MEMBER PROFILE Silas Nichols, P.E., Valued FHWA Partner Silas Nichols grew up in the picturesque New England state of New Hampshire. Like most youngsters, he liked to play in the dirt. As the line goes, “who would have known…” Although he tells us that his mom knew early on that, as he calls it, “his obsessions,” would have predicted where he would ultimately wind up. Apparently, Mrs. Nichols was spot-on, as he has risen to a prominent position in geotechnical engineering holding the title of principal engineer – geotechnical for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). In this capacity, Nichols is responsible for managing the geotechnical engineering program, providing direct ion and leadership for the agency’s geotechnical team. The path to this eventuality included receiving his B.S. in civil engineering at Syracuse University and an M.S. in geotechnical engineering at Tuf ts University. He is only a (written) dissertation shy of completing his Ph.D. degree at the University of Maryland. Not a bad start for a career that has already seen him achieve laudable goals. How It All Began Nichols began his career with FHWA in 2001 after consulting stints, first in Boston where he was able to work on the famous Central Artery/Tunnel (“Big Dig”) megaproject and then with a smaller firm in Baltimore working on commercial and residential projects. His first role with FHWA was in its Resource Center in Baltimore, then in Atlanta. He soon moved on to the D.C. headquarters, where he followed in the footsteps of his mentor, Jerry DiMaggio, a FHWA and a foundation industry legend. FHWA has been an important partner in the deep foundations industry for 50 years. FHWA’s geotechnical engineering program has led the industry in supporting research, developing design guidance documents, and through its AUTHOR S. Scot Litke, Hon. D.GE DEEP FOUNDATIONS • MAR/APR 2019 • 71 National Highway Institute, providing top- level training, both hands-on and “virtual,” for engineers, inspectors and constructors within and working with state departments of transportation. When asked why he chose a career in the deep foundations industry, Nichols responds, “I am not sure that I consider my career one that is specifically in deep foundations. Transportation geotechnics cover a wide range of foundation alterna- tives, including lateral earth support and ground improvement applications. Deep foundations tend to dominate choices of support for highway structures, so I spend a significant amount of my time in this area. In addition, some innovations in design and construction have led to governance challenges and research needs that have become a priority in our program.” Nichols is particularly proud of the FHWA initiative in developing guidance documents, known as Geotechnical Engi- neering Circulars (GECs). These important reference manuals establish guidance and standards for not only design but also for quality assurance and quality control. Examples include those that focus on Continuous Flight Auger (CFA) piles (GEC 8), on drilled shafts (GEC 10) and driven piles (GEC 12). He offers, “These have been updated to address significant evolution in the industry pertaining to the ability to construct much larger elements than we ever have before. These updates are also informing AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) bridge design and construction specification updates.” AASHTO specifica- tions are the most referenced guide specifications within the transportation industry. The next geotechnical engineering circular, GEC 9, will focus on lateral loading on deep foundations, and will address what Nichols feels “are some glaring gaps in our design guidance.” A Long-Time Colleague Speaks When it comes to how Nichols is viewed by his peers, Scott Anderson, past FHWA geotechnical engineering TST manager and now principal geotechnical engineer with BGC Engineers, tells us, “Silas was the best partner I could have had at the FHWA. He could get down into the details when he needed to, without missing a beat. However, he has thrived in two main areas. First, he is able to make connections between government, contractors, practice and academics that we all have benefited from. He has a social side that brings this all in. Second, he understands the role of the federal government and state officials, and how they work together. He has been a great advocate for geotechnical practice and foundation industry advancements, whether through sponsoring research with dollars and ‘sense,’ or knowing when new guidance was needed, and how to make guidance implementable.” The DFI Connection Nichols has been involved in DFI and other industry associations throughout his career. He began attending industry conferences and seminars while still a graduate student. In 2006, he served as chair of the DFI Annual Conference on Deep Foundations
