BIOGRAPHICAL DATA
August 2005
ROBERT L. LYTTON, Ph.D., P.E.
Holder of the Fred J. Benson Chair in
Civil Engineering
BIOGRAPHICAL DATA
ROBERT L. LYTTON August 2005
F.J. Benson Chair
Director, Center for Infrastructure Engineering, Texas Engineering Experiment Station
Professor, Civil Engineering
Research Engineer, Texas Transportation Institute
Age: 66 Citizenship: U.S.
Birthplace: Port Arthur, Texas Marital Status: Married
Security Clearance: Secret (Exp'd) Number of Children: Three
Professional Interests: Expansive Clay Theory and Design
Soil Mechanics
Soil-Structure Interaction
Soil Dynamics
Continuum Mechanics
Fracture Mechanics
Micromechanics
EDUCATION
Ph.D. Civil Engineering, University of Texas, 1967
M.S. Civil Engineering, University of Texas, 1961
B.S. Civil Engineering, University of Texas, 1960
EXPERIENCE
Educational
Fred J. Benson Chair, September 1, 1995-present
A.P. and Florence Wiley Chair, October 1, 1990-August 31, 1995
Professor, Civil Engineering and Research Engineer, Texas Transportation Institute, September 1976-Present
Associate Professor, Civil Engineering and Associate Research Engineer, Texas Transportation Institute, January 1971 - September 1976
Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering, University of Texas, Austin, September 1967 - September 1968
Teaching Assistant, University of Texas, Austin, September 1965 - May 1967
2
Biodata.ful
Industrial
Post-Doctoral Fellow, U.S. National Science Foundation, Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, February 1969 - December 1970
Associate, J.B. Dannenbaum, Consulting Engineer, October 1963 -September 1965
Civil Engineer, U.S. Naval Civil Engineering Laboratory, Port Hueneme, California, June-August 1960
Military
Engineer Officer, 35th Engineer Group (Construction) Fort Hood, Texas and Fort Polk, Louisiana
Ranks: 2nd Lt. - June 4, 1960
1st Lt. - March 26, 1963
Captain - March 26, 1968
LICENSES:
Registered Professional Engineer, Texas #27657
Registered Professional Engineer, Louisiana #9620
Registered Land Surveyor, Louisiana #2434
Registered Fallout Shelter Analyst, #57787763
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:
Organizing Committee, Second International Conference on Unsaturated Soils, Beijing, Peoples Republic of China, August 1998.
Control Group Member, ASCE Standards Committee on the Design of Residential Foundations on Expansive Clays, 1992-present
Control Group Member, ASCE Standards Committee on Independent Peer Review, 1992-present
Member, General Design Subcommittee, Southern Building Code Congress International, 1986-1988
Chairman, Transportation Research Board Committee A2LO6 Environmental Factors Except Frost, 1987-1993
Organizing Committee, Seventh International Conference on Expansive Soils, Dallas, Texas, August, 1992
Organizing Committee, First International Conference on Unsaturated Soils, Paris,
France, September, 1995.
U. S. Representative on Committee TC-6, International Society of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, 1987 to present
Secretary, Fourth International Conference on Expansive Soils, Denver, Colorado, June, 1980
Chairman, Transportation Research Board Symposium on Swelling Soils, Session
98, 1975, Annual Meeting
Secretary, American Society of Civil Engineering Research Council on Expansive Soils
Transportation Research Board Committees: A2L06, Environmental Factors Except Frost; A2B01, Pavement Management Systems; A2B04, Pavement Rehabilitation; A2B05, Load and Deformation Properties of Pavements; Task Force A2T59, Relating Distress to Performance; Task Force A2T56, Non-Destructive Testing of Airfield Pavements
National Cooperative Highway Research Program Advisory Panel C1-17, Long-Term Effects of Environment
Chairman, Texas Section ASCE Soil Mechanics and Foundations Technical Committee, 1975
American Concrete Institute Committee 360
Post-Tensioning Institute Technical Advisory Board
International Society of Rock Mechanics, Commission on Swelling Rocks, Control Group Member
American Society of Civil Engineers Geotechnical Division, Computer Applications Committee
CONSULTING ACTIVITIES
The Prescon Corporation
The University of Texas at Arlington Construction Research Center
U.S. Army Waterways Experiment Station
New Mexico Engineering Research Institute
Thompson Engineering Corporation
Dames and Moore, Iberia, Madrid, Spain
Consulting and Research Services, Inc.
