Kevin W. Franke
- Courses2
- Reviews3
- School: Brigham Young University
- Campus:
- Department: Civil Engineering
- Email address: Join to see
- Phone: Join to see
-
Location:
Provo, UT - 84602 - Dates at Brigham Young University: April 2016 - March 2019
- Office Hours: Join to see
Biography
Brigham Young University - Civil Engineering
Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at Brigham Young University
Civil Engineering
Kevin
Franke
Provo, Utah Area
I am currently an Assistant Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. My principal research interest focuses on the development of new performance-based earthquake engineering design applications in the field of geotechnical engineering. I am also researching various applications for small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in civil engineering, and am a principal investigator in the NSF-sponsored Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) since 2013.
Prior to my current faculty position, I worked as a professional geotechnical/earthquake engineering consultant in industry from 2006 to 2012. I worked directly with many recognized engineers on several significant geotechnical/earthquake engineering projects including the Kennecott Utah Copper tailings project in Salt Lake County, UT; the I-15 CORE project in Utah County, UT; the Chemical and Metallurgy Research and Replacement nuclear facility at Los Alamos, NM; Legacy Parkway in Davis and Salt Lake Counties, UT; the levee improvements in Sacramento, CA; and the North Torrey Pines bridge seismic retrofit in San Diego, CA.
Experience
Brigham Young University
Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Developing a performance-based procedure for analyzing kinematic loading of pile foundations due to lateral spreading displacements.
Brigham Young University
Assistant Professor
Teach undergraduate- and graduate-level courses in geotechnical and earthquake engineering, and perform fundamental research related to post-disaster reconnaissance and infrastructure monitoring using unmanned aerial vehicles and remote sensing.
URS Corporation
Geotechnical Engineer
- Perform geotechnical and seismic engineering analysis and design
- Prepare technical reports, letters, and memos
- Perform a fieldwork including soil logging and construction observation
- Help market and develop both internal and external clients for our Salt Lake City Geotechnical GroupKleinfelder
Staff Geotechnical Professional
Perform various geotechnical and earthquake-related analyses, such as foundation design, settlement analysis, seepage and slope stability analyses, liquefaction analysis, site-specific probabilistic seismic hazard analysis, site response analysis, and earthquake time-history development.
Utah Water Research Laboratory
Shop Worker II
-Help build and operate scale models of various hydraulic structures.
-Test and calibrate various types of flowmeters.
-Perform various tasks related to shop maintenance.
Education
Brigham Young University
PhD
Civil Engineering
- Developed a performance-based procedure for computing kinematic pile response due to lateral spreading. - Developed and analyzed several lateral spreading case histories at bridge sites damaged during the M7.6 Limon earthquake in Costa Rica in 1991. Advisor: Dr. Kyle M. RollinsBrigham Young University
Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Developing a performance-based procedure for analyzing kinematic loading of pile foundations due to lateral spreading displacements.Brigham Young University
Assistant Professor
Teach undergraduate- and graduate-level courses in geotechnical and earthquake engineering, and perform fundamental research related to post-disaster reconnaissance and infrastructure monitoring using unmanned aerial vehicles and remote sensing.Utah State University
BS
Civil Engineering
Magna Cum LaudeUniversity of Washington
MS
Civil Engineering
Developed a performance-based lateral spreading model and a computer program to run the model Advisor: Dr. Steven L. Kramer
Publications
Performance-based evaluation of lateral spreading displacement
4th International Conference on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering
Application of the PEER performance-based framework to empirical lateral spreading model to produce probabilistic estimates of lateral spreading displacement.
Performance-based evaluation of lateral spreading displacement
4th International Conference on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering
Application of the PEER performance-based framework to empirical lateral spreading model to produce probabilistic estimates of lateral spreading displacement.
A simplified hybrid p-y spring model for liquefied soil (under review)
ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Proposed simplified hybrid approach for representing p-y behavior of liquefied soil. The approach attempts to account for both dilation, known to occur with denser liquefiable soils, and a limiting residual strength typically associated with looser liquefied soils. The approach is demonstrated on over 20 loading scenarios from seven separate field/laboratory lateral spreading case histories representing a wide variety of pile sizes, soil types, and relative densities.
Performance-based evaluation of lateral spreading displacement
4th International Conference on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering
Application of the PEER performance-based framework to empirical lateral spreading model to produce probabilistic estimates of lateral spreading displacement.
A simplified hybrid p-y spring model for liquefied soil (under review)
ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Proposed simplified hybrid approach for representing p-y behavior of liquefied soil. The approach attempts to account for both dilation, known to occur with denser liquefiable soils, and a limiting residual strength typically associated with looser liquefied soils. The approach is demonstrated on over 20 loading scenarios from seven separate field/laboratory lateral spreading case histories representing a wide variety of pile sizes, soil types, and relative densities.
