Geosynthetics: Team
TRI Staff are incredibly involved in relevant societies, testing bodies and associations – each, sought-after for their depth of knowledge. Focused on customer service our staff are always available to answer questions and support client projects. TRI clients can always expect professional, timely execution of services and results reporting.
Select a topic to find a corresponding list of staff to assist you!
Sam R. Allen – Technical Sales
Technical Sales: Auditing-Sampling, Conformance, Forensics
Sam R. Allen, Vice President & Division Manager
sallen@TRI-ENV.com | +1 512 615 4415
Sam Allen is an experienced professional with a background in chemical and materials engineering, with specialization in the field of polymer testing and geosynthetics. He began his career in the geotechnical and construction materials testing field and has broadened the scope of his involvement in environmental engineering to include geosynthetics technology with specialization in laboratory testing operations. Presently Mr. Allen serves as Division Manager for TRI’s geosynthetics program, which includes routine conformance testing services and chemical compatibility testing as well as sponsored R&D supported by government and industry. He is a member of the ASTM International’s D35 Committee on Geosynthetic Materials. Over the last two decades Mr. Allen held committee leadership positions including D-35 Chair, Vice-Chair. Mr. Allen has also served the Convener of Working Group 5 on geosynthetic durability within ISO TC221. He currently serves on the Technical Advisory Board of Geosynthetics Magazine, a geosynthetics industry technical trade publication. In addition, he serves on the Board of Directors of the Geosynthetics Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is a member of the International Geosynthetics Society’s Council. Mr. Allen leads the international team of TRI-Environmental whose offices span the globe.
Eli Cuelho, P.E. – Technical Sales
Technical Sales: Reinforcement
Eli Cuelho, Senior Engineer & Director of TRI’s Transportation Testing and Research Services
ecuelho@TRI-ENV.com | +1 406 600 3947
Eli Cuelho, P.E. is a Senior Engineer at TRI and currently serves as the Director of TRI’s Transportation Testing and Research Division. He holds a Master’s degree from Montana State University in geotechnical engineering (1998). Eli has over twenty years in geosynthetic application research as well as other transportation research areas such as, pavement design and analysis, remote sensing and instrumentation, bridge deck performance, and specification development. In his relatively short time with TRI he has already shown industry leadership and innovation in his testing and research efforts. He is well-published and active on numerous federal, state and industry research projects. Eli is active at ASTM through the D35 Committee where he is helping develop standards for a variety of geosynthetic applications, and he is working closely with TRI-Southeast’s large-scale testing laboratories to assist clients with full-scale geosynthetic system performance testing.
Jeffrey A. Kuhn, PH.D., P.E. – Technical Sales
Technical Sales: Soil Interaction
Jeffrey A. Kuhn, PH.D., P.E., Division Director
jkuhn@TRI-ENV.com | +1 512 263 2101 Ext 219
Jeffrey A. Kuhn serves as TRI Environmental’s division director for the interaction and geotechnical laboratory. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from The University of Maryland (2003) and a doctorate from The University of Texas at Austin (2010). While at the University of Texas, Jeff principally worked on alternative / evapotranspirative cover design and evaluation for the EPA, performed research with expansive clays for TxDOT, and participated in the design and implementation of a centrifuge permeameter to study flow through unsaturated soils. Following his degree, Dr. Kuhn consulted for two years, during which time he worked on the design and installation of the Circuit of the Americas F1 Race Track over expansive clays with tight differential movement criteria. Dr. Kuhn has led TRI’s geotechnical laboratory since 2012 and overseen the interaction and geotechnical laboratory division since early 2016.
Richard Lacey, P.E. – Technical Sales
Technical Sales: Drainage & Filtration
Richard S. Lacey, P.E., Senior Engineer
rlacey@TRI-ENV.com | +1 512 263 2101 Ext 133
Rich Lacey is a Senior Engineer for TRI Environmental providing the technical leadership for the equipment calibration program as well as equipment fabrication and sales. Mr. Lacey has over 28 years of geosynthetic testing related experience including heavy involvement in ASTM Committee D35 on Geosynthetics. He is currently the task group leader for the Transmissivity, Radial Transmissivity, Pore Size Distribution, CBR Puncture, Geocomposite Peel and Textured Geomembrane Asperity Height task groups. His theory of the Characteristic Flow Equation describing the head loss versus flow rate response of any laboratory permeability-type test has already been incorporated in ASTM D 4491 Permittivity and will soon revolutionize transmissivity testing as we now know it.
Jarrett Nelson – Technical Sales
Technical Sales: Design, Durability, Reinforcement
Jarrett A Nelson, Geosynthetic Special Projects Manager
jnelson@TRI-ENV.com | +1 512 263 2101 Ext 188
Jarrett Nelson serves as a Technical Director for TRI Environmental. Mr. Nelson manages many testing programs including: Conventional Creep/Stress Rupture, Stepped Isothermal (SIM), Installation Damage, Asphalt and Base Reinforcement and Chemical Durability. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin and more than 20 years of experience with geosynthetics materials, their unique qualities, and the laboratory and quality procedures necessary to assure their appropriate testing and evaluation. He is a member of ASTM and is involved in the development and implementation of new test procedures.