Austin Research Engineers, Inc.
Engineers Testing Laboratory, Inc.
Bechtel Corporation
Texas Industries, Inc.
Associated Inspection Services, Inc.
U.S. Army Engineer Construction Engineering Research Laboratory
Law Engineering Testing
Téchnico y Proyectas, S.A., Madrid, Spain
ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES
Chairman - Ph.D. Committees:
Aziz Ahmad
Victor C. Barber
Jayson Barfknecht (current)
Curtis Berthelot
Rifat Bulut (current)
Samuel H. Carpenter
Chia-Wei (Jason) Chen
Y. N. Chou
Koon Meng Chua
Andrew P. Covar (current)
Ahmed A. Eltahan
Derek A. Gay
Ranasinghege Jayatilaka
Priyantha Jayawickrama
Ming-Lou Liu
Shang-Jyh Liu (Co-Chairman with Hsin-I Wu)
Joe P. Mahoney
Joaquin Marti (Co-Chairman with R.A. Schapery)
Francis N. Nyangaga
Seong-Wan Park
Miguel Picornell
Carlos Pinero
Shelley M. Stoffels
Kuo-Hung Tseng
W. Kent Wray
Chairman - Masters Committees:
Serpil Rezzan Ayhan
Steven C. Bahrt
David H. Bierling
Sanet Brendenkamp (Jooste)
Fred A. Brown
William R. Campbell
Djan Chandra
Hang Sun Chang
Melissa Chau
Danqing Chen (never finished, left to join husband at U of Dallas)
Jinseong Choi
Chia-Wei Chen
Koon Meng Chua
Gregory Cleveland (current)
Kevin D. Copeland
Cristina M.Cuellar
Earl V. Edris
Cindy K. Estakhri (current)
Mark Gardner (never finished)
Fred P. Germann
M. Kabir Hossain
Denise M. Hoyt (never finished - quit to have family)
Ahmad N. Jamy
Ranasinghege Jayatilaka
Priyantha Jayawickrama
Phillip King
Tao-Ming King
Vipin G. Kohale
Gordon L. Kohutek
Mark J. Lamborn
Steve Lux
Antonio Marimon
Lynn Millegan
Donald D. Naiser, Jr.
James M. Naismith
Richard P. Palmer
Miguel Picornell
Dan E. Pickett
David L. Pickett
Daryl J. Poduska
Deepa Rajendran
N. Felton Rhodes
B. Lanka Santha
Sanjaya P. Senadheera
Ulpala Shanmugham
Leslie Titus-Glover
Kuo-Hung Tseng
Manuel Velasco
Abigail K. Wells (current)
K. A. S. Yapa
List of Dissertations and Theses:
Doctoral Dissertations:
Covar, Andrew P., "The Role of Uncertainty in the Design of High Hazard Waste
Management Facilities," Ph.D. Dissertation, Civil Engineering Department,
(To be submitted).
Pinero, Carlos S., "Use of High Volume Fly Ash Cement for Stabilization of Expansive
Soils with High Soluble Sulfates Content," Ph.D. Dissertation, Civil Engineering
Department, December, 2000.
Park, Seong-Wan, “Evaluation of Accelerated Rut Development in Unbound Pavement
Foundations and Load Limits on Load-Zoned Pavements,” Ph.D. Dissertation,
Civil Engineering Department, May, 2000
Jayatilaka, Ranasinghege, “A Model to Predict Expansive Clay Roughness in Pavements
with Vertical Moisture Barriers,” Ph.D. Dissertation, Civil Engineering Department, August, 1999.
