Adda  Athanasopoulos-Zekkos

Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering

421 Davis Hall

University of California, Berkeley

Tel:510-642-3489

E-mail: [email protected]

National Science Foundation: Collaborative Research: Integrated Field and Laboratory Based Assessment of Liquefaction Triggering and Residual Strength of Gravelly Soil. PI Adda Athanasopoulos-Zekkos, co-PIs D. Zekkos and K. Rollins from BYU, 2017

Characterization of gravelly soils in a reliable, cost-effective manner for routine engineering projects remains a challenge and methods such as the Cone Penetration Test and Standard Penetration Test are not considered appropriate. Even for large projects, such as dams and energy projects, characterization is expensive (if Becker testing is used) and problematic. With the majority…
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Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT): Asset Management of Retaining Walls. PI Adda Athanasopoulos-Zekkos, co-PIs Jerry Lynch and Dimitrios Zekkos. 2016.

The purpose of transportation asset management is to meet life-cycle performance goals (e.g., safety, mobility, preservation, economic impact and environmental stewardship) through the management of physical assets in the most cost-effective manner (FHWA, 2013). Geotechnical asset management can be incorporated into the broader practice of transportation asset management. Currently, many agencies manage geotechnical features on…
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National Science Foundation (NSF): Collaborative Research — Connecting Women Faculty in Geotechnical Engineering: Thriving in a Networked World. PI Adda Athanasopoulos-Zekkos. 2016.

Collaboration often results in greater productivity and innovation than when working alone. Given the increasing complexity of the problems Geotechnical Engineers address and the increasing connectivity in the world, faculty need to be able to manage their professional connections with greater efficiency and effectiveness. The goal for this National Science Foundation (NSF) grant is to…
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CAREER: Promoting a Fundamental Understanding of Post-Liquefaction Response and Deformations: A Next-Generation Analytical and Experimental Methodology

The research objective of this research project is to develop a unified, scalable approach for soil liquefaction deformation analysis from micro to macro-scale.The overarching research goal is to identify and quantify the physical and environmental parameters that affect the cyclic response of granular soils at the micro- and meso-scale particularly and relate them to the macro-scale (i.e. field) response and deformations.
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Feasibility Study of High-Performance Cut-off Walls for Levees in Seismic Regions: Dynamic Wall Analyses and Ductile Slurry Development.

The objective of this program is to develop a novel type of "slurry" cut-off wall for levees that possesses multiple risk mitigation applications,including seepage resistance, high seismic resistance, constructability, and sustainable fabrication. This interdisciplinary project is expected to bring about new approaches that addresses the performance of broad geotechnical infrastructure systems such as levees and…
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Effects of pile-driving induced vibrations on nearby structures and other assets.

This project is focused on better characterizing pile-driving induced vibrations and understanding their attenuation. Emphasis is given on quantifying the effect of soil type, hammer and pile combination and number of cycles on the soil settlement. This is achieved by a combination of field testing measurements and 3D finite element numerical analyses, to develop vibration…
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Seismic isolation of earth retaining structures using EPS-Geofoam compressible inclusions.

The objective of this project is to study the effectiveness of an EPS geofoam compressible inclusion as a seismic isolator against seismic lateral pressures. Twocentrifuge testshave been performed on small scale physical models of retaining structures with and without EPS compressible inclusions, generating the first centrifuge data that highlight the seismic isolation capabilities of the…
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Ground motion selection and modification criteria for the seismic design of earthen levees and other geotechnical infrastructure.

In this research project, ground motion intensity measures that are critical for predicting levee response have been established. The variability of levee response in terms of soil liquefaction triggering and seismic slope stability has been investigated and regressions have been developed to serve as guidelines for selection of ground motions for levee embankments. (more…)
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Development of a GIS-based tool and methodology to evaluate the seismic risk in regions protected against flooding by earthen levee systems.

This project focuses on developing a decision-making methodology that helps users prioritize mitigation efforts and predict levee system performance for selected seismic event scenarios.The proposed methodology will track uncertainties associated with (1) levee geometry, soil stratigraphy and soil properties, (2) the interpolation method, and (3) the calculation of the joint probability of failure due to…
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