MEMBER PROFILE Professor Armin Stuedlein — Prolific Teacher and Researcher A Career Choice Stuedlein chose a career in geotechnical engineering after pursuing a degree in environmental resource and forest engineer- ing. He studied soil mechanics with Pro- fessor Sam Clemence at Syracuse University and discovered the field of geotechnical engineering. Stuedlein liked that geotech- nical engineering combined solid engineer- ing principles with judgement to solve problems that were consistently unique. A B.S. in environmental science and forestry from State University of New York; an M.S. in geotechnical engineering from Syracuse University; a Ph.D. in geotech- nical engineering from the University of Washington; registered professional engineer in the State of Washington; geotechnical engineer at Shannon & Wilson; project engineer at Hart Crowser; civil engineer intern research and devel- opment at the Utah DOT; environmental health aide in the engineering subdivision of the health department in Ulster County, New York; more than 70 technical papers publ ished, lectures and technical presentations; DFI Young Professor Paper Competition winner; ASTM and ASCE recognition; and Rip Van Winkle Council’s 1996 Eagle Scout of the Year! These credits are only a scant representation of what has been on Professor Stuedlein’s plate in the last 25 years. His current position is associate professor in the school of civil and construction engineering at Oregon State University, where he is a teacher, researcher, advisor and mentor to undergraduate and graduate students. AUTHOR S. Scot Litke, Hon. D.GE DEEP FOUNDATIONS • JAN/FEB 2020 • 57 Mentors Along the Way Professor Clemence changed his view of what was possible in a career in civil engineering. Stuedlein found Clemence’s enthusiasm and excellence in teaching inspiring, and credits Clemence with helping him find his path. Other academic mentors were Steve Bartlett at the University of Utah, Dawit Negussey at Syracuse University and Robert D. Holtz, II, at the University of Washington. Bartlett taught Stuedlein the value of careful field measurements, design of field instrumen- tation and excellence in field reporting. From Dawit, Stuedlein learned to question everything, start from fundamentals and build confidence in inquiry. Stuedlein began his Ph.D. studies at the University of Washington under Holtz, where he conducted research in ground improvement using stone columns. Stuedlein also worked with Allen Sehn, Ph.D., of Hayward Baker, who assisted him in conducting a large test program for shallow foundations on stone column-improved soils. Why Academics? “Working concurrently as a researcher and consultant was a particularly challenging but rewarding experience,” offers Stuedlein. “Instrumentation, testing and analytical procedures learned in my research were applied directly to my consulting work, whereas the consulting work broadened my perspective and provided a context for the research. The feedback loop was incredibly effective. I don’t think any other profes- sional experience could compare in terms of producing a faster rate of technical growth.” While Stuedlein still misses the speed of the private sector, contracting, hiring and independence in decision making, he quickly counts the numerous advantages of academic life: (1) working with talented students that teach you new things on a daily basis, (2) sharing accumulated engineering knowledge and wisdom with the next generation, (3) helping students to discover for themselves deep and meaningful engineering concepts, (4) pushing the state of the art and state of the practice to advance the industry, (5) mentoring the next generation and (6) having independence in technical pursuits. Areas of Focus Stuedlein’s specialties include ground improvement, deep foundations and earthquake engineering. He points to just a fraction of the projects conducted by his research group at Oregon State. In ground improvement, the group has led the development of new design procedures for stone columns, which were based on full- scale loading tests. They tested driven timber pile ground improvement as a densification and reinforcement method against liquefaction and liquefaction- induced deformations. The group has pro- posed reliability-based design procedures for augered cast-in-place piles, presently under consideration for inclusion in the new AASHTO bridge design specifications. They have also developed the first full-scale observations of torsional load transfer of drilled shaft foundations, along with a design procedure and numerical modeling approach that accounts for soil dilatancy.
