Graduate Studies in Geotechnical Engineering

Geotech CentrifugeWelcome!  The  Geotechnical Engineering Group at UC Davis is very active and technically diverse, with expertise among faculty and staff ranging from fundamental physical and chemical processes, to computation modeling and simulation, to full-scale engineering design.  This breadth of research interests and abilities together facilitate synergystic research activities and a rich eduational graduate experience.

 

bio-soil picture

Ongoing research projects totalling over $2M/year cover an array of topics, including geotechnical earthquake engineering, dam rehabilitation, coupled multi-phase material modeling, soil-structure interaction, pavement durability, offshore sediment characterization, and biological treatment of soils.  Research is conducted using our extensive laboratory, in situ, computational, centrifuge, visualization, and field-scale testing facilities.  This is highlighted by the largest centrifuge in the United States (movie) and one of the largest pavement test facilities in the world.   These facilities are organized and managed within several research groups.

benecia bridge

The educational experience - at both the undergraduate and graduate levels - builds on and compliments the reseach activities.  The academic course program takes students from the fundamentals of soil behavior to simulation and modelling, in situ testing, and design of geosystems.  At the graduate level this education is especially rich as course work is integrated with research and consulting projects, as well as case histories.  Graduate researchers further broader their experiences through research projects that often include presentations, collaborations, and travel.

 

Group picture

The geotechnical group is currently accepting applications for graduate research positions, which are scheduled to begin in the summer or fall.  If you are interested, please contact one of the geotechnical faculty and apply to the graduate program.  It is best to have your application file complete by January 15 for admission in the autumn (January 15 is a hard deadline for University Fellowship applications.)  Applications for graduate school received until mid March can be considered for Teaching and Research Assistantships.  Later applications might also be considered, but prospects for financial support diminish with time;  the sooner you apply the better are your prospects.  We are also hiring undergraduate researchers for part-time work during the school year and for full-time work during the summer.  Please contact us if you are interested.

If you have further inquiries or comments please feel free to e-mail one of us!

Faculty

Faculty
 Contact Info.
 Research Interests
Abrahamson, Norm
Adjunct Professor


Seismic hazard analysis.
Boulanger, Ross W.
Professor 		rwboulanger@ucdavis.edu
(530) 752-2947
Geotechnical engineering; Earthquake engineering; Soil-structure interaction; Ground improvement methods; Laboratory testing
Dafalias, Yannis F.
Professor 		yfdafalias@ucdavis.edu
(530) 752-3427 		Continuum mechanics with emphasis on constitutive relationships for plasticity and viscoplasticity
DeJong, Jason
Assistant Professor 		jdejong@ucdavis.edu
(530) 754-8995		 Geotechnical engineering; microbial treatment of soils; advanced in situ characterization; offshore foundation systems; digital imaging and measurement techniques; soil-structure interface behavior; micro-scale granular behavior
Harvey, John
Associate Professor 		jtharvey@ucdavis.edu
(530) 754-6409
Asphalt and concrete pavements, including design, materials, rehabilitation, life cycle, maintenance and reconstruction.
Idriss, Izzat M.
Emeritus Professor, Member, U. S. National Academy of Engineering
Earthquake engineering; Earth- and rock-filled dams; Stability and deformation evaluation of soil masses during earthquake around motions.
Jeremić, Boris
Associate Professor 		jeremic@ucdavis.edu
(530) 754-9248 		Computational geomechanics; Soil-foundation-structure interaction; Probabilistic elasto-plasticity; Computer aided engineering; Parallel processing; Scientific visualization. 
Kutter, Bruce L.
Professor & Director, Center for Geotechnical Modeling 		blkutter@ucdavis.edu
(530) 752-8099 		Centrifugal modeling of geotechnical structures; Effects of earthquakes on embankments, piles, saturated sand layers, earth retaining structures, and soil-pile-structure systems.

Research Groups

Center for Geotechnical Modeling

Computational Geomechanics

NEES @ UC Davis

Pavement Research Center

Soil Interactions Laboratory

Geotechnical Graduate Student Society

The Geotechnical Graduate Student Society's (GGSS) purpose is to promote scholarship, service, leadership, and social events for the geotechnical group.  The intention is to foster collaboration throughout our group and provide opportunities to further our education and professional development.  Please view the GGSS webpage to learn more about the students involved, recent news, and our activities

 

Courses (click here for descriptions)