The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has awarded the 2024 Collingwood Prize to Sneha Upadhyaya and her advisors, for her innovative research on seismically-induced liquefaction. This prestigious award recognizes exceptional contributions to engineering knowledge and practice, particularly by younger members.

The Collingwood Prize, established in 1894 by Francis Collingwood, is presented annually to authors of papers that describe engineering projects or investigations with significant professional impact. Winning papers must demonstrate clarity, excellence of style, and practical relevance.

Upadhyaya, a former Ph.D. student co-advised by Russell Green, Adrian Rodriguez-Marek, and Brett Maurer (University of Washington) received the award for her paper published in ASCE’s Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering. Her research introduces a revolutionary framework for evaluating liquefaction, a phenomenon where saturated soils lose strength during seismic events, potentially causing significant damage.

A Paradigm Shift in Liquefaction Research

Liquefaction research gained prominence after the 1964 Niigata earthquake in Japan, with many studies contributing to an understanding of the phenomenon. However, only a few have redefined how liquefaction is assessed. This team’s work stands out for addressing a critical limitation in traditional liquefaction models, which classify field cases simply as "liquefaction" or "no liquefaction" based on surface evidence. This method often conflates factors influencing triggering with those affecting surface damage.

In this paper, they proposed a simplified liquefaction triggering model that aligns more accurately with a defined surface manifestation framework. This approach separates the factors influencing liquefaction initiation from those causing visible surface effects. As a result, it provides engineers with a more precise tool for evaluating risk and designing mitigation strategies, especially for complex conditions like pile foundations, embankments, and varied geologic settings.

Recognition of Excellence

The Collingwood Prize acknowledges the team’s dedication and the groundbreaking nature of this research, which holds the potential to transform liquefaction risk assessment and mitigation strategies globally and drive innovations in seismic safety and resilience.