The 2023 John Adjeleian Lecture

Please register for the event here. Please register by March 14th, 2023.

Liquefaction: Lessons, challenges and opportunities

Lecture Synopsis:

Liquefaction during earthquakes has been the subject of extensive study for over half a century and is now routinely addressed in engineering practice using a wide range of technical approaches that depend on the project size and importance. These past studies have produced major advances in our scientific understanding of liquefaction phenomena and the engineering practices used to address liquefaction hazards, but there remain numerous situations where knowledge gaps and engineering practice limitations hinder the efficient mitigation of earthquake-induced liquefaction damages to our infrastructure and communities. This presentation examines a number of lessons, challenges, and opportunities regarding the evaluation and mitigation of liquefaction hazards, including aspects of site characterization, engineering analysis methods, challenging soil types, remediation methods, performance-based engineering procedures, and risk management.

Speaker Bio

Ross W. Boulanger is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Davis and Director of the Center for Geotechnical Modeling which operates the national shared-use NHERI geotechnical centrifuge facility. He received his BASc degree in Civil Engineering from the University of British Columbia in 1986, followed by his MS and PhD degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. His research, publications, and professional practice are primarily related to liquefaction and its remediation, seismic performance of dams and levees, and seismic soil-structure interaction. His honors include the Peck Award, Norman Medal, Huber Prize, and Casagrande Award from ASCE and election to the US National Academy of Engineering.

About the John Adjeleian Lecture

The John Adjeleian lecture was established in 2003 in honour of the late Professor Emeritus, John Adjeleian. It serves to acknowledge his outstanding contributions to Carleton University and to the profession of civil engineering. The annual lecture celebrates the standard of excellence exemplified by Professor Adjeleian and highlights outstanding achievements in professional practice, education and research that have advanced the field of engineering. For list of previous lectures, visit this page.