Center for Geotechnical Engineering Science
Director: Nien-Yin Chang, PhD
Associate Director: Brian Brady, PhD
Telephone: 303-556-2362
The Center for Geotechnical Engineering Science advances the understanding of the safety, reliability, performance and environmental impact of engineered geostructures. Resolution of geostructural and environmental remediation problems is addressed through research sponsored by public funding agencies and private industry. The center includes research on geostructural stability, rock engineering, geoenvironmental engineering and expansive soils.
Studies in the center’s Expansive Soil Research Laboratory cover national and international problems, as expansive soils underlie more than one-third of the earth’s land surface. In the U.S., these materials are prevalent in the Southern, Western and Rocky Mountain States. As development takes place in these areas, structures may experience the damaging effects of expansive soil resulting in the loss of millions of dollars annually. The Expansive Soil Research Laboratory develops the technology needed to mitigate damage from expansive soils by identifying and conducting research to better understand the mechanisms and processes that characterize expansive soil; by promoting education and training for engineering students, the construction industry, and the public; and by assisting industry and government with realistic guidelines on the design, construction and operation of facilities built on expansive soils.