Provides Opinion & Testimony In:
Geotechnical Engineer, Earthen Dam Embankments Stability, Seepage Under Earthen Embankments, Shallow Foundations, Deep Pile Foundations, Port Facilities Bulkheads, Settlement of Foundations, Expansive Soil Problems, Sink Holes in Karst Deposits, Roadway Pavements, Floodwall Improvements, Ports, Harbors, Oil terminals, Gas Terminals, Chemical Plants, Solid Waste Landfills, Public Schools, Universities, Municipal facilities, Governmental Facilities, Commercial, Light Industrial, Residential, Civil Engineering, Earthen Levees, Dams, Deep Pile Foundations, Sheet Pile Bulkheads, Landfill Liners, Highway Pavements, Expansive Soil Conditions, Sinkholes, Karst Deposits, Forensic Engineering, Pile Load Tests, Sheetpile Bulkheads, Roadway Pavement Failures, Foundation Distress, Sinkhole Formation, Oil Well Drilling, Private Property Disturbance, Flood Protection Systems, Polysurveying, concrete Displacement,
Title: Senior Geotechnical Engineer
Education:
University of South Alabama – Mobile, AL – 1972
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering
Current Engineering Registrations
Alabama – Professional Engineer – 1978
Mississippi – Professional Engineer – 1995
Louisiana – Professional Engineer – 2008
OVERVIEW OF PROJECT EXPERIENCE
Expert has forty-eight (48) years of geotechnical engineering experience covering Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia and Texas, which includes extensive forensic engineering experience and expert witness services to customers.
During his career, Expert has provided forensic engineering services for a wide range of foundation-related problems, including:
Plaintiff Expert: Damage to residential structures related to shrinking and/or swelling of expansive soils in Jackson, Mississippi, Montgomery, Alabama and Mobile, Alabama (causes evaluated and expert services provided). Services for two such residences are currently being performed as a plaintiff expert in Montgomery, Alabama.
Plaintiff Expert: Damage to the floor and pavements of a Kohls store in D’Iberville, Mississippi related to the site contractor’s use of a fly ash material to dry subgrade soils to facilitate compaction during original construction of the parent commercial development.
Plaintiff Expert: Residential structure damage in Gulfport, Mississippi related to failure of adjacent unstable soil embankment (causes evaluated and expert witness deposition provided).
Plaintiff Expert: Contractor claim that subgrade conditions (i.e. moisture-sensitive subgrade soils) caused unreasonable effort of the
contractor to dry and compact the subgrade soils to allow for construction of an airport runway pavement in Fairhope, Alabama. Report was prepared and deposition testimony provided by Expert that noted that the owner failed to follow the contract documents, which stated that the moisture-sensitive soils should have been undercut and replaced with suitable soils eliminating the unreasonable effort required in processing and compacting the unsuitable subgrade soils.
Plaintiff Expert: Evaluation of excessive grout-take in auger cast concrete pile construction in Gulfport, Mississippi with the resulting discovery that the geotechnical engineer of record did not alert the pile contractor that the soil conditions at the site were conducive to such excessive grout problems. Soil borings and engineering evaluations were performed by Expert and report rendered containing conclusion that liability for the problem should be assigned to the geotechnical engineer of record.
Defendant Expert: Failures of roadway pavements (causes evaluated and expert witness services provided).
Defendant Expert: Disturbance of private property related to oil well drilling (site investigated and expert witness court testimony provided).
No Litigation: Frost heave in the floor of a commercial facility freezer (causes evaluated and recommendations for remediation provided).
No Litigation: Foundation difficulties related to sinkhole formation caused by mining activities (causes evaluated).
No Litigation: Inadequate capacities of pile capacities indicated by pile load tests (causes evaluated).
No Litigation: Failures of sheet pile bulkheads (causes evaluated).
In addition to forensic studies, Expert’ experience includes geotechnical design services for ports and harbors, paper mills, oil and gas terminals, chemical plants, solid waste landfills, public schools and universities, municipal/governmental facilities, and commercial and light industrial facilities and post-Katrina floodwall improvements in New Orleans.
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
Consulting Geotechnical Engineer – Alabama and Mississippi Self Employed or Employed by Cain and Associates, Inc.
October 2006 through present on an as-needed basis
With the permission of URS Corporation, the USACE (Corps of Engineers) and Stevenson Consulting, Expert provided geotechnical engineering services on a consulting basis. Services provided to Cain and Associates included geotechnical studies for a variety of projects to determine the causes of damage to residential and commercial structures caused by foundation settlement or heave and to provide recommendations for remediation of the foundation problems.
Stevenson Consulting, Inc. (Formerly CTI Consultants, Inc.) – Ocean Springs, Mississippi Branch Office
June 2015 to June 2016 and July 2017 to Present:
Geotechnical Engineer, P.E.
While with Stevenson/CTI, Mr. Nobles has provided geotechnical engineering services that have been required for the Ocean Springs office.
US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) – Mobile District Experience, Geotechnical Engineer
August 2011 to May 2015 and July 2016 to June 2017:
While with USACE, Expert was responsible for a wide range of projects including:
Renovation of a dam near Lincoln, Nebraska for the Omaha District of USACE;
Evaluation of measures to remediate damages caused to levees during the flood of 2011 for the Omaha District.
ATC Associates – Biloxi, Mississippi Branch Office Manager April 2010 to May 2010
Operations Branch Manager
URS Corporation – Mobile, Alabama Office October 2006 to April 2010
Senior Geotechnical Engineer, P.E.
Primary responsivity was the post-Hurricane Katrina remediation of levees and floodwalls in the New Orleans area.
Aquaterra Engineering – Mobile, Alabama Branch Office March 2006 to October 2006
Senior Geotechnical Engineer, P.E.
United Consulting – Mobile, Alabama Branch Office, October 1998 to March 2006
Senior Geotechnical Engineer, P.E., Vice President
Thompson Engineering – Mobile, Alabama May 1996 to October 1998
Senior Geotechnical Engineer, P.E.
Polysurveying Engineering-Surveying – Mobile, Alabama December 1995 to May 1996
Civil Design Engineer, P.E.
Expert witness court testimony related to an oil field issue.
Geotechnical Engineering-Testing, Inc. – Mobile, Alabama 1976 to December 1995
Project Geotechnical Engineer, P.E., Vice President
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Mobile District Office 1974 to 1976
Soils Engineer, EIT
Vester J. Thompson, Jr., Inc. – Mobile, Alabama 1972 to 1974
Staff Geotechnical Engineer, EIT