Subsurface investigation and analysis of bridges in Costa Rica damaged by lateral spreading to evaluate and improve design procedures for kinematic loading of piles
Final Report for US Geological Survey Award No. G10AP00047
The M7.6 earthquake that struck the Limon province of Costa Rica on April 22, 1991 killed 53 people, injured another 193 people, and disrupted an estimated 30-percent of the highway pavement and railways in the region due to fissures, scarps, and soil settlements resulting from liquefaction. Significant lateral spreading was observed at bridge sites throughout the eastern part of Costa Rica near Limon, and the observed structural damage ranged from moderate to severe. This study identified five such bridges where liquefaction-induced damage was either observed following the earthquake or is still visible to this day. A geotechnical investigation was performed at each of these five bridges in an attempt to back-analyze the soil conditions leading to the liquefaction and lateral spreading observed during the 1991 earthquake, and each of the five resulting case histories was developed and is summarized in the report. Modern analysis techniques for evaluating liquefaction triggering, lateral spreading displacements and kinematic pile response are summarized and evaluated against applicable Costa Rican case histories. In addition, a new performance-based kinematic pile response procedure based on the probabilistic framework developed by the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) is presented. The procedure incorporates existing analysis methodologies familiar to most practicing geotechnical professionals including empirical computation of lateral spreading displacement and p-y soil spring methods for computing kinematic pile response. The performance-based pile response procedure is demonstrated on the applicable Costa Rican case histories, and deterministic procedures are evaluated against the probabilistic results where appropriate.
Performance-based evaluation of lateral spreading displacement
4th International Conference on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering
Application of the PEER performance-based framework to empirical lateral spreading model to produce probabilistic estimates of lateral spreading displacement.
A simplified hybrid p-y spring model for liquefied soil (under review)
ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Proposed simplified hybrid approach for representing p-y behavior of liquefied soil. The approach attempts to account for both dilation, known to occur with denser liquefiable soils, and a limiting residual strength typically associated with looser liquefied soils. The approach is demonstrated on over 20 loading scenarios from seven separate field/laboratory lateral spreading case histories representing a wide variety of pile sizes, soil types, and relative densities.
Subsurface investigation and analysis of bridges in Costa Rica damaged by lateral spreading to evaluate and improve design procedures for kinematic loading of piles
Final Report for US Geological Survey Award No. G10AP00047
The M7.6 earthquake that struck the Limon province of Costa Rica on April 22, 1991 killed 53 people, injured another 193 people, and disrupted an estimated 30-percent of the highway pavement and railways in the region due to fissures, scarps, and soil settlements resulting from liquefaction. Significant lateral spreading was observed at bridge sites throughout the eastern part of Costa Rica near Limon, and the observed structural damage ranged from moderate to severe. This study identified five such bridges where liquefaction-induced damage was either observed following the earthquake or is still visible to this day. A geotechnical investigation was performed at each of these five bridges in an attempt to back-analyze the soil conditions leading to the liquefaction and lateral spreading observed during the 1991 earthquake, and each of the five resulting case histories was developed and is summarized in the report. Modern analysis techniques for evaluating liquefaction triggering, lateral spreading displacements and kinematic pile response are summarized and evaluated against applicable Costa Rican case histories. In addition, a new performance-based kinematic pile response procedure based on the probabilistic framework developed by the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) is presented. The procedure incorporates existing analysis methodologies familiar to most practicing geotechnical professionals including empirical computation of lateral spreading displacement and p-y soil spring methods for computing kinematic pile response. The performance-based pile response procedure is demonstrated on the applicable Costa Rican case histories, and deterministic procedures are evaluated against the probabilistic results where appropriate.
An Alternative Performance-Based Liquefaction Initiation Procedure for the Standard Penetration Test
ASCE Geocongress
Proposes an alternative performance based procedure for evaluation of liquefaction initiation. This procedure is based of the framework proposed by Kramer and Mayfield (2007) and the Boulanger and Idriss (2012) method of probabilistic liquefaction evaluation.
Performance-based evaluation of lateral spreading displacement
4th International Conference on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering
Application of the PEER performance-based framework to empirical lateral spreading model to produce probabilistic estimates of lateral spreading displacement.
A simplified hybrid p-y spring model for liquefied soil (under review)
ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Proposed simplified hybrid approach for representing p-y behavior of liquefied soil. The approach attempts to account for both dilation, known to occur with denser liquefiable soils, and a limiting residual strength typically associated with looser liquefied soils. The approach is demonstrated on over 20 loading scenarios from seven separate field/laboratory lateral spreading case histories representing a wide variety of pile sizes, soil types, and relative densities.
Subsurface investigation and analysis of bridges in Costa Rica damaged by lateral spreading to evaluate and improve design procedures for kinematic loading of piles
Final Report for US Geological Survey Award No. G10AP00047
The M7.6 earthquake that struck the Limon province of Costa Rica on April 22, 1991 killed 53 people, injured another 193 people, and disrupted an estimated 30-percent of the highway pavement and railways in the region due to fissures, scarps, and soil settlements resulting from liquefaction. Significant lateral spreading was observed at bridge sites throughout the eastern part of Costa Rica near Limon, and the observed structural damage ranged from moderate to severe. This study identified five such bridges where liquefaction-induced damage was either observed following the earthquake or is still visible to this day. A geotechnical investigation was performed at each of these five bridges in an attempt to back-analyze the soil conditions leading to the liquefaction and lateral spreading observed during the 1991 earthquake, and each of the five resulting case histories was developed and is summarized in the report. Modern analysis techniques for evaluating liquefaction triggering, lateral spreading displacements and kinematic pile response are summarized and evaluated against applicable Costa Rican case histories. In addition, a new performance-based kinematic pile response procedure based on the probabilistic framework developed by the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) is presented. The procedure incorporates existing analysis methodologies familiar to most practicing geotechnical professionals including empirical computation of lateral spreading displacement and p-y soil spring methods for computing kinematic pile response. The performance-based pile response procedure is demonstrated on the applicable Costa Rican case histories, and deterministic procedures are evaluated against the probabilistic results where appropriate.
