Geotechnical Engineering Research

An example of earthquake liquefaction due to earth movements (Alaska).

Geotechnical engineers help design structures that are either composed of soil/rock or are in contact with it. Research provides insight about bearing failures, settlement damage to structures, and failures due to processes such as landslides and liquefaction. Stephen Dickenson and Jerry Yamamuro lead the geotechnical engineering research program at OSU. Emeritus faculty include Ted Vinson and Marvin Pyles.

Professor Dickenson's research and professional service have focused on dynamic soil behavior and the seismic performance of coastal infrastructure. He has developed strong ties with the nation’s port community and works with port engineers around the world. In very general terms, Professor Dickenson’s recognized research emphasis can be viewed as practice-oriented at the macro scale (i.e., physical and numerical modeling of dynamic soil-foundation-structure interaction).

Professor Yamamuro has expertise in laboratory experimental methods involving state-of-the-art imaging techniques, single element testing of soils under different three-dimensional stress conditions, and time effects. He is heavily involved in the development of advanced elasto-plastic soil constitutive models that can be employed to solve a wide variety of real world geotechnical engineering problems. Professor Yamamuro has established himself as an internationally recognized investigator who has focused on fundamental research at both the microscopic and single element scale (e.g. the influence of microstructure and soil fabric on induced/inherent anisotropy, shear banding and general stress-strain behavior of soils).

The combination of Professors Dickenson and Yamamuros' perspectives has application to dynamic behavior and permanent soil deformations, geologic hazards, and soil-fluid-structure interaction. They provide opportunities for collaboration within CCE, as well as with numerous other disciplines and specialties (e.g. Mechanical Engineering, Forest Engineering, the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Geosciences).

Geotechnical research at OSU is performed at three different size scales:

1. An OSU student performs an experiment on sand specimens to study liquefaction, an example of small-scale geotechnical research.

   Micro-scale level - Research includes computer simulations using very small elements, such as individual soil grains. It allows the discovery of fundamental mechanisms at the soil grain level that affect behavior at larger scales. Also, researchers can perform virtual experiments where actual experiments are impossible.

2. Small-scale level - Research includes laboratory experiments and the use of scale models to simulate soil/rock behavior.

3. Large-scale level - Research includes field testing for soil properties and of geo-structures at full scale. Two example topics include: research on field testing methods to determine soil properties and research on deep drilled shaft foundations & geosynthetic soil reinforcement. The Geotechnical Engineering Field Research Site web page has more information about OSU research at this scale.