Berthelot, Curtis F., "Mechanistic Modeling of Saskatchewan Specific Pavement Studies-
9A Asphalt Concrete Pavements," Ph.D dissertation, Civil Engineering
Department, May, 1999.
Chen, Chia-Wei (Jason), "Mechanistic Approach to the Evaluation of Microdamage
In Asphalt Mixes," Ph.D. Dissertation, Civil Engineering Department,
August, 1997.
Eltahan, Ahmed A., “A Mechanistic-Empirical Approach to the Development of a
Stochastic Reflection Crack Prediction Model for Flexible Pavement Overlays,” Ph.D. Dissertation, Civil Engineering Department, December, 1996.
Nyangaga, Francis N., "Developing a Model to Predict Pavement Roughness
Development on Expansive Soils," Ph.D. Dissertation, Civil Engineering
Department, May, 1996.
Gay, Derek A., "Development of a Predictive Model for Pavement Roughness on
Expansive Clay," Ph.D dissertation, Civil Engineering Department, May, 1994.
Liu, Ming-Lou, “Numerical Prediction of Pavement Distress with Geotechnical
Constitutive Law,” Ph.D. Dissertation, Civil Engineering Department, May, 1993.
Jayawickrama, Priyantha, " Liquid Transfer Through Preferential Flow Paths in
Compacted Clay," Ph. D. Dissertation, Civil Engineering Department,
May, 1990.
Chou, Yein-Juin (Eddie), "Development of an Expert System for Nondestructive
Pavement Structural Evaluation," Ph.D. Dissertation, Civil Engineering
Department, December, 1989.
Tseng, Kuo-Hung, "A Finite Element Method for the Performance Analysis of
Flexible Pavements," Ph. D. Dissertation, Civil Engineering Department,
August, 1988.
Chua, Koon Meng, “Time-Dependent Interaction of Soil and Flexible Pipe,” Ph.D.
Dissertation, Civil Engineering Department, May, 1986.
Picornell-Darder, Miguel, “The Development of Design Criteria to Select the Depth of a
Vertical Moisture Barrier,” Ph.D. Dissertation, Civil Engineering Department,
December, 1985.
Liu, Shang-Jyh, “Environmental Modeling of Vegetative Protection from Wind Erosion
and Rainfall Infiltration, Drainage, and Load Carrying Capacity of Pavements,”
Ph.D. Dissertation, Bioengineering, Co-chairman with Hsin Wu, August, 1984.
Mahoney, Joe P., "Measurements of Pavement Condition and Performance for Texas
Highways Using Sampling Techniques," Ph. D. Dissertation, Civil Engineering
Department, May, 1979.
Marti, Joaqin, "Lateral Loads Exerted on Offshore Piles," Ph. D. Dissertation, Co-
Chair with R. A. Schapery, Civil Engineering Department, 197 .
Wray, Warren K., “Development of a Design Procedure for Residential and Light
Commercial Slabs – on – Ground Constructed Over Expansive Soils,”
Ph.D. Dissertation, Civil Engineering Department, December, 1978.
Barber, Victor C., "The Deterioration and Reliability of Pavements," Ph.D. Dissertation,
Civil Engineering Department, May ,1978.
Ahmad, Aziz, "Analysis and Design Procedure for Highway - Railroad Grade Crossings,"
Ph.D. Dissertation, Civil Engineering Department, December, 1976.
Carpenter, Samuel H., “Thermal Susceptibility; A New Environmental Deterioration
Mechanism for Pavements,” Ph.D. Dissertation, Civil Engineering Department,
August, 1976.
Doctor of Engineering Internship Report:
Stoffels, Shelley Marie, “Intern Experience at ERES Consultants, Inc.,” Internship
Report, Doctor of Engineering, Civil Engineering Department, December, 1987.
