Prof. CARLO G. LAI

 

PERSONAL

  • Citizenship: Italian
  • Place of Birth: Torino, Italy
  • Date of Birth: 29 July 1961

 

POSITION

  • Head of Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Seismology Section, EUCENTRE – European Centre for Training and Research in Earthquake Engineering
  • Lecturer of Geotechnical Engineering and Seismic Geotechnique at the University of Pavia
  • Lecturer at ROSE School – Centre for Post-Graduate Training and Research in Earthquake Engineering and Engineering Seismology

 

CONTACTS

  • Via Ferrata 1, Pavia, 27100 Italy
  • Voice: (+39) 0382-516921; Fax: (+39) 0382-529131; Email: carlo.lai@eucentre.it

 

EDUCATION

  • PhD in Civil Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta (USA), 1998
  • MSc in Engineering Science and Mechanics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta (USA), 1997
  • MSc in Civil Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta (USA), 1995
  • Laurea in Civil Engineering, Politecnico di Torino (Italy), 1988

 

AWARDS

  • Bishop Medal 2003 for the best research contribution in Geotechnical Engineering published by the British Institution of Civil Engineers in 2002. London, November 4, 2003.
  • Outstanding PhD Graduate Award, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta (USA) May 27, 1998.
  • Domenica Rea D’Onofrio Graduate Fellowship, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta (USA) March 23, 1994.

 

ACADEMIC HISTORY AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

  • 2003-date, Associate Researcher and Head of Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Seismology Section, EUCENTRE; Lecturer of Geotechnical Engineering and Seismic Geotechnique at the University of Pavia; Lecturer of Geotechnical Engineering and Wave Propagation in Elastic Solids at ROSE School
  • 1998-2003 Scientific consultant in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering at Studio Geotecnico Italiano in Milano (Italy) and Lecturer at Politecnico di Torino (Italy)
  • 1994-1998 Lecturer, Graduate Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant at the Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Atlanta (USA).
  • 1990-1993 Civil engineer and later team leader in the cooperation program “PHC in Arsi Region” in Ethiopia on behalf of the Institute for University Cooperation (ICU) under the dependence of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
  • 1988-1990 Consulting engineer in bridge and geotechnical design.

 

RESEARCH INTERESTS

  • 1D and 2D stochastic ground response analysis of soil deposits. Macro-, meso- and micro- zonation of a territory for ground shaking and co-seismic effects like liquefaction and instability of slopes.
  • Numerical modeling of dynamic soil-structure interaction with special emphasis on kinematic interaction of deep foundation systems and earth-retaining structures.
  • Propagation of mechanical disturbances in viscoelastic media. Mathematical formalization of material dispersion for the experimental measurement of soil damping ratio through field and laboratory testing.
  • Geotechnical characterization of soil deposits using non-invasive, field seismic techniques based on exploiting the properties of surface Rayleigh waves. Coupled measurement of shear wave velocity and shear damping ratio in soils taking into account the uncertainty of experimental data.
  • Definition of design earthquake. Selection of spectrum-compatible real accelerograms. Definition of deterministic ground shaking scenarios through calculation of synthetic seismograms from an extended kinematic model of the seismic source.
  • Mathematical modeling of generation and propagation of surface and underground railway-induced ground vibrations under free-field conditions and taking into account dynamic soil-structure interaction.

 

RESEARCH ACTIVITY AND STUDENT GUIDANCE

Supervisor and co-supervisor of more than 35 between MSc and PhD students on a variety of geotechnical earthquake engineering and engineering seismology topics. Project and scientific coordinator of several research projects. Recently approved projects include:

  • “Vulnerability and Seismic Risk of Italian Maritime Port Structures” three-year 2009-2011 research project funded by the Italian Department of Civil Protection.
  • “Seismic Risk of Italian Earth Dams” three-year 2009-2011 research project funded by the Italian Department of Civil Protection.
  • “Stabilization of Landslides in Overconsolidated, Fine-Grained Soils by Using Large-Diameter Shafts” three-year 2009-2011 research project funded by the Italian Department of Civil Protection.
  • “Assessment and Mitigation of Seismic Risk in the Eastern Caribbean Islands”, one-year 2009 research and scientific cooperation project funded by the Municipality of Milan (Italy) within the Bid “Milan for Biodiversity 2008”.
  • “Definition of Seismic Input at the Regina Montis Regalis Cathedral of Vicoforte (Cuneo)”, one-year 2009 research project funded by “Cassa di Risparmio di Cuneo” Foundation Bank.

