Richard G. Almes

Richard "Dick" G. Almes Senior Associate and Principal Geotechnical Engineer

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Education M.S. Civil/Geotechnical Engineering, West Virginia University, 1966
B.S. Civil Engineering, The Citadel, 1961

Licenses Registered Professional Engineer in Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Virginia

Experience Dick Almes was the founder and CEO of Almes & Associates, Inc. Consulting Engineers with major offices in Beckley, WV, Pittsburgh, PA and Raleigh, NC. Over a 15-year period, the firm grew to more than 85 persons specializing in the siting, permitting, design and construction monitoring of small and large earth and rock fill dams and coal refuse impoundments and embankments. He was the lead Technical Reviewer for the preparation of the MSHA Coal Refuse Engineering and Design Manual published in 1975. More recently, he served as a key Technical Reviewer of the updated coal refuse design manual scheduled for publishing in 2009. He was selected by the National Academy of Sciences to provide technical review of a report concerning problems associated with the uncontrolled release of coal fines tailings into abandoned and active underground coal mines.

After achieving his B.S. and M.S. degrees his career involved, 19 years with E. D'Appolonia Consulting Engineers, Inc. where he served as a Project Manager and Regional Vice President responsible for all aspects of civil, environmental, mining and geotechnical engineering projects located within the Appalachia coal regions including the mid-west. Dick was responsible for managing more than 100 coal refuse impoundment design projects as well as site investigations and foundation designs for large industrial clients in the steel, power and utility businesses. He has authored multiple papers dealing with coal refuse siting, design, permitting, construction monitoring and abandonment.