An independent consultancy led by Dr. Donald A. Bruce, serving grouting, anchoring, micropiling, deep mixing, and dam & levee remediation projects for owners, contractors, and agencies worldwide.
Geosystems LP is an independent consultancy offering technical, advisory, and managerial services in the specialty geotechnical construction aspects of dam, civil, mining, and tunneling engineering.
Geosystems LP was until July 1, 2000 known as ECO Geosystems, which was formed by its President, Dr. Bruce, in May 1996. It has worked on projects throughout the United States and Canada, and also in Europe, Central and South America, South Africa, the Middle East, New Zealand, Australia, and Southeast Asia.
Since formation, Geosystems LP has successfully completed over 2,000 projects and assignments, the majority of which have dealt with dam and levee remediation, deep foundations, quarries, mines, and tunnels. The clients for these projects include Owners (and in particular Federal agencies), Contractors, Consultants, and Attorneys.
Geosystems advises across the full range of specialty ground engineering, from urban infrastructure to remote dam and mine sites.
Dr. Bruce has worked on projects throughout the world for over 46 years. The projects below were selected to illustrate his technical and advisory roles and focus on more recent work. They are neither comprehensive nor all inclusive, and further details can be provided by Geosystems on request. For reasons of confidentiality, no details of cases in which Dr. Bruce served as an Expert Witness are shown.
Dams, levees, navigation & marine structures
Major seepage remediation of a DSAC-1 dam on a karstic foundation, carried out with the reservoir only partially drawn down. The work included intense remedial grouting and a 1-million-square-foot concrete cutoff wall, with a total value of over $500 million.
Member of the Independent Peer Review Group that reviewed the USACE risk evaluation and endorsed immediate remediation. Later coordinated the Specialty Contractor's Internal Advisory Panel during diaphragm wall construction, liaised with the USACE Board of Consultants, audited quality and compliance, and took part in the PFMA process.
Seepage and internal erosion remediation of a DSAC-1 embankment founded on carbonate sediments. Construction ran in two phases: 25 miles of cutoff wall from 2008 to 2012, and over 30 more miles from 2017 to 2022.
Advised on the initial cutoff wall attempts, served on the Independent Peer Review Group, then chaired the USACE External Review Panel through both construction phases. Duties included record reviews, risk analyses, site visits and QC review of specifications. Continues to provide technical guidance on construction issues as needed.
Ongoing oversight of the safety of all 49 TVA dams, spanning geotechnical, geological, civil and structural engineering, with a heavy emphasis on instrumentation and monitoring.
Standing member of the Board (formerly the Hydro Board of Consultants). Recent involvement includes the clean-up and stabilization of the Kingston Fossil Plant ash fill after its December 2008 failure, emergency remediation at Blue Ridge Dam (GA) and Boone Dam (TN), and post-tensioned anchor projects at Cherokee and Douglas Dams (TN).
Massive remedial grouting of a 370-foot-high embankment dam founded on karstic limestone and soluble gypsum beds.
Served on the Board of Consultants for the initial USACE safety assessment after liberation, reviewed historic information and prepared reports, and took part in the PFMA process at ERDC. Later consulted to the State Department on new means, methods and equipment, with long-term support.
A full-scale field test program of jet grouting, deep mixing and slurry walls to treat fills and alluvium upstream and downstream of the 115-foot-high embankment dam, at a cost of well over $10 million.
Member of the Contractor's Technical Advisory Panel, planning and analyzing the test program and coordinating technical meetings with the USACE.
An embankment dam founded on karstic limestone that has needed continuous seepage remediation by grouting since first filling about 50 years ago.
Member of the Board of Consultants since 2008. Ongoing analysis of grouting plans, grouting data and instrumentation records; participation in PFMA and risk analysis with FERC; advice on grouting means, methods and equipment.
Classified by the USACE in 2006 due to its susceptibility to internal erosion. A contract of over $132 million was let in 2014 for a composite seepage barrier: intensive pre-grouting followed by a full-length, full-depth cutoff wall of over 400,000 square feet, built under full reservoir conditions.
One of four members of the Independent External Peer Review panel, with prime responsibility for the cutoff wall construction and performance, including field visits at critical stages of construction.
Two major dam remediations that used deep mixing for ground improvement, the first such use in Ohio. The Buckeye Lake project was recognized at the annual conference of the Association of State Dam Safety Officials.
Advisor to the Owner during design and construction of both projects, focused on the deep mixing work.
Lower Baker involved an extremely complex curtain grouting program installed from a platform on the upstream face of the 285-foot-high arch dam. It reduced foundation seepage from over 200 cfs to practically zero.
Member of the Board of Consultants through project assessment, risk analyses, exploration, design, construction and performance evaluation.
Remediation of a concrete-faced rockfill dam where site work is strictly seasonal because of the project's remote, high-elevation location.
Member of the Board of Consultants covering assessment, risk analyses, exploration, design and construction, with particular focus on the geological evaluation and the design and construction of the extensive grout curtain.
A new dams, tunnels and powerhouse complex under construction in central Malaysia, with consolidation and curtain grouting to depths of over 100 m in heavily karstified limestone beneath one of its three major dams.
Grouting specialist on the Project Review Panel, advising the Designer, attending technical meetings with the Contractors, and briefing the Owner during periodic site visits.
Geosystems typically joins a project at one of four stages, each with a distinct scope, shown here in sequence.

Donald holds degrees in Geology and Geotechnical Engineering from Aberdeen University, Scotland. He worked for specialty geotechnical contractor, Colcrete Ltd, for almost 10 years in the U.K., Pakistan, Hong Kong, Egypt and the Middle East. He then joined Pittsburgh-based Nicholson Construction Company as Technical Director, working on projects throughout the US and Canada. In 1996, he established ECO Geosystems, a consultancy specializing in the practical aspects of cut-off walls, micropiles, drilling, grouting, anchoring, and deep mixing. Donald works throughout the world, principally as a member of Boards of Consultants, as litigation support, and as a peer reviewer.
He has published over 350 technical papers, and coauthored 4 textbooks, including “Dam Foundation Grouting” and “Specialty Techniques for Dam and Levee Remediation”. He is an active member of many professional societies, including ASCE, USSD, ASDSO, AEG and ISM. Dr. Bruce has received the Kapp, Baker and Terzaghi Awards from ASCE. He was the ISM’s 2009 Lizzi Lecturer, USSD’s 2019 Legacy Lecturer, and the recipient of ASDSO’s McCook Medal in 2024. He has given numerous webinars for USSD, ASDSO, CADWR, and FERC.
Dr. Bruce’s publications are listed in chronological order and grouped by period. Open a period to browse, or search by title, co-author, topic, or year. Titles marked PDF open the full paper.
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A member of the Geo-Trust Network.
Describe the project stage and scope. Dr. Bruce reviews inquiries directly.