Masters of Science Theses:
Naiser, Donald D., Jr., "Procedures to Predict Vertical Differential Soil Movement
For Expansive Soils," Master of Science Thesis, Civil Engineering Department,
December, 1997.
Poduska, Daryl Jason, “Rutting and Drainage Design Methodology for a Concrete Block
Pavement,” Master of Science Thesis, Civil Engineering Department, August,
1998.
Naismith, James M., “Using Reference Frames and the Global Positioning System (GPS)
to Produce Control Networks for Spatial Data,” Master of Science Thesis,
Civil Engineering Department, May, 1998.
Millegan, H. Lynn, "An Assessment of Potential for Benefit from Integrating
Geographic Information Systems Technology into Life-Cycle Management of
Infrastructures," Master of Science Thesis, Civil Engineering Department,
December, 1997.
Rajendran, Deepa, "Alternate Stabilizers: Solution Towards Reduction of Sulfate
Swell in Expansive Clay Sub-grades in the Dallas District," Master of Science
Thesis, Civil Engineering Department, August, 1997.
Ayhan, Serpil Rezzan, "Design and Development of a Laboratory Suction Measuring
Device," Master of Science Thesis, Civil Engineering Department, August, 1996.
Titus-Glover, Leslie, “Evaluation of Pavement Base and Subgrade Material Properties
and Test Procedures,” Master of Science Thesis, Civil Engineering Department,
August, 1995.
Bredenkamp (Jooste), Sanet, “Sulfate Induced Heave in Lime Stabilized Soil,” Master of
Science Thesis, Civil Engineering Department, December, 1994.
Jayatilaka, Ranasinghege, "Effectiveness of Vertical Moisture Barriers in Highway
Pavements on Expansive Soils," Master of Science Thesis, Civil Engineering
Department, May, 1993.
Jamy, Ahmad N., "Evaluation of Tire Pressure, Tire Construction, Axle Configuration
And Axle Load on Flexible Pavement Performance," Master of Science Thesis,
Civil Engineering Department, August, 1991.
Hossain, Mohammad Kabir, “Finite Element Analysis and Design of Large Diameter
Flexible Vertical Pipes Subjected to Incremental Compacted Backfill Loads and
Creep Effects,” Master of Science Thesis, Civil Engineering Department, August,
1990.
Santha, B. Lanka, “A Microcomputer Procedure for Structural Evaluation of Low-
Volume Roads,” Master of Science Thesis, Civil Engineering Department,
August, 1990.
Senadheera, Sanjaya P., “Analysis for Design of Thick Granular Bases under Heavy
Aircraft Loading,” Master of Science Thesis, Civil Engineering Department,
August, 1990.
Chua, Melissa Tuyet-Mai, “Stability Analysis of Buried Flexible Pipes: A Biaxial
Buckling Equation,” Master of Science Thesis, Civil Engineering Department,
May, 1990.
Chandra, Djan, "Effects of Temperature and Moisture on Low-Volume roads," Master
Of Science Thesis, Civil Engineering Department, December, 1988.
Yapa, Kashyapa A.S., “A Simplified Mechanistic Rut-Depth Prediction Procedure for
Low-Volume Roads,” Master of Science Thesis, Civil Engineering Department,
December, 1988.
Palmer, Richard Paul, “A Mechanistic Model for the Prediction of Stresses, Strains, and
Displacements in Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavements,” Master of
Science Thesis, Civil Engineering Department, May, 1988.
Lamborn, Mark J., "A Micromechanical Approach to Modeling Partly Saturated Soils,"
Master of Science Thesis, Civil Engineering Department, December, 1986.
Bahrt, Steven C., "Parameter for Landfill-Liner Leak-Rate Model," Master of Science
Thesis, (Co-Chair with Kirk W. Brown). Civil Engineering Department,
December, 1985
Jayawickrama, Priyantha W., "Methodology for Predicting Asphalt Concrete Overlay
Life Against Reflection Cracking," Master of Science Thesis, Civil Engineering
Department, May 1985.