An Alternative Performance-Based Liquefaction Initiation Procedure for the Standard Penetration Test
ASCE Geocongress
Proposes an alternative performance based procedure for evaluation of liquefaction initiation. This procedure is based of the framework proposed by Kramer and Mayfield (2007) and the Boulanger and Idriss (2012) method of probabilistic liquefaction evaluation.
Performance-based evaluations of a massive liquefaction-induced lateral spread in a subduction zone
The International Conference on Performance-Based Design in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering
Probabilistic evaluation of the Canchamana lateral spread, which was measured to be approximately a kilometer in length following the 2007 subduction zone earthquake near Lima, Peru. The paper discusses cutting-edge procedures for measuring the dimensions and features of the lateral spread, and then evaluates the measured displacements against various published empirical lateral spreading models. A performance-based approach is also applied, and the probabilistic results are compared against both the measured displacements and the deterministically-computed displacements.
Performance-based evaluation of lateral spreading displacement
4th International Conference on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering
Application of the PEER performance-based framework to empirical lateral spreading model to produce probabilistic estimates of lateral spreading displacement.
A simplified hybrid p-y spring model for liquefied soil (under review)
ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Proposed simplified hybrid approach for representing p-y behavior of liquefied soil. The approach attempts to account for both dilation, known to occur with denser liquefiable soils, and a limiting residual strength typically associated with looser liquefied soils. The approach is demonstrated on over 20 loading scenarios from seven separate field/laboratory lateral spreading case histories representing a wide variety of pile sizes, soil types, and relative densities.
Subsurface investigation and analysis of bridges in Costa Rica damaged by lateral spreading to evaluate and improve design procedures for kinematic loading of piles
Final Report for US Geological Survey Award No. G10AP00047
The M7.6 earthquake that struck the Limon province of Costa Rica on April 22, 1991 killed 53 people, injured another 193 people, and disrupted an estimated 30-percent of the highway pavement and railways in the region due to fissures, scarps, and soil settlements resulting from liquefaction. Significant lateral spreading was observed at bridge sites throughout the eastern part of Costa Rica near Limon, and the observed structural damage ranged from moderate to severe. This study identified five such bridges where liquefaction-induced damage was either observed following the earthquake or is still visible to this day. A geotechnical investigation was performed at each of these five bridges in an attempt to back-analyze the soil conditions leading to the liquefaction and lateral spreading observed during the 1991 earthquake, and each of the five resulting case histories was developed and is summarized in the report. Modern analysis techniques for evaluating liquefaction triggering, lateral spreading displacements and kinematic pile response are summarized and evaluated against applicable Costa Rican case histories. In addition, a new performance-based kinematic pile response procedure based on the probabilistic framework developed by the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) is presented. The procedure incorporates existing analysis methodologies familiar to most practicing geotechnical professionals including empirical computation of lateral spreading displacement and p-y soil spring methods for computing kinematic pile response. The performance-based pile response procedure is demonstrated on the applicable Costa Rican case histories, and deterministic procedures are evaluated against the probabilistic results where appropriate.
An Alternative Performance-Based Liquefaction Initiation Procedure for the Standard Penetration Test
ASCE Geocongress
Proposes an alternative performance based procedure for evaluation of liquefaction initiation. This procedure is based of the framework proposed by Kramer and Mayfield (2007) and the Boulanger and Idriss (2012) method of probabilistic liquefaction evaluation.
Performance-based evaluations of a massive liquefaction-induced lateral spread in a subduction zone
The International Conference on Performance-Based Design in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering
Probabilistic evaluation of the Canchamana lateral spread, which was measured to be approximately a kilometer in length following the 2007 subduction zone earthquake near Lima, Peru. The paper discusses cutting-edge procedures for measuring the dimensions and features of the lateral spread, and then evaluates the measured displacements against various published empirical lateral spreading models. A performance-based approach is also applied, and the probabilistic results are compared against both the measured displacements and the deterministically-computed displacements.
Seismic retrofit of an historic bridge
The International Conference on Performance-Based Design in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering
Explains the development of design ground motions for the historic North Torrey Pines Bridge in Del Mar, CA, which is a reinforced concrete bridge constructed during the 1930s. The paper describes the PSHA, the development of the design response spectra, the rotation and spectral-matching of time histories, and the development of foundation stiffness elements used by structural engineers for the seismic retrofit of the bridge.
