Graduate Studies in Geotechnical Engineering

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Geotechnical Faculty

• Amadei, Bernard
• Ko, Hon-Yim
• Pak, Ronald Y.S.
• Sture, Stein
• Znidarcic, Dovroslav
• Zornberg, Jorge G.

Facilities

The geotechnical engineering laboratories are well-equipped for experimental research in soil and rock mechanics. In addition to equipment for routine laboratory testing, specialized equipment includes:

• A Genisco model 1230, 15 g-ton centrifuge which has been modified for geotechnical testing and a Wyle 400 g-ton centrifuge with earthquake and other static and dynamic simulation capabilities.
• Several universal testing machines for tension and compression testing of geological materials including three load frame capacities ranging from 110,000 to 1,000,000 lbs.
• Modified Hoek triaxial cells for short-term and long-term tests on rock including tests at high temperatures.
• Direct shear machines for static and dynamic behavior of rock joints.
• Permeability measuring systems.
• Equipment to determine hardness, permeability, point load strength, and durability of rocks.
• Base friction table to model the behavior of jointed rock masses.
• A series of consolidation devices including incremental load and constant rate of deformation devices.
• The Bechtel computer laboratory which contains state-of-the-art computer hardware and software.

Course Offerings

Graduate level courses in geotechnical engineering include:

• CVEN 5708-3 Soil Mechanics
• CVEN 5728-3 Foundation Engineering
• CVEN 5738-3 Applied Geotechnical Analysis
• CVEN 5748-3 Design of Earth Structures
• CVEN 5758-3 Seepage and Consolidation
• CVEN 5768-3 Introduction to Rock Mechanics
• CVEN 5778-3 Advanced Rock Mechanics
• CVEN 5798-3 Dynamics of Soils and Foundations
• CVEN 5838-1 Environmental Geotechnics
• CVEN 5838-3 Flow Processes in Soil
• CVEN 5839-3 Geotechnical Case Study
• CVEN 7718-3 Engineering Properties of Soils
• CVEN 7788-3 Soil Behavior
• CVEN xxxx-3 Experimental Geotechnical Engineering

Research Interests

• Centrifugal Modeling
• Constitutive Modeling of Soils and Rocks
• Contaminants Transport
• Engineering Properties of Soils
• Geosynthetics
• Groundwater and Seepage
• Physical and Numerical Simulations of Liquefaction
• Physiochemical Behavior of Soils
• Rock / soil - Structure Interaction
• Restoration of Old Monuments
• Soil and Rock Slope Stability
• Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering
• Soil Improvement
• Soil Reinforcement
• Stability of Earth Structures
• Static Seismic Stability of Earth Structure
• Waste Containment Systems
• 3D Wave Propagation in Soil - Foundation Systems

Degrees

The Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering at the University of Colorado offers a comprehensive graduate program in geotechnical engineering leading to the degrees of Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy. Currently, there are about 250 graduate students in the department.

Students studying toward the M.S. degree are required to take either

• 24 semester hours including a thesis, or
• 30 semester hours

The Ph.D. degree requires additional course work beyond the M.S. degree and a dissertation.

Student Support

For additional information and application forms, call or write:

 

The Graduate Secretary

Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering

Campus Box 428

University of Colorado at Boulder

Boulder, CO 80309-0428

Telephone: (303) 492-7316

FAX: (303) 492-7317

E-mail: cvengrad@spot.colorado.edu