Lecture:Geotechnical Engineering Hazards in Arctic Alaska Under a Warming Climate
Lecturer: Yang Zhaohui, University of Alaska, Anchorage, Professor, Doctoral Supervisor
Time: 15:00-17:00, May 26th.
Venue: A536, Mingzhilou Building
Bio：Dr. Yang joined UAA as an Assistant Professor in May 2003. He is currently a Professor of Civil Engineering and serves as the Chief Editor of the ASCE Journal of Cold Regions Engineering. He is the Chair of the 20thInternational Conference on Cold Regions Engineering held in Anchorage, Alaska, from May 13 to 16, 2024, Dr. Yang's expertise is in geotechnical and earthquake engineering and has maintained an active research program with particular interests in cold regions-related topics, with funding support from NSF, and other federal and state agencies. He has published more than 90 peer-reviewed journal articles and has been awarded five patents. Findings from his work on seismic design of deep foundations in frozen soil have been adopted by the Bridge Design Manual of AK DOT&PF and other northern states. Dr. Yang is the 2024 winner of the prestigious ASCE Hal Payton Award for his outstanding contributions to cold regions engineering.
Abstract：Permafrost is distributed extensively in the Northern Hemisphere, accounting for 24% of the land area. Underlain by continuous or discontinuous permafrost, Arctic Alaska has experienced a warming rate that is twice the rest of the world, resulting in significant impacts on the built infrastructure. This presentation describes the geotechnical hazards in the Arctic regions under a change climate. Frozen soil is first introduced as a unique geological material, including its composition and basic physical and mechanical properties. It will then discuss climate change and how permafrost has responded to warming air temperatures in Arctic Alaska. The rest of this talk will focus on the geotechnical hazards in the Arctic regions underlain by warm permafrost, including building foundation design, slope stabilities, seismic issues, and coastal erosion. This presentation will conclude with thoughts on research challenges.
Organizer and Sponsor：
School of Civil Engineering and Geomatics, SWPU
Institute of Science and Technology Development, SWPU
Xindu district of chengdu in sichuan province xindu road no. 8 | 
610500 | 
86-28-83032846 
