T.H. WU DISTINGUISHED LECTURE

The T.H. Wu Distinguished Lecture is a signature event in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering (CEGE). Presented yearly, the lecture features prominent scholars and practitioners in the field of geotechnical engineering. The lecture is held in honor of the late Dr. Tien H. Wu, professor emeritus and former chair of CEGE.

The Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering invites you to join members of the CEGE and geotechnical communities for the 2022 T. H. Wu Distinguished Lecture.

NEW DATE! Friday, April 1, 2022 at 3:30 pm  |  CBEC 130  |  150 W. Woodruff Ave., Columbus, OH 43210

Registration information coming soon.   |   CPD credit available.

Understanding the runout of slope failures is important for hazard identification, risk assessments, and disaster prevention. This study evaluates the accuracy of three runout software packages, DAN3D, Anura3D, and FLO-2D, for modeling the runout of the 2014 Oso landslide and investigates the viability of predicting the runout of other landslides and slope failures under similar conditions. The Oso landslide runout analyses using Anura3D and FLO-2D conducted for this study adopt the geotechnical conditions and failure mechanism reported by Stark and his colleagues in 2017.

Together with DAN3D and Anura3D modeling reviewed from previous studies, the accuracy and applicability of these runout models are assessed using field observations. These analyses show the importance of (i) using a digital terrain model in the runout analysis, (ii) modeling field representative shear strength properties and failure mechanisms, and (iii) predicting runout distance, splash height, and duration for risk assessments and to improve public safety for this and other slopes

Timothy D. Stark is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with an expertise in Geotechnical Engineering.  Dr. Stark has been conducting research and teaching on the static and seismic stability of natural and manmade slopes, embankments, and earth structures for over twenty-five (25) years. 

Dr. Stark has received a number of awards for his research, teaching, and service activities including: 2019 George H. Norman Medal from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE); Best Paper in Geosynthetics International Journal, 2016; 2015 James M. Hoover Lecturers at Iowa State University; Thomas A. Middlebrooks Award, ASCE, 2013 and 1998; Associate Editor Award, Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, ASCE, 2012; Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering Scholarly, Paper, ASCE, 2011; R.S. Ladd D18 Standards Development Award, Standard Designation, ASTM, 2014, 2011, 2002; R.M. Quigley Award from the Canadian Geotechnical Society, 2003, and Walter L. Huber Research Prize, ASCE, 1999.