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Geotechnical Engineering

geotech1

Direct cyclic simple shear testing system

Geotechnical engineering deals with the study of earth materials in
the context of engineering investigation, design and construction.  It
is concerned with soil properties, mechanics of soil particles, compression
and swelling of soils, seepage, slopes, retaining walls, foundations,
footings, anchors, embankments, use of synthetic materials in soil structures,
construction, soil-structure interaction, soil dynamics, geotechnical
earthquake engineering, and material and numerical modeling.  The
geotechnical engineering faculty has conducted funded research in many
of these areas, with support from numerous funding agencies.


Faculty

Horst
Brandes

Associate Professor
Office: Holmes Hall 345
Phone: (808) 956-8969
brandes@wiliki.eng.hawaii.edu
Peter
G. Nicholson

Associate Professor
Office: Holmes Hall 338
Phone: (808) 956-2378
pnichol@wiliki.eng.hawaii.edu
Phillip
Ooi

Associate Professor
Office: Holmes Hall 335
Phone: (808) 956-8512
ooi@wiliki.eng.hawaii.edu

Laboratory Facilities

Stress path triaxial system with flow pumps


Undergraduate laboratory facility
Shear wave velocity measurement using bender
elements

The Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory (GEL) is located on the second
floor of Holmes Hall and includes one teaching and two research laboratories,
a sample preparation room, equipment and soil storage areas, and offices.  Available
testing equipment ranges from standard devices and soils laboratory infrastructure
to state-of-the-art soil and aggregate testing systems.  In addition,
advanced in-house computational facilities are continually updated for
student and faculty use.  The GEL at UH is the premier soils testing
and research facility in the State of Hawaii.

Some of the equipment housed in the GEL includes:

  • Direct cyclic simple shear testing system (NGI-type)
  • Stress path triaxial system with flow pumps
  • Flow pump-driven consolidometer and permeameter
  • Resilient modulus triaxial system
  • Bender element testing system
  • Standard triaxial systems for static and cyclic testing (3)
  • Back-pressured consolidometer and permeameter
  • Triaxial creep equipment for long-term testing
  • Large-displacement direct shear device
  • California Bearing Ratio device
  • Shake table for density determination
  • LA abrasion machine
  • Micro-Deval abrasion device
  • Large screen shaker
  • Ignition oven
  • Field cone penetration testing device
  • 1 m diameter field equipment calibration chamber

Funded Research Projects

Resilient modulus triaxial system

Update of the State Pavement Management System and calibration
of the 2002 Design Guide for Hawaiian conditions
PI: Archilla, R., Co-PI: Ooi, P.
Federal Highway Administration and
HI-DOT (2005-2010)

Application of recycled materials in highway projects
PI: Ooi, P., Co-PI: Archilla, R.
Federal Highway Administration and HI-DOT (2006-2009)

Characterization of voids and other subsurface deficiencies by geophysical
methods
PI: Brandes, H.G., Co-PI: Nicholson, P.G.
Federal Highway Administration
and HI-DOT (2006-2009)

Nuclear gauge calibration and testing guidelines for Hawaii
PI: Brandes, H.G.
Federal Highway Administration and HI-DOT (2006-2009)

Integral abutment bridges when the abutments are supported on concrete
deep foundation elements
PI: Ooi. P.
Federal Highway Administration and HI-DOT through KSF,
Inc. (2004-2007)

Back-pressured consolidometer and permeameter

Soil Investigation and soil-structure interaction modeling of the Kealakaha
bridge
PI: Robertson, I.  Co-PI: Brandes, H.G.
Federal Highway Administration
and HI-DOT (2004-2006)

Mapping Potential Liquefaction Hazard Zones for Coastal Hawaii & Maui
PI: Nicholson, P.G.
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA), Coastal Services Center (2003-2006)

Correlation of aggregate properties to performance of asphalt pavements
in Hawaii
PI: Brandes, H.G.
Federal Highway Administration and HI-DOT (2000-2005)

Modeling of sediment mechanics for mine burial prediction
PI: Brandes, H.G.
Office of Naval Research (2001-2004)

Dynamic modeling and monitoring of
Kealakaha bridge

Correlation of resilient modulus, Mr, of fine-grained soils with
common soil parameters for use in design of flexible pavements.
PI: Ooi, P., Co-PI: Nicholson, P.G.
Federal Highway Administration
and HI-DOT (2000-2004)

Hawaii Superpave demonstration project: measurement of asphalt mix
design parameters using image analysis

PI: Brandes, H.G.

