Beyond Calculations: Morgan NeSmith

What defines a successful engineering career? For Monique A. Anderson, P.E., it is not having every answer. It is knowing how to solve the right problem, communicate clearly and draw on the strengths of a capable team.Monique is a vice president and geotechnical engineer with Shannon & Wilson in Seattle, where she has spent her 36-year career. Her work spans bridges, embankments, buildings, piers, retaining walls, landslides, dams, roadways and complex excavations. She has also helped lead major assignments associated with Seattle’s waterfront and the SR 99 tunnel program.In this episode of Rock Solid Leaders, Monique joins host Matt Silveston to discuss how her understanding of professional success changed as she progressed from project engineer to project manager and firm leader.She explains why technical competence is only one part of effective consulting. Engineers must also understand what their clients need, communicate recommendations clearly and recognize when a problem requires expertise beyond their own.Monique also reflects on the SR 99 tunnel project, the satisfaction of seeing decades of engineering work become part of Seattle’s infrastructure and the collaborative effort required to deliver a major multidisciplinary project.Topics discussed include:Why engineers do not need to know everythingThe value of teamwork and complementary expertiseTranslating complex analyses into practical recommendationsWhy a client may need one clear paragraph instead of five pages of calculationsLessons from Seattle’s SR 99 tunnel and waterfront projectsThe importance of ownership, curiosity and responsivenessHow young engineers can develop stronger communication habitsBuilding long-term relationships with clientsWhy engineering is fundamentally a service professionMonique’s central message is direct: clients are paying engineers for an answer, not a thesis.

Beyond the Calculations with Morgan NeSmithIn this episode of Rock Solid Leaders, Matt Silveston sits down with Morgan NeSmith, Director of Engineering and Chief Geotechnical Engineer at Berkel, for a conversation about deep foundations, engineering judgment, leadership, and the changing role of technology in geotechnical engineering.Morgan reflects on more than 30 years in the profession and the lessons that have shaped his approach to engineering. He discusses the importance of understanding geology, the evolution of cast-in-place pile and ground improvement systems, and how advances in installation equipment and real-time monitoring have expanded the industry's capabilities.The conversation also looks ahead. Morgan discusses the potential to combine increasingly sophisticated site characterization with real-time installation data to continuously refine subsurface models and foundation designs. He sees significant potential for AI to organize and interpret these large datasets, while cautioning against relying on technology without the experience and judgment needed to recognize when an answer simply does not make sense.The discussion then turns to leadership and professional development. Morgan describes lessons learned early in his career working alongside experienced drillers and operators. His advice to younger engineers is straightforward: listen, remain curious, ask questions, and recognize that the people working in the field often possess decades of practical knowledge that cannot be learned from a textbook.How Morgan found his way into geotechnical engineering and foundation contractingWhy he wishes he had studied more geologyHow deep foundation technology has changed over the past 20 to 30 yearsThe growing role of automated monitoring and installation dataUsing field data to refine site characterization and foundation design in real timeWhere AI can add value to geotechnical engineeringWhy engineering judgment remains critical as automation increasesWhat experienced drillers and equipment operators can teach young engineersWhy curiosity is one of the strongest predictors of a young engineer's developmentHow better site investigations can produce significant downstream savingsThe deceptively complex nature of deep foundation installationA foundation problem that led to a simple lesson Morgan still remembers: sometimes a little more grout solves the problemMorgan's advice for engineers on their first day in the fieldEngineering tools will continue to become more sophisticated, but technology does not replace curiosity, experience, or judgment. Morgan's message to the next generation is to spend time in the field, listen to experienced people, ask why decisions are being made, and learn to recognize whether an engineering answer actually makes sense.

Every geotechnical engineer eventually faces a project where the soil refuses to behave as expected. In this episode of Rock Solid Leaders, Dr. Yazen Khasawneh of the University of Notre Dame and Spencer Ness of Terracon discuss how under-consolidated soils challenged conventional lateral pile design and why field observations ultimately changed their understanding of the problem.The conversation explores the limitations of traditional testing methods, the importance of selecting the right soil parameters, and why engineering judgment remains indispensable even as computational models become more sophisticated. The discussion also examines how artificial intelligence may reshape geotechnical engineering while reinforcing that successful designs will always depend on quality field data and a solid understanding of soil behavior.Whether you're a practicing engineer, researcher, or student, this episode offers valuable lessons on uncertainty, investigation, and the importance of listening to what the ground is telling you.

In this episode of Rock Solid Leaders, Matt Silveston speaks with Duncan C. Wyllie, Ph.D., P.Eng., Principal Engineer with Wyllie & Norrish Rock Engineers Ltd., about risk management in geotechnical engineering.Dr. Wyllie explains that geotechnical risk is not defined by a factor of safety alone. It requires an understanding of both the probability of an event and the consequence if that event occurs. He discusses the importance of quantifying risk where possible, including the use of risk frameworks such as FN charts.The conversation also addresses one of the central challenges in geotechnical practice: making decisions with incomplete information. Dr. Wyllie discusses the limits of subsurface investigation, the danger of assuming conditions are uniform, and the need for careful field judgment. He shares examples from rock engineering where surface conditions appeared competent, but subsurface conditions told a different story.The discussion moves into practical lessons from rock slopes, rock anchors, blasting, long-term weathering, and maintenance. Dr. Wyllie emphasizes that geotechnical risk does not end when construction is complete. Rock, soil, water, ice, roots, and time continue to affect performance long after a project is built.The episode also includes a direct discussion on language in geotechnical reports. Dr. Wyllie identifies “assume” and “guarantee” as words that deserve particular caution because they can imply a level of certainty that geotechnical engineers often do not have.This episode serves as a preview of Dr. Wyllie’s GeoVirginias presentation, Risk Management for Geotechnical Engineering, and provides practical insight for engineers, owners, public agencies, and younger professionals learning how to evaluate and communicate risk.

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.Mazen also shares a practical framework for improving consistency, quality control, and decision-making on complex infrastructure projects.

Engineering with Courage | Dr. Amy CeratoWhat 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 an internationally recognized geotechnical researcher into a leading voice for engineering ethics, public policy, and infrastructure accountability.Dr. Cerato shares how technical expertise, communication, and leadership intersect when engineering decisions affect people's lives. The conversation explores the responsibilities engineers have beyond design, the importance of critical thinking, why maintaining infrastructure often deserves greater priority than building new, and the courage required to challenge the status quo.Whether you're an engineer, student, or elected leader, this episode offers valuable insights into leadership, integrity, and the lasting impact of using your expertise to serve the public.

“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.

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.”

DIGGING DEEPER: Frédéric Massé on Urban Foundations and Real-Time Risk ManagementWhat 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 sitesHow re-purposing exiting site features can save both time and moneyWhy hands-on construction experience is essential for young engineersThe rise of design-build contracting in U.S. geotechnicsIf you’re building in urban environments—or preparing to—this episode shows what it really takes to succeed underground.

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 foundationsWhy the manual is both a roadmap for students and a tool for practitionersWhere AI fits into the next generation of engineering design toolsThis isn’t just an update. It’s a design revolution.