Brown, Frederick A., "A Numerically Based Design Procedure for Buried High-
Density Polyethylene Profile-Wall Pipes Buried in Fine Grained In-Situ
Soils," Master of Science Thesis, Civil Engineering Department, December,
1984.
Chua, Koon Meng, " Load Rating of Light Pavement Structures," Master of Science
Thesis, Civil Engineering Department, December, 1983.
Kohutek, Gordon L., "The Development of Regional Overlay Design Equations to
Consider Reflection Cracking," Master of Science Thesis, Civil Engineering
Department, December, 1983.
Pickett, David L., "Laboratory Evaluation of Selected Fabrics for Reinforcement of
Asphaltic Concrete Overlays," Master of Science Thesis, Civil Engineering
Department, May 1981.
Velasco, Manuel O., "Pavement Roughness on Expansive Clays," Master of Science
Thesis, Civil Engineering Department, December, 1980.
German, Frederick P.,"Predicting the Fatigue Life of Asphalt Concrete Overlay
Systems," Master of Science Thesis, Civil Engineering Department, May, 1979.
Campbell, William R., Jr., "Properties of Frozen Base Course Material in West Texas,"
Master of Science Thesis, Civil Engineering Department, December, 1978.
Rhodes, Noah Felton, Jr., "An Investigation of Vehicle Speed and Pavement Roughness
Relationships for Texas Highways," Master of Engineering Report, Civil
Engineering Department, August, 1978.
Pickett, Daniel E., "Extension and Replacement of Asphalt Cement with Sulphur,"
Master of Science Thesis, Civil Engineering Department, December, 1977.
Edris, Earl V., "Dynamic Properties of Sub-grade Soils, Including Environmental
Effects, " Master of Science Thesis, Civil Engineering Department, May, 1976.
Chang, Hang-Sun, “Prediction of Thermal Reflection Cracking in West Texas,” Master
of Science Thesis, Civil Engineering Department, August, 1975.
Master of Engineering Reports:
Kohale, Vipin G., "Design of Asphalt Concrete Overlay to Mitigate Reflection
Cracking," Master of Engineering Report, Civil Engineering Department,
June, 2000.
Cuellar, Cristina M., "Ground Penetrating Radar Applications in Subsurface
Contaminant Identification," Master of Engineering Report, Civil Engineering
Department, December, 1999.
Bierling, David H., "Dredged Material Consolidation Methods and Properties," Master
of Engineering Report, Civil Engineering Department, November, 1999.
Copeland, Kevin D., "Behavioral Prediction and Design of Piers in Expansive Soils,"
Master of Engineering Report, Civil Engineering Department, June, 1997.
Chen, Chia-Wei (Jason), "A Finite Formulation of Nonlinear Structure-Soil Interacting
System for Seismic Response Analysis," Master of Engineering Report Civil
Engineering Department, May, 1993.
Choi, Jin Seong, "Reinforcing Fiberglass Grids for Asphalt Overlay," Master of
Engineering Report, Civil Engineering Department, December, 1987.
Tseng, Kuo-Hung, " ,"
Master of Engineering Report, Civil Engineering Department, , 198 .
Picornell, Darder Miguel, "An Investigation of Two Case Histories of Chemical
Treatment of Expansive Soil in Denver, Colorado," Master of Engineering
Report, Civil Engineering Department, February, 1982.
King, Philip G., "A Review of Some Methods of Deep In-Situ Soil Lime Stabilization,"
Master of Engineering Report, Civil Engineering Department, July, 1980.
Shanmugham, Ulpala L., "Prediction of Thermal Fatigue Cracking Using Fracture
Mechanics," Master of Engineering Report, Civil Engineering Department, May,
1980.
Lux, Steven, "A Design Program for Drilled Piers in Expansive Soils," Master of
Engineering Report, Civil Engineering Department, , 197 .
Rhodes, Noah Felton, Jr., "An Investigation of Vehicle Speed and Pavement Roughness
Relationships for Texas Highways," Master of Engineering Report, Civil