Geotechnical engineering

Geotechnical engineering (CE-483) is an undergraduate class offered in the spring semester. Principles of engineering geology and solid mechanics covering: properties and classification of soils, seepage analysis, theory of soil strength, stress distribution theory and settlement prediction, consolidation theory, introduction to the stability of slopes and the design of shallow foundations. The course is accompanied by concurrent weekly laboratory sessions where students are introduced to geotechnical laboratory tests in a hands-on fashion.

Groundwater hydrology and pollution

Groundwater hydrology and pollution (EN-686) is a graduate class offered in the fall semester. Fundamental concepts in groundwater hydrology and pollution covering: movement of groundwater, flow nets, well hydraulics, numerical methods in groundwater hydraulics, chemical properties of groundwater, sources, effects of contamination, principles of mathematical modeling of containment transport in groundwater, and numerical methods in groundwater pollution.

Senior Project Design:

Modeling and measuring the interaction within the groundwater-sewer-river system in coastal urban areas

During this project, we will develop a model of the sewer and groundwater within the experimental urban area of Hoboken (NJ). We will account for the tidal effect of the river on the water table and on the properties of the urban area. Numerical simulations will be validated with field measurements of sewer flow and water table. Combining numerical simulations with urban area properties, a simple statistical model for potential sewer infiltration and leakage will be developed and the results visualized in a GIS map. The undregraduate students will work together with two PhD students already involved in this reaseach.