Triaxial Lab Testing for Earth Dams

This event qualifies for 2 PDHs

Join us on February 13, from 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM Eastern for Triaxial Lab Testing for Earth Dams. The triaxial test is the premier laboratory test to evaluate shear strength conditions for earthen embankment dams. This test is common practice in geotechnical engineering but requires a good understanding of the different laboratory steps and procedures. This webinar will present concepts of the triaxial test as it applies to embankment dams. Different stages of a triaxial test such as specimen preparation, saturation, consolidation, and shearing will be discussed in detail. The different types of tests available (UU, CU, CD) for the different loading conditions during the life of an earthen dam will also be discussed. The application of different triaxial tests for different situations will be explained for practical situations in the field.

Learning objectives attendees will receive from this webinar:

Understand the fundamental principles of triaxial testing of soils.
Understand how to use the control of drainage to develop different types of triaxial testing.
Understand how to obtain shear strength parameters for design or rehabilitation of earth dams.

Speaker and Presenter Information

Ronaldo Luna, PE, PhD, D.GE, Professor and Senior Consultant, Saint Louis University/Luna Consulting, LLC

Dr. Ronaldo Luna is a professor of civil engineering at Saint Louis University, and he teaches courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels in the field of geotechnical and civil engineering. His research interests lie in the static and dynamic response of soils and liquefaction, geospatial information systems in civil engineering, advances in soil mechanics/foundations, and earthquake engineering. He was a professor at the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, MO, for fifteen years after being at Tulane University. He obtained his Bachelor of Science in civil engineering (1983) from the University of Maryland and a Master of Science in geotechnical engineering (1985) from Purdue University. He earned his Ph.D. from the Georgia Institute of Technology (1995).

Dr. Luna is a key investigator at the Water Institute and an associate at the Taylor Geospatial Institute at Saint Louis University. Dr. Luna has practiced as a geotechnical engineer on the west coast and in the central US and currently practices both in the region and internationally. He is a registered professional engineer in the states of Missouri, California, and Washington, and holds an active consulting practice. Additionally, he has published over 120 technical papers. Dr. Luna has been a Fellow with the American Society of Civil Engineers since 2007 and is certified as a Diplomate, Geotechnical Engineering (D.GE) by the Academy of Geo-Professionals.

Relevant Government Agencies

Army, Dept of Agriculture, Dept of Energy, Other Federal Agencies, State Government, County Government, City Government, Municipal Government, FEMA, Federal Government, State & Local Government, Foreign Governments/Agencies