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Keller Group
From densely built urban environments to seismically sensitive sites, our teams deliver ground improvement, deep foundations, and excavation support tailored to the Bay Area’s challenging subsurface conditions.
From our Walnut Creek office, Keller supports projects across San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area, including Oakland, San Jose, and the Greater Sacramento region. We work throughout Northern California’s diverse geologies, from coastal deposits and Bay Mud to inland alluvial soils.
Contact us
500 Ygnacio Valley Road, Suite 328
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Geotechnical expertise in the Bay Area
The San Francisco region presents some of the most complex ground conditions in the United States. Keller’s local teams are experienced in addressing:
- Seismic hazards and ground motion considerations
- Liquefaction risks in waterfront and reclaimed land
- Soft Bay Mud and compressible soils
- Urban construction constraints with limited access
By combining global expertise with local knowledge, we deliver solutions that support safe, efficient construction in highly constrained environments.
Our geotechnical solutions
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Award-winning geotechnical projects
Keller received the 2021-2022 CalGeo Outstanding Project Award (Geo-Contractor Category) for the Alameda Marina Ground Improvement and Shoreline Stabilization project. This work improved seismic stability and supported new foundation systems along the Oakland Estuary using deep and mass soil mixing.
Key contacts
Ray Franz, PE, D.GE, is a Business Development Executive at Keller North America.
Ray supports geotechnical construction opportunities throughout the Pacific Region. He has more than 35 years of experience in geotechnical consulting and specialty construction, with expertise in ground improvement, deep foundations, micropiles, anchors, auger cast piles, dynamic compaction, rigid inclusions, vibro compaction, and grouting technologies. Ray joined Keller in 2003 and has served in multiple technical and leadership roles, including Pre-Construction Manager and Area Manager for Northern California.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a Master of Science in Geotechnical Engineering from Purdue University. Ray is a licensed Professional Engineer in multiple states, a Diplomate of Geotechnical Engineering (D.GE), a member of the Academy of Geo-Professionals, and has served in leadership roles with the ASCE Geo-Institute and the Deep Foundations Institute.
Justin Sharman is an Area Manager for Wick Drains at Keller North America.
Justin oversees Keller’s wick drain operations and supports the delivery of ground improvement projects throughout the western United States. In his current role, Justin is responsible for project execution, operational performance, client relations, and the management of specialized wick drain and prefabricated vertical drain projects. He is based out of Keller’s San Francisco office, which serves Northern California and the greater Bay Area region.
Cole earned a BS in Civil Engineering from Cal State-Chico and has more than 10 years of experience in geotechnical design, quality control and construction. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in California and is an experienced project manager and designer for deep foundations, earth retention and ground improvement.
Featured projects
Education
Encinal High School Stadium Renovations
Keller collaborated with the geotechnical engineer to design a ground improvement solution that addressed seismicity concerns, as required by the California Geological Survey (CGS).
Institutional
Santa Rosa Junior College Housing
Keller’s Vibro Pier® design provided schedule and cost savings for a student housing facility.
Residential
South Shore Apartments
Keller provides an alternative jacked-in pile solution for seismic upgrades on a California apartment complex.
Infrastructure
Port of Oakland - CenterPoint Landing Warehouse
The City of Oakland has overseen operations at the Port of Oakland since the late 1800s. It was the first major port on the West Coast to build terminals for container ships in the 1960s and over time has blossomed into a major logistics hub.
Institutional
San Jose State University
Keller performed wet soil mixing to allow for the construction of the Interdisciplinary Science Building on the San Jose State University campus.
Infrastructure
Third Street Light Rail Program
Simultaneous execution of multiple foundation techniques at three small sites with limited staging availability and laydown areas in a densely populated downtown setting required top-level planning, coordination, and performance.
Infrastructure
Bay Area Rapid Transit Authority Warm Springs Extension
Keller’s innovative solution to perform the jet grouting using several multi-axis (Bi-Jet) machines enabled the construction of the project to be completed in less time requiring fewer machines as well as being less costly than anticipated.
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