Federal Highway Administration and HI-DOT (1999-2003)

Correlation of resistance value (R-Value) with California Bearing
Ratio (CBR) for use in the design of flexible pavements on fine-grained
soils.
PI: Ooi, P., Co-PI: Nicholson, P.G.
Federal Highway Administration,
U.S. Department of Transportation and HI-DOT (2000-2003)

Creep characterization of residual tropical soils for engineering
design and analysis

PI: Brandes, H.G., Co-PI: Nicholson, P.G.
Federal Highway Administration and HI-DOT
(1998-2001)

In situ testing and sampling
Assessment of New Orleans Levee system

Publications

Brandes, H.G. and Seidman, J. (2008).  Dynamic and static behavior
of calcareous sands.  18th International Offshore and Polar
Engineering Conference
, Vancouver, Canada, July 6-11 (in press).

diagram

3D soil-structure interaction modeling

Brandes, H.G., Nicholson, P.G. and Robertson, I. (2008).  Damage
assessment and seismic modeling of dams in connection with the 2006 Hawaii
earthquakes.  Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Soil Dynamics
IV Conference
, Sacramento, California, May 18-22 (in press).

Brandes, H.G. and Hirata, J.G. (2008).  An automated image analysis
procedure to evaluate compacted asphalt sections.  International
Journal of Pavement Engineering
(in press).

Ooi, P.S.K., Li, M.M.W., Sagario, M.L.Q. and Song, Y. (2008). Shear
strength characteristics of recycled glass.  Transportation
Research Record
, Journal of the Transportation Research Board (in
press).

Andersen, C.F., Battjes, J., Daniel, D.E., Edge, B., Espy, W., Gilbert,
R.B., Jackson, T.L., Kennedy, D., Miletti, D.S., Mitchell,  J.K.,
Nicholson, P.G., Pugh, C.A., Tamaro, G. Traver, R.  (2007). The
New Orleans hurricane protection system : what went wrong and why. Report
of the External Review Panel of the American Society of Civil Engineers
,
ASCE Press.

Brandes, H.G., Nicholson, P.G. and Robertson, I. (2007).  Liquefaction
of Kawaihae Harbor and other effects of 2066 Hawaii earthquakes.  17th
International Offshore and Polar Engineering Conference
, 2:1169-1176

Nicholson, P.G. (2007).  Preliminary reconnaissance and observations
of the New Orleans levee and floodwall failures.  ASCE Geotechnical
Special Publication No. 161
.

diagram
Investigation of New Orleans levee
system after hurricane Katrina

Archilla, A.R., Ooi, P.S.K. and Sandefur, K.G. (2007).  Estimation
of a resilient modulus model for cohesive soils using joint estimation
and mixed effects.  ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and GeoEnvironmental
Engineering
, 133(8):984-994.

Andersen, C.F., Battjes, J., Daniel, D.E., Edge, B., Espy, W., Gilbert,
R.B., Jackson, T.L., Kennedy, D., Miletti, D.S., Mitchell,  J.K.,
Nicholson, P.G., Pugh, C.A., Tamaro, G. Traver, R.  (2006).  Hurricane
Katrina one year later: what must we do next? Report of the External
Review Panel of the American Society of Civil Engineers
, ASCE Press.

Brandes, H.G. and Wang, S. (2006).  The role of the intermediate
stress in offshore slope sediment modeling.  Proceedings, 16th
International Offshore and Polar Engineering Conference
, 2:455-461.

