GMS Field Trip

GMS December Field Trip Report
Roswell, GA
Friday, December 14, 2012

Our first stop was at Excel Geotechnical Testing, Inc. where they greeted us warmly with hot coffee and donuts. Dr. Nader S. Rad, Ph.D., P.E., a recognized authority in the area of laboratory and field testing, gave us a brief introduction about their role in the geotechnical world. Then he walked us through the processes they perform from logging in the samples to washing, shaking through successive sieve sizes, and the tests they perform. Their primary responsibility is to gather data about the soil samples to help engineers determine if a location is suitable for landfills, large buildings, roads, and other types of large construction. The lab analyzes soil for properties such as permeability, compaction, strength, and compressibility. Because many of their samples come in 5 gallon buckets, Nader had stacks of buckets for us to take home.

From there we went to a famous Roswell eatery called The Swallow at the Hollow. We enjoyed delicious barbecue, so much so that the only picture we have is the last few bits on Bill Waggener’s plate before he licked it clean.

A short trip from there and we were at FlameTree Glass where Lance and Maureen McRorie showed us around their glass studio, then invited us to watch as Lance created a stunning goblet. Lance explained everything he was doing and taught us about glass in general. He demonstrated some glass blowing techniques and we were mesmerized as a clear tube of glass magically transformed into the base of the goblet – way too cool to describe. Then, because he had pre-made the top of the goblet, he concentrated on the stem – a mermaid sculpture. The sinewy hot glass slowly took shape as he sculpted the tail, followed by the torso, then the head, the arms, and finally a graceful ribbon flowing between the mermaid’s hands. As he assembled the pieces, the goblet took its final form. He placed the finished piece upside down into an annealer so it could cool down in a controlled environment. Look for it in the display case at the GMS building the next time you are there.

Vickery Creek was as beautiful as always and the weather was perfect for a leisurely hike. At the end of the day, everyone agreed that it was a unique, unorthodox field trip and it was definitely an enjoyable and memorable one.

Charles Carter, GMS Field Trip Chair
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