Benjamin J. Turner, P.E.

Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering Researcher @ UCLA

Education

B.S.                 Civil Engineering, 2009, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

M.S.                Civil Engineering, 2010, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Ph.D.               Civil Engineering, 2015 (expected), University of California, Los Angeles

 

Experience

2012-present   Ph.D. Candidate and Research Assistant, UCLA

2014-present   Part-Time Project Engineer, Dan Brown and Associates, P.C. (press)

2010-2014       Staff Engineer, Shannon & Wilson, Inc., Los Angeles, CA

2009-2010       M.S. Student and Research Assistant, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA

2007-2009       Asst. Project Manager, AIS Construction Co., Carpinteria, CA

2005-2008       Engineer’s Assistant, GeoSolutions, Inc., San Luis Obispo, CA

 

Professional Memberships/Affiliations

Geo-Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Los Angeles Chapter

Deep Foundations Institute

American Society of Civil Engineers

Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (student member)

 

Professional Honors and Awards

2014               Deep Foundations Institute Annual Student Paper Competition Winner

2014-2015       Recipient of graduate scholarship from ASCE Geo-Institute, Los Angeles Chapter

2013-2014       Recipient of graduate scholarship from ACEC California, Los Angeles County Chapter

2013               Deep Foundations Institute annual student load test prediction competition winner

2012-2013       UCLA Dept. of Civil Engineering fellowship; outstanding geotechnical graduate student
                        of the year

2009-2010       Recipient of scholarships from ADSC: The International Association of Foundation
                        Drilling, ACEC California, American Shotcrete Association, Fugro, Inc., and Kiewit
                        Construction Co

 

Licensed Professional Engineer

California #C80016

 

Fields of Competence

 

       Geotechnical site exploration and characterization, including hollow-stem auger and mud rotary drilling methods, cone penetration testing, geotechnical laboratory testing, and geologic interpretation;

       Analysis, design, and construction support for shallow and deep foundations, including geotechnical and structural limit states;

       Slope stability analysis for landslides and excavations in soil and rock; design and construction support for earth retention systems including anchored soldier pile walls, soil nails walls, mechanically stabilized earth walls, gabions, and rockfall barriers and nets;

       Earthquake engineering, including analysis and design of foundations and retaining structures under seismic loading conditions, soil-structure interaction including inertial and kinematic (e.g. lateral spreading) excitation, liquefaction susceptibility and triggering analysis, mitigation for liquefaction and liquefaction-induced ground failure, probabilistic seismic hazard analysis including site response, evaluation of soil dynamic properties, and design of reinforced concrete members with seismic detailing;

       Numerical modeling in support of the topics listed above using finite element and limit equilibrium methods.

 

Selected Consulting Projects

 

White Point Landslide, San Pedro, CA. Slope stability analysis and preliminary engineering of alternative mitigation strategies for landslide that destroyed regional thoroughfare. Design of stabilization system for slope adjacent to active landslide to protect remaining roadway and structures.

Universal Studios Broadcast Center Seismic Retrofit, Los Angeles, CA.  Designed rock-socketed micropile and drilled shaft foundation alternatives to support supplemental shear walls for existing building; performed seismic hazard analysis to characterize ground motions and ground failure during design earthquake.

Union Pacific Railroad Stabilization Projects, CA.  Site characterization, design, and construction support for unstable slopes adjacent to track in several locations along Santa Barbara and Sacramento Subdivisions, primarily utilizing anchored soldier pile walls founded in rock.

U.S. Coast Guard Crew Support Bldg, Alameda, CA.  Site characterization and design of augercast pile and hybrid augercast pile/ mat slab foundation alternatives for building situated on hydraulic fill and soft clay with potential for lateral instability during seismic loading.

Port Mann Bridge, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Construction support during installation of 2.5-m diam. drilled shafts via oscillator method in glacially overridden soil.

 

Other

Paper Reviewer, ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering

OSHA 40-hr Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response certified

Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) safety trained

e-RAILSAFE and Railroad Contractor Orientation safety certified

Wilderness First Aid Certification from American Red Cross