Research
My research focuses on geotechnical earthquake engineering, with particular emphasis on understanding and predicting the response of soils and geotechnical systems during earthquakes. My work integrates field reconnaissance and case-history studies, laboratory testing, numerical modeling, and probabilistic and data-driven methods to develop improved procedures for seismic hazard and risk assessment. Key research areas include seismic soil liquefaction initiation and its consequences, lateral spreading and flow liquefaction, seismic response of earth structures and foundations, site response, and earthquake-induced ground deformations. A central theme of my research is the development and validation of mechanics-informed, case-history-based predictive models that account for uncertainties and can be translated into practical tools for performance-based earthquake engineering and the seismic design and assessment of critical infrastructure.
Seismic soil liquefaction triggering
Probabilistic and deterministic triggering relationships built on SPT, CPT and shear-wave-velocity case-history databases, with explicit treatment of measurement and model uncertainty.
Cyclic soil behaviour and induced deformations
Laboratory characterisation and constitutive modelling of cyclic straining, pore-pressure generation, and post-cyclic reconsolidation settlement in sands and fine-grained soils.
Site and basin response
One-, two- and three-dimensional site response and basin effects, and their role in elevating seismic demand and structural damage.
Seismic hazard assessment
Probabilistic seismic hazard analysis with planar fault source models, ground-motion model evaluation, and microzonation.
Post-earthquake reconnaissance
Field investigation and documentation of ground failure after major earthquakes, and the conversion of those observations into case-history databases.
Soil–structure interaction and foundations
Liquefaction triggering beneath building foundation systems, post-cyclic settlement and tilting of mat foundations, and pile–soil interaction in liquefiable ground.
Dams and hydraulic structures
Static and seismic performance assessment of earthfill, rockfill and concrete-faced rockfill dams, and their observed performance in real earthquakes.
Major earthquakes investigated
- 1999 Kocaeli (İzmit), Türkiye — 11 journal articles
- 2020 Sivrice–Elazığ, Türkiye (M6.8) — 1 journal article
- 2020 Samos Island, Aegean Sea (M7.0) — 5 journal articles
- 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye (M7.8 and M7.5) — 20 journal articles
Research grants
13 funded projects are listed on the CV.