Development of Physics-Based Deterioration Models for Reinforced Soil Retaining Structures

AMR M MORSY, PHD, PE

Dr. Amr Morsy is a professional civil engineer with experience in both academia and industry. His research focuses on geotechnical engineering, transportation geotechnics, environmental geotechnics, and climate adaptation. He obtained his B.Eng and M.Sc. degrees in civil engineering from Cairo University in 2011 and 2013 respectively and obtained his PhD degree in civil engineering from The University of Texas at Austin in 2017. He worked as a postdoctoral fellow at The University of Texas at Austin in 2018 and as a practicing geotechnical engineer from 2018 to 2020. He later worked as a research associate at Loughborough University on the ACHILLES program grant from 2020 to 2022. He has been working as an assistant professor at California State University, Long Beach since 2022. As part of his academic experience, Dr. Morsy conducts research on geotechnical infrastructure deterioration and asset management, climate change impacts on geotechnical infrastructure, and geotechnical solutions for sustainable built environments. He has excelled in physical and numerical modeling of geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering systems, and in infrastructure instrumentation and laboratory experimentation. He participated in research projects sponsored by the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council of the UK Research and Innovation, the US Federal Highway Administration, the Geosynthetic Institute, the Departments of Transportation of Texas and Indiana, and geosynthetic manufacturers. As part of his professional consulting experience, Dr. Morsy conducts rigorous analyses, designs, and forensic evaluations for a range of slopes, retaining walls, reinforced soil structures, deep excavations, bridge foundations, waste containment facilities, tailings dams, and embankment dams. He assisted expert witnesses in cases involving collapse and poor performance of earth retaining structures. He provided solutions to geotechnical problems in a number of environmental remediation projects involving cleanup of superfund sites. He conducted multi-phase flow analyses for several infrastructure features including earthworks, embankment dams, and cover systems. Some of the consulting projects he participated in served the US Environmental Protection Agency, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, New York State and Indiana Departments of Transportation, Tennessee Valley Authority, New Jersey Transit, and several multinational private and public corporates.

ISLAM A EBO

Islam Ahmed is a marine and geotechnical engineer with experience in both industry and academic research. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Alexandria University in 2018 and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in geotechnical engineering at California State University, Long Beach. Islam has worked on a variety of large-scale civil and geotechnical engineering projects with a focus on infrastructure development, particularly in marine and coastal environments. His work involves using advanced engineering tools to ensure the structural stability and environmental sustainability of these projects. In his research role, Islam is focused on studying soil-structure interactions, coastal protection strategies, and the effects of environmental factors on marine infrastructure. He has developed strong skills in geotechnical analysis, project management, and field assessments, working closely with multidisciplinary teams to address engineering challenge.