehr, and C.-W. Chen(2003), Evaluation of Recycled Plastic Products in Terms of Suitability for Stabilization of Earth Slopes,  Final Report to Missouri Department of Transportation and Recycled  Materials Resource Center, Project RI98-007c, Report RDT 03-019, 125 pp.

Bowders, J.J., J.E. Loehr, and C-W Chen(2003), “Recycled Plastic Pins Used to Stabilize Slope,” Draft Provisional Specification to American Association of State Highway and Transportation officials (AASHTO) Designation.

Bowders, J.J., J.E. Loehr, H. Salim, and C-W Chen (2003), “Engineering Properties of Recycled Plastic Pins for Use in Slope Stabilization,” Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Transportation Research Board, pp. 39-46.


Invitations of Journal Review

  •  Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering. 
  • ASTM Geotechnical Testing Journal
  • Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
  • Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
  • International Journal of Geomechanics
  • Transport in Porous Media

Learn More About Alpine Lab

Alpine Lab, a third party independent Geotechnical Testing Laboratory with a certified DBE/MBE firm, has been established  by experienced staff members who are responsive and take  ownership in all aspects of their work. Alpine Geotechnical Testing  Laboratory is AASHTO accredited and USACE validated. Our objective is to  provide timely, professional, and quality laboratory testing services  to our clients. 

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