 

PUBLICATIONS

Author/co-author of more than 90 scientific publications including one book and several book chapters. Selection of recent journal articles:

  • Pasquali, R., Lai, C.G., Corigliano, M. (2010). “Some Issues in Seismic Analysis and Design of Blockwork Wharves”. Journal of Earthquake Engineering, Vol. 14, pp. 102-130.
  • Khan, Z.H., Cascante, G., El-Naggar, M.H. and Lai, C.G. (2008). “Measurement of Frequency-Dependent Dynamic Properties of Soils Using the Resonant-Column Device”. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering. Vol. 134, No. 9, pp. 1319–1326.
  • Meza-Fajardo, K.C. and Lai, C.G. (2007). “Explicit Causal Relations between Material Damping Ratio and Phase Velocity from Exact Solutions of the Dispersion Equations of Linear Viscoelasticity”. Geophysical Journal International, Vol. 171, No. 3, pp. 1247-1257.
  • Lo Presti, D., Lai, C.G., Puci, I. (2006) “ONDA (One-dimensional Non-linear Dynamic Analyses): A Computer Code for Non-Linear Seismic Response Analyses of Soil Deposits”. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, ASCE, Vol. 132, No.2, pp. 223-236.
  • Beltrami, C., Lai, C.G., Pecker, A. (2005). “A Kinematic Interaction Model for a Large-Diameter Shaft Foundation. An Application to Seismic Demand Assessment of a Bridge Subject to Coupled Swying-Rocking Excitation”. Journal of Earthquake Engineering, Vol. 9, Special Issue 2, pp. 355-393.
  • Lai, C.G., Callerio, A., Faccioli, E., Morelli, V., Romani, P. (2005). “Prediction of Railway-Induced Ground Vibrations in Tunnels”. Journal of Vibration and Acoustics, ASME, Vol. 127(5), pp. 503-514.
  • Lai, C.G., Foti, S., Rix, G.J. (2005). “Propagation of Data Uncertainty in Surface Wave Inversion”. Journal of Environmental and Engineering Geophysics, 10(2), pp. 219-228.
  • Menon, A., Lai, C.G., Macchi, G. (2004). “Seismic Hazard Assessment of the Historical Site of Jam in Afghanistan and Stability Analysis of the Minaret”. Journal of Earthquake Engineering, Vol. 8, Special Issue 1, pp. 1-44.
  • Lai, C.G., Rix, G.J. (2002). “Solution of the Rayleigh Eigenproblem in Viscoelastic Media”. Bulletin of Seismological Society of America, Vol.92, No.6, pp. 2297-2309.
  • Lai, C.G., Rix, G.J., Foti, S., Roma, V. (2002). “Simultaneous Measurement and Inversion of Surface Wave Dispersion and Attenuation Curves”. Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, Vol. 22, No. 9-12, pp. 923-930.
  • Foti, S., Lai, C.G., Lancellotta, R. (2002). “Porosity of Fluid-Saturated Porous Media from Measured Seismic Wave Velocities”. Géotechnique, Vol. 52, No. 5, pp. 359-373.

 

OTHER RELEVANT ACTIVITIES

 

  • Member of Academic Editorial Committee of the journal “Progettazione Sismica”. Since April 2008.
  • Member to the Geotechnical Italian Commission Working Group ISSMGE – ERTC 12 for the application of European technical EC8 code Part 1 and Part 5 for the seismic design. Since September 2007.
  • Reviewer of scientific articles in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering, Engineering Seismology and Applied Geophysics for several international journals.
  • Co-author of Software Package Tools SWAN and SWAMI for surface wave analysis to be used for geotechnical characterization of construction sites.
  • Co-author of Software Package Tool ONDA for the non-linear seismic response analysis of soil deposits.