CEES
doctoral student Hoda Soltani was recently selected as one of seven recipients
of the inaugural Nancy L. Mergler Dissertation Completion Fellowship for the
2015-2016 academic year.
Soltani’s research is guided under the direction of professor "Muralee" Muraleetharan and concerns analysis, modeling, and prediction of the
lateral response of single piles in soft clay where the top layers of the soil
have been improved by cement deep soil mixing. In the future, this work has the
potential to lead to more cost effective and safer design of pile-supported
structures in weak soils. It can also be applied in retrofitting of older
buildings and bridges. After graduation, she plans to seek a full-time position
in industry or academia where she can continue working on assessment of the
existing structures and ways of enhancing their performance against earthquake
or other vibration-induced excitations.
