Award for ground freezing specialist 6 Jan 2015

Paul C. Schmall, Ph.D., P.E., D.GE

A prestigious annual award in recognition of ingenious innovation in the field of ground modification or resourceful development of a new technology or the creative application of existing technology to achieve field performance not previously demonstrated is presented for 2015 to Paul Schmall, Vice President and Chief Engineer of specialist ground freezing contractor Moretrench of the USA.

The accolade was established in 2000 by the Geo-Institute of the American Society for Civil Engineers in recognition of the creative and innovative contributions of the late Dr Wallace Hayward Baker to the field of ground modification.

Dr Schmall is based in New York City and is well known to the tunnelling community. He graduated from Bucknell University in 1988 and joined Moretrench shortly thereafter. He earned his doctorate in Civil Engineering from the University of Nottingham, UK, in 2013.

Northern Boulevard ground freezing operation

Schmall has dedicated his career with Moretrench to the advancement of the geotechnical industry, particularly in the field of grouting and groundwater control for underground structures, and is proactive in sharing his experience and advancing the state of the practice through frequent seminar and conference technical publications and presentations, and by serving on industry committees. Moretrench has been involved in some of the largest tunnelling projects in the United States inclucing ground freezing operations on the Northern Boulevard underpass and for safe havens on the Queens tunnels drives for the East Side Access railway project in New York City and ground freezing to support sinking of the 205ft deep Ballinger shaft on the Brightwater conveyance tunnel in Seattle, Washington. Dr Schmall is a co-author of the technical publication Construction Dewatering and Groundwater Control (2007).