Brandes, H.G. and Robinson, C. (2006).  Correlation of aggregate
test parameters to HMA pavement performance. ASCE Journal
of Transportation Engineering,
132(1):86-95.

Nicholson, P.G. (2006). Liquefaction evaluation discrepancies in tropical
lagoonal soils. Journal of Geotechnical and Geological
Engineering.
Springer,
24(5):1259-1269.

Brandes, H.G. and Wang, S. (2005).  OpenSees modeling of the 3D
plastic behavior of underwater slopes: achievements and limitations.  Frontiers
in Offshore Geotechnics, ISFOG 2005, Proceedings of the 1st International
Symposium on Frontiers in Offshore Geotechnics, Eds: S. Gourvenec and
M. Cassidy
, New York: Taylor & Francis, 897-902.

Brandes, H.G., Seidman, J. and Wang, S. (2005).  Cyclic simple
shear testing and modeling of an offshore fine sand.  Proceedings, 15th
International Offshore and Polar Engineering Conference
, 2:679-689.

Brandes, H.G. (2005).  Time dependency of deep sea and island clays
at room and elevated temperature. International Journal of Offshore
and Polar Engineering,
15(1):65-70

Brandes, H.G. and Wang, S. (2004).  Failure and post-failure mechanics
of submarine landslides.  Proceedings, 23rd International Conference
on Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering
, OMAE 2004-51141, pp.
1-8.

diagram
Soil-pile analysis using continuum
modeling

Brandes, H.G. (2004).  Time dependency of deep sea and island clays
at room and elevated temperature.  Proceedings, 14th International
Offshore and Polar Engineering Conference
, 2:607-612.

Campanella, R.G., Nicholson, P.G. and Lim, R. (2004).  Use of shear
wave velocity to characterize tropical soils.  Proceedings of
13th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering
, Vancouver, Canada.

Ooi, P.S.K., Chang, B.K.F and Wang, S.  (2004).  Simplified
lateral load analysis of fixed-head piles.  ASCE Journal
of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
, 130(11):1140-1151.

Ooi, P.S.K.,Archilla, A.R. and Sandefur, K.G.  (2004).Resilient
modulus models for compacted cohesive soils.  Transportation
Research Record 1874,
Journal of the Transportation Research Board:
115-124.

Ooi, P.S.K., Chang, B.K.F. and Seki, G.W.  (2004).  Examination
of proof test extrapolation for drilled shafts.  Geotechnical
Testing Journal
, American Society of Testing and Materials.  27(2):123-133.

Rollins, K.M., Nicholson, P.G. and Lane, J.D. (2004).  Liquefaction
hazard assessment using controlled-blasting techniques.  Proceedings,
3rd International Conference on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering
,
Balkema, Berkeley, California.

Brandes, H.G. and Johnson, T. (2003). Effect of volcanic fines and gradation
on the deformation and strength properties of detrital marine sediments
in Hawaii.  Proceedings, 22nd International Conference on Offshore
Mechanics and Arctic Engineering
, OMAE2003-37266, pp. 1-6.

diagram
Instrumentation and monitoring of piers
and bridge abutments

Ooi, P.S.K. and Pu, J.  (2003).  Use of stiffness for evaluating
compactness of pavement geomaterials.  Transportation Research
Record 1849
, Journal of the Transportation Research Board: 11-19.

Ooi, P.S.K. and Ramsey, L.T.  (2003).  Curvature and bending
moments from inclinometer data.  International Journal of Geomechanics,
American Society of Civil Engineers. 3(1):64-74.

Ooi, P.S.K. and Frederick, L.L.  (2003).  An innovative method
of load testing deep foundations.  Geotechnical Testing
Journal
, American Society of Testing and Materials.  26(2):210-218.

Wan, Y., Kwong, J., Brandes, H.G. and Jones, R.C. (2002).  Influence
of amorphous clay-size materials on soil plasticity and shrink-swell
behavior.  ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental
Engineering
, 128(12):1026-1031.

