Geotechnical Engineering

The coastal region of Maine is known for Presumpscot Formation clay, a glacial soil deposit that is susceptible to dramatic landslides and that has caused building settlements and challenges to the construction of all types and sizes of structures. The Presumpscot Formation is the focus of two local symposia in 1987 and 2015, and the proceedings for both can be found at the 2015 Symposium website.

Research opportunities are available to study the behavior of soft and stiff clays (such as the Presumpscot Formation); investigation of natural hazards in land, coastal, and near-shore environments; soil structure interaction using full scale installations and/or modeling of scaled systems; onshore and offshore site characterization employing in situ, geophysical, and laboratory methods; thermal behavior of soils related to energy transfer, permafrost vulnerability and cold regions engineering.

Faculty:

• Aaron Gallant – Associate Professor, PE
• Miltiades Zacas – Adjunct Professor
• Luis Zambrano-Cruzatty – Assistant Professor

Sample Projects:

• “Laboratory Study of Accelerated Carbonation with Hydrated Lime for Soil Stabilization ” 

• • Faculty Advisors:  Dr. Aaron Gallant & Dr. Warda Ashraf (With Jacobs, New York, NY)
  • PhD Student: Sk Belal Hossen    

• “Durability of Entrapped Gas in Quasi-saturated Porous Media: Two Geotechnical Perspectives” 

• • Faculty Advisors:  Dr. Aaron Gallant (With Geosyntec Consultants, Acton, MA)
  • PhD Student: Babak Mahmoodi-Chanzab   

• “Field and numerical analysis of a helical pile collar vanes under combined loading”

• • Faculty Advisors:  Dr. Aaron Gallant
  • MS Student: Camilo Fernandez  

• “Numerical and laboratory investigation of accelerated soil carbonation”

• • Faculty Advisors:  Dr. Luis Zambrano-Cruzatty & Dr. Aaron Gallant (*With GEI Consultants, Woburn, MA)
  • MS Student: Andres Espinosa 

• “Investigating the parameters of functionality associated with efficiency of carbon uptake during carbonation of non-plastic silt”

• • Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Aaron Gallant (*With R.W. Gillespie, Biddeford, ME)
  • MS Student: Temitope Omokinde 

• “Lateral and torsional resistance of helical piles enhanced using a novel collar vane”

• • Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Aaron Gallant (*With GEI Consultants, Portland, ME)
  • MS Student: Juan Sebastian Carvajal-Munos

• “Comparison of land use and flowslide incidence in Palu Valley following the 2018 M_w 7.5 Palu-Donggala earthquake”

• • Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Aaron Gallant (*With HDR Engineering, Portland, ME)
  • MS Student: Peta Fifield

• “Monitoring and Analysis of Micropile-Supported Integral Abutment Bridges”
  • Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Aaron Gallant & Dr. Bill Davids
  • PhD Student: Mahmood Albraheemi
• “Stability of unsaturated coastal sediments subject to storm surge and extreme events”
  • Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Aaron Gallant
  • MS Student: Babak MahMoodi
• “Assessment of Helical Anchor Capacity for Offshore Aquaculture Applications”
  • Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Aaron Gallant & Dr. Melissa Landon
  • MS Student: Leon Cortes Garcia

• “Lateral loading of unreinforced rigid elements and basal stability of column-supported systems”
  • Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Aaron Gallant
  • MS Student: Danilo Botero Lopez

Recent Publications:

Follow faculty link for Recent Publications