Embedded Files
Due to funding shortages, The Medinamite was discontinued in 2023-24. You are viewing the last update from May 1, 2024
By Corinne Siefring
Dave Patoma, Geotechnical engineer
Imagine a constantly expanding city, fueled by an army of invisible builder ants. Manned by construction workers, funded by dozens of officials, and designed by several skilled architects and planners. But amidst this hustle and bustle is someone who has the most important job of all; to ensure that the very ground that these feats of skill stand on doesn’t wind up being their undoing. And that someone is Dave Patoma, one of the geotechnical engineers at Terracon. The following interview has been edited and condensed.
Why did you choose to work in engineering? And specifically in geotechnical engineering?
I chose engineering because since I was young, I liked building things and seeing how things went together. Geotechnical engineering is the first part in the building of any
structures be it roadways, buildings, houses, etc. Growing up, we were always fixing things because we had to, and that is kind of what made me decide to go into engineering, because like I said, I liked the construction aspect.
What aspect of your job do you enjoy the most, and why?
There are many aspects I enjoy but the most is problem-solving, be it putting together the proposal, or working with a client to solve a problem on their project. Typically what we get into is when there is bad soil conditions you have to start getting into getting the architect, and the engineer on record also about what they can do to be the most cost-effective and keep everything on schedule.
How has working in civil engineering changed how you view the world?
My view of the world changed because I realized from school and working in the real world that everything is tied together through civil engineering. From roadways, communications, structures, etc. You look at this big site, and you go well this is going to be a challenge. Cause it’s going to have to build it up so that it doesn’t fall back off when you put something on it. So you look at things differently.” Patoma says when I finally got the chance to talk to him in person. He also mentions how he can spot areas more prone to sinkholes, as the soil there has a specific look, and tends to show signs of an initial minor sink, compared to how normal soil stands.
What does a day in your life look like?
Once in the office, I review emails the that came in during the evening from the day before, meet up with my project managers/coordinators, and go over any issues that might have come up on their projects. Then I go on a walk through the lab and make sure things are on track. Check my calendar to see what meeting I might have for the day, then review reports, work on proposals, and reach out to clients about future work. Some of the clients he mentioned were the most fun were Chick-fil-A and Amazon, as they tend to be more willing to work with challenges and to get back to the engineering team far faster than other clients, who may spend extra time thinking things over due to larger monetary concerns.
What project did you find the most difficult, and why? Was it rewarding in the end?
I worked on a project for FirstEnergy at the Sammis Plant in Stratton, Ohio. The project included a billion-dollar upgrade to the plant to reduce emissions. I was there working on testing soils placed at the plant in ash ponds, then moved to logging soils, helping delineate wetland and Indiana bat trees for a 2.7-mile conveyor belt, that conveyor went to a new gypsum landfill I was on to get certified by the EPA. It was difficult because of the size of the project, multiple trades working at the same time, the overall size/scope of the project, and the time frame for completion. It was rewarding because once the project was finished the client was satisfied, we helped the environment. Sadly the project recently closed due to the company downsizing.
Page updated
Report abuse