Brandes, H.G. (2002).  Geotechnical and Foundation Aspects.  Chapter
7 in: CRC Earthquake Engineering Handbook, W.-F. Chen and C.
Scawthorn (Eds.).  Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press LLC.

Brandes, H. G. and Riggs, H.R. (2002).  Modeling of seabed liquefaction
and other processes responsible for mine burial.  Proceedings
of OMAE”02, 21st International Conference on Offshore Mechanics
and Arctic Engineering
, OMAE2002-28242, pp. 1-8.

Brandes, H. G. and Riggs, H.R. (2002).  Numerical modeling of seabed
liquefaction due to surface water waves.  Proceedings of the
12th International Offshore and Polar Engineering Conference
, 2:558-562.

Brandes, H.G., Silva, A.J. and Walter, D.J. (2002).  Geo-acoustic
characterization of calcareous seabed in the Florida Keys.  Marine
Geology
, 182(1-2):77-102

Ooi, P.S.K., Walker, M.P. and Smith, J.D.  (2002).  Performance
of a single-propped wall during excavation and during freezing of the
retained soil.  Computers and Geotechnics29(5):387-409.

Ooi, P.S.K. and Pu, J.  (2002).  Evaluating compaction of
tropical soils using soil stiffness.  Proceedings, 6th International
Conference on the Bearing Capacity of Roads, Railways and Airfields,
Lisbon
, 2:1143-1150.

Veyera, G.E., Brandes, H.G. and Silva, A.J. (2001).   Geotechnical
characterization of calcareous sediments from the Dry Tortugas and Marquesas
Keys CBBL SRP study sites, Lower Florida Keys.  Geo-Marine Letters, 21(3):131-148.

Brandes, H.G. (2001).  Geotechnical characteristics of shallow-water
Hawaiian sediments.  In: Recent Advances in Marine Science and
Technology 2000
, N.K. Saxena (Ed.), pp. 145-154.

Brandes, H.G. (2001).  Geotechnical properties of marine sediments
from acoustic measurements. Proceedings of the 11th International
Offshore and Polar Engineering Conference
, 2:482-487.

Brandes, H.G., Silva, A.J. and Sadd, M.H. (2001).  Geotechnical
and acoustic measurements on cohesionless sediments from the West Florida
sand sheet.  Geophysical Research Letters, 28(5):823-826.

Brandes, H.G. and Tsui, C.S.L. (2001).  Modeling the effectiveness
of groundwater-lowering remediation measures in the Alani-Paty landslide
area, Oahu, Hawaii.  Computer Methods and Advances in Geomechanics,
Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Computer Methods
and Advances in Geomechanics,
2:1543-1547.

Tsui, C.S.L., Brandes, H.G. and Nakayama, D.D. (2001).  Creep behavior
of the slow-moving Alani-Paty landslide, Oahu, Hawaii.  Computer
Methods and Advances in Geomechanics, Proceedings of the 10th International
Conference on Computer Methods and Advances in Geomechanics
, 2:1629-1633.

Ooi, P.S.K. and Lum, W.B. (2001).  A graphical technique for analysis
of slopes in c-f soils. Indian Geotechnical Journal, 5:92-108

Brandes, H.G. (2000).  The Venezuela flash floods and debris flows
of December 15-16, 1999.  Landslide News, 13:5-7.

Brandes, H.G. (2000).  Geotechnical characteristics of shallow-water
Hawaiian sediments.  (Abstract).  PACON 2000 Abstracts,
p. 75.

Brandes, H.G., Khadge, N.H. and Nakayama, D.D. (2000).  Consolidation
and strength properties of calcareous sediments from Kaneohe and Kailua
bays, Hawaii.  Proceedings of the 10th International Offshore
and Polar Engineering Conference
, 2:470-476.

Ooi, P.S.K., Walker, M.P., van den Elsen, H. and Rice, P.M. (2000).  SPTC
wall with a large unbraced length.  Specialty Conference
on Performance Confirmation of Constructed Geotechnical Facilities, ASCE
Geotechnical Special Publication No. 94
, 516-530.

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