Career: Uncertainty Management in Geoenvironmental Engineering

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Abstract 9624544 The goal of this career-development project is to facilitate uncertainty management in geoenvironmental engineering through both research and educational activities. Uncertainty is significant in geoenvironmental engineering, and its effective management is necessary to maximize benefits and minimize costs. The specific research objectives are: 1. Develop and teach fundamental principles and practical tools for managing uncertainty in geoenvironmental design. 2. Gain and disseminate knowledge about the performance (both technical and economic) of remedial actions at contaminated sites. 3. Create innovative educational units based on experiential learning for teaching uncertainty management principles. 4. Provide unique educational and research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, such as interactions with private industry in internship programs and through research collaboration. A key element of the project is interaction between academia and industry; it is essential in meeting each one of the stated objectives. The project consists of integrated research and educational activities, including the compilation of a data base of performance information for remedial actions at contaminated sites. Focus is placed on obtaining high quality, detailed information for ten to fifteen sites, with selected sites being used for case studies, both in research and in teaching. Following the incorporation of an existing groundwater flow and transport model into a simulation tool to create hypothetical sites with complex, heterogeneous, and transient subsurface conditions, this simulation tool is used to study site investigation strategies, and as part of an interactive software package for students to learn about designing site investigation programs. Theoretical analyses are conducted to develop practical guidelines and tools for evaluating the extent of contamination and for predicting design performance. The education componen t includes, (1) the development of a new graduate-level course and a continuing education course to teach about uncertainty management in geoenvironmental engineering, and (2) the incorporation into an undergraduate course of a laboratory program that allows students to experiment with the fundamentals of probability and statistics through numerical simulation. Opportunities will be created for student interaction with private industry and other disciplines through internship programs, guest lectures and research collaboration. This career development project addresses an important problem in geoenvironmental engineering, namely uncertainty management. In addition, it will advance uncertainty management in other engineering disciplines. The ultimate product will be engineering students and practitioners who have the capability to manage uncertainty effectively. ***