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9:45 a.m., Oct. 12, 2010----Christopher Meehan, assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Delaware, has been elected to the board of directors for the United States Universities Council on Geotechnical Education and Research (USUCGER).
Founded in 1985, the organization is a consortium of faculty members from across the country with specialties in geotechnical research.
“This is a great forum to encourage exchanges between industry and academia, as well as inter-university collaboration,” says Meehan. It also enables geotechnical researchers at UD and across the nation to think about “the collective community, not just our separate entities.”
An 'important voice'
As one of the younger members of the board, Meehan offers fresh insights on learning opportunities for geotechnical students nationwide. In addition, he is a role model and “important voice” for young faculty establishing themselves in their career.
According to Harry (Tripp) Shenton, III, chairperson of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, few in the national community of geotechnical engineers are nominated for this high visibility position. Meehan is one of only seven members in the nation currently serving a two-year term on the USUCGER board.
“Chris' nomination is a positive reflection of his growing reputation as a geotechnical expert and the University of Delaware's efforts to grow this important subdiscipline of civil engineering,” says Shenton.
While civil engineers work on infrastructure and the built environment -- buildings, bridges, roads, tunnels, transportation networks, water distribution, etc. -- geotechnical engineers focus on the structural integrity of the soil or ground supporting those structures.
Current projects
Meehan, who joined the UD faculty in 2006, earned his bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of New Hampshire. He earned his master's and doctoral degrees in civil engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech).
In 2009, Meehan received a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Award to study the seismic behavior of slickensided surfaces. This project will further our understanding of the behavior of clay soils during earthquakes, and will give guidance to designers who are looking to prevent earthquake-triggered landslides in clay-like soils.
Additionally, under this grant, Meehan's future work includes developing a student organization that is focused on engineering reconnaissance in the aftermath of natural disasters. This outreach program involves taking students into the field following a flood or an earthquake to observe, monitor and record the disaster, and then working on real-life solutions to mitigate against engineering failures in future disasters.
In another project, Meehan is developing a new method of “intelligent compaction” which involves instrumenting construction machinery in order to learn about the process of construction as it is happening.
Traditional methods of compaction control involve having geotechnical engineers perform field tests following compaction to measure soil integrity and ensure adherence to industry standards. With Meehan's adaption, the machinery will provide continuous measurement and real-time feedback on soil strength and integrity during compaction.
The result, says Meehan, is a better overall end-product delivered to customers. He is currently working with the Delaware Department of Transportation to pilot this technology.
His other interests include soil mechanics and soil shear behavior, slope stability, foundation engineering, soil-structure interaction, soil and site improvement, and the design of levee systems.
Article by Karen B. Roberts