Brant Wells, Field/Lab Operations Manager for Alfred Benesch & Company shared a presentation on soil preparation for land development. Brant shared about his education and experiences that led him into geology. He shared excerpts of the video “Restless Prairie” from Nebraska ETV.  "Restless Prairie" features Nebraska's unique natural history. Hidden in Nebraska's landscape is a history that was carved by a series of natural disasters occurring over five billion years. Brant’s research at Toadstool Park was featured in the video.
Brant Wells, Field/Lab Operations Manager for Alfred Benesch & Company shared a presentation on soil preparation for land development. Brant shared about his education and experiences that led him into geology. He shared excerpts of the video “Restless Prairie” from Nebraska ETV.  "Restless Prairie" features Nebraska's unique natural history. Hidden in Nebraska's landscape is a history that was carved by a series of natural disasters occurring over five billion years. Brant’s research at Toadstool Park was featured in the video.
 
Brant displayed a geological map demonstrating how the Glacier out wash flows all the way to the Gulf of Mexico and the dynamic process that shifts and alters the surface and development of soils through the United States.
 
Brant explained the role that Benesch serves in not only understanding the soil for construction but also ensuring the correct preparations are made for stable development of roads, buildings, bridges, slope failures in rivers, etc. It is a balance between the needs of the Developer, the Owner and the Contractor for the safest and most stable outcome.
 
Brant gave an overview of the many tests done on the soil, equipment used, samples and soil evaluations and the process of ground preparation. For example, nearly all the structures in Lincoln are built on sandstone. A simple of explanation of properly preparing for construction is drilling a hole in the soil down through the layers into the bedrock and then filling that up with concrete prior to building. Other factors include measuring the density and moisture of the soil. 
 
He shared a case study from a housing development in Waverly where the needed preparation was not completed resulting in cracked and deteriorating roads. This led to a $300,000 costing over $1,000,000 in reconstruction costs. Brant shared that for every foot of soil not compacted correctly there is in inch of settlement in the construction, thus the need for a complete study and review prior to construction.
 
While the Benesch company is located in Lincoln, NE they travel all over the United States to provide geotechnical investigation for land developments. Some projects they have worked on in Lincoln include the Lincoln South Belt Way Project, Pinnacle Bank Arena and all around the State Capital area.