Civil Engineering

Professor Emeritus

 

Telephone: 604.228.9583
Email: rgcampanella@gmail.com

Biography:

Dr. Campanella holds a Ph.D. in Geotechnical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley and since 1965 has been at the University of British Columbia, where he was Head of the Civil Engineering Department from 1978 to 1984.

Research Interests:

Dick considers himself an experimentalist and initially directed research in the soil mechanics laboratory on stress path analysis, plane strain testing, creep rupture and stress-strain-strain rate behavior of natural clays.  Since 1977 he has been concentrating on In-situ soil testing research encompassing the development of devices and procedures, their evaluation, interpretation and analysis, and ultimately their application in engineering design.  The In-situ testing tools researched include Piezocone (since 1979), Seismic Cone (since 1980), BAT for Pore Water Sampling and Outflow Hydraulic Conductivity Testing (since 1983), Resistivity Cone (since 1988), Flat Dilatometer, SPT and BPT Energy Calibrator, Self-boring and Push-in Pressuremeters, Lateral Stress Blade, Lateral Stress Cone, Screw Plate, Field Vane, Miniature Settlement-Inclinometer System and Offshore SCPTU and Deep-water Lateral Stress/Pore Pressure tools.  Applications include geo-environmental site characterization, hydrogeology parameters, groundwater contamination problems, chemical and physical stability of mine waste tailings, off-shore in-situ testing, dynamic site characterization (shear modulus and damping) for earthquake analysis, soil liquefaction assessment, settlement prediction, measurement of In-situ horizontal stress, axial and lateral pile capacity and behavior, pile dynamics, statistical analysis for site characterization, and evaluation of ground improvement.

More than 150 papers and 35 Theses have been published on the above topics along with software development and several manuals on cone testing and design procedures.  He also developed a unique In-situ Testing truck in 1978 for teaching and carrying out many research projects.  Dick has presented more than 25 short courses to practicing engineers since 1984 on the practical aspects of In-situ testing for foundation engineering applications with emphasis on the electronic piezocone and more recently (since 1990) on its use as a screening tool to assess groundwater contamination and its transport in combination with water sampling and resistivity.  Dr. Campanella uses case history presentations and draws on his extensive field experiences.

In July 1997, Dr. Campanella took early retirement from his teaching duties after 32 years at UBC.  This has allowed him to concentrate on research, directing graduate students and promote the use of In-Situ testing in Geotechnical practice through consulting and the presentation of short courses and seminars.