"Port of Miami Tunnel: A Traveling Lecture Presentation sponsored by Deep Foundations Institute"

This event is sponsored by FAMU-FSU Engineering Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering & Deep Foundations Institute as a Traveling Lecture Presentation.

Abstract: The Port of Miami Tunnel (POMT) was constructed as a public-private partnership (P3). The twin 40-ft diameter, approximately 4,000-ft long tunnels provide direct access to and from the port by connecting directly to the highway system, reducing traffic congestion in Downtown Miami while increasing the flow of cargo at the port. This project was the first application of a large-diameter hybrid Earth Pressure Balance Tunnel Boring Machine (EPB TBM) in Florida’s highly variable soft sedimentary geology. At a depth of approximately 40 ft, the two entry/exit shafts located in man-made islands in Biscayne Bay were the deepest supported excavations constructed in South Florida at that time. The highly variable and challenging subsurface conditions required one of Florida’s most comprehensive investigations for a civil works project, utilizing numerous and diverse techniques to characterize the subsurface conditions. The project also included the widening of a major over-water bridge, approximately 2.5 miles of highway and roadway improvements, a new bridge overpass, and support buildings. The unique geotechnical aspects of this project included the construction of the bored tunnels, support of excavation for the entry/ exit shafts (including cutter-soil mix walls, tie backs, tension elements and tremie), ground improvement programs, roadway improvement, bridge foundations, MSE wall embankments, and geotechnical tunnel monitoring

Matthew E. Meyer, P.E., BC.GE

Langan Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc.

Speaker Bio: Matthew Meyer is a principal with Langan Engineering and Environmental Services. He is a registered professional engineer in seven states with 29 years of geotechnical engineering experience and is a Board Certified Geotechnical Engineer. His experience is diverse in project type, location, magnitude and geologic setting including experience on private sector highrise projects, resorts, industrial and retail developments, stadium projects, airports, marinas and port developments, universities, convention centers, public sector transportation projects inclusive of projects delivered utilizing Design-Build and P3 approaches with a focus on subsurface investigative techniques, deep foundations, ground improvement, groundwater control, karst-related risk reduction or mitigation, and verification or validation through full-scale load testing, nondestructive testing techniques and performance monitoring.

Meyer has a B.S. in civil engineering from The Citadel and an M.S. in civil engineering (geotechnical focus) from Virginia Tech. He previously served as an adjunct professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Florida International University. Meyer has served previously in numerous leadership positions at DFI including trustee on the DFI Board, trustee liaison to the Industry Wide Working Platform Working Group, trustee liaison and chair to the Augered Cast-In-Place and Drilled Displacement Pile Committee and trustee liaison to the Soil Mixing Committee. He is a past president of the Miami-Dade ASCE Branch and the 2023 Martin S. Kapp Foundation Engineering Award winner. Meyer has lectured, published, presented or co-presented 45+ publications or presentations at various conferences, seminars or journals.