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SUMMARY:ENAC Seminar Series by Prof. Katerina Ziotopoulou
DTSTART:20230515T093000
DTEND:20230515T103000
DTSTAMP:20260916T032131Z
UID:b35540b3601ff93c70b2d5463cef1e1364a2ad06a6782d47212f4436
CATEGORIES:Conferences - Seminars
DESCRIPTION:Prof. Katerina Ziotopoulou\n09:30- 10:30  - Prof. Katerina Z
 iotopoulou\nAssociate Professor\, University of California\, Davis\n\nHol
 istic development of numerical models towards resilient critical geosystem
 s\n\nThe development and re-evaluation of critical infrastructure (e.g.\, 
 embankment and tailings dams\, pipelines\, bridges) founded upon\, penetra
 ting through\, or comprised of natural and/or anthropogenic soils faces pe
 rsistent challenges that hinder our ability to predict\, mitigate and expe
 diently respond to minimize the extent\, duration\, and cost of any disrup
 tion. These challenges are rooted in the spectrum of processes involved in
  such predictions: from characterizing the materials\, to understanding th
 eir behaviors\, to developing appropriate engineering procedures and numer
 ical methods\, all the way to predicting system-level performance under st
 andard and extreme loading conditions. Uncertainties can lead to conservat
 ive assumptions in performance which can result in design or remediation t
 hat can cost more than $100M for a single project (e.g.\, dams). Today\, u
 nder the continuous threat of earthquake hazard\, the rapidly emerging thr
 eats from shifting climate conditions\, and the shift to alternative energ
 y sources\, the need to advance our predictive capabilities for soil-struc
 ture systems is more imperative than ever. Against this backdrop\, this pr
 esentation will describe the holistic development of a constitutive model 
 for sands and silts (PM4Sand)\, from its element-level formulation to the 
 system-level validation. Extensive bench- and centrifuge-scale model tests
  elucidate capabilities and limitations for capturing certain mechanistic 
 behaviors. These critical examinations and the establishment of validation
  protocols enable discoveries and inform future steps. Last but not least\
 , the use of advanced constitutive models in unresolved case histories fac
 ilitates the assessment of failure modes in geosystems\, the quantificatio
 n of ensuing impacts on critical infrastructure\, and the development of d
 esign procedures and decision frameworks. Ongoing work and near- and far-f
 uture opportunities will be discussed towards ensuring the sustained servi
 ceability of geosystems and their resilience in the face of natural hazard
 s.\n\nShort bio: \nKaterina Ziotopoulou is an Associate Professor in Civi
 l and Environmental Engineering at the University of California\, Davis. S
 he received her PhD and MS degrees in Civil Engineering from UC Davis\, an
 d her undergraduate 5-year diploma degree in Civil Engineering from the Na
 tional Technical University of Athens\, Greece. Dr. Ziotopoulou specialize
 s in soil dynamics and geotechnical earthquake engineering with an emphasi
 s on the investigation of ground failure due to earthquake-induced liquefa
 ction and cyclic softening\, and its mitigation. She combines the developm
 ent of advanced numerical methods with multiscale novel experimentation\, 
 the establishment of validation protocols\, and the upscaling to system-le
 vel analyses accounting for the spatial variability of soil deposits. Prod
 ucts of her research have been used by hundreds of researchers and by deca
 des of companies in high-profile national and international projects. Dr. 
 Ziotopoulou is the recipient of the 2021 Arthur Casagrande Professional De
 velopment Award of the American Society of Civil Engineers\, the U.S. Nati
 onal Science Foundation CAREER Award\, and the 2023 International Society 
 of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering Young Researcher Award. She
  has been teaching undergraduate and graduate courses\, mentoring women to
 wards critical transitions\, and has been ensuring technology transfer to 
 industry through numerous professional courses\, workshops\, and seminars.
LOCATION:GC B1 10 https://plan.epfl.ch/?room==GC%20B1%2010
STATUS:CONFIRMED
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