• In-situ evaluation of strategraphy, strength, and consolidation characteristics of soils, evaluating of embankment settlement,  and predicting the ultimate pile capacity from CPT test data,
• Numerical modeling and finite element analysis of geotechnical engineering problems,
• The use of geosynthetics to reinforce earth walls, subgrades and bases for pavement applications, and reinforced soil foundation; analysis of soil-geosynthetic interaction from pullout and large direct shear tests,
• The use of in-situ testing for the quality control and quality assurance (QC/QA) in the construction of geomaterials.

Current Research Projects

• Evaluation of the Base/Subgrade Soil under Repeated Loading, a project funded by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LA DOTD).
• Control of Embankment settlement: Field Verification of PCPT Prediction Methods,” a project funded by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LA DOTD).
• Use of Reinforced Soil Foundation (RSF) to Support Shallow Foundation, a project funded by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LA DOTD).

Education

• Ph.D. in Geotechnical  Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 1997
• M.S. in Structural Engineering, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan, 1988
• B.S. in Civil Engineering, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan, 1985

Professional Experience

• 2002-present Research Assistant Professor, Louisiana Transportation Research Center, Louisiana State University
• 1997-2002 Research Associate, Louisiana Transportation Research Center, Louisiana State University
• 1992-1997 Research Assistant, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Louisiana State University
• 1989-1992 Geotechnical Engineer, Arab Corporation for Engineering and Geotechnology, Amman, Jordan
• 1988-1989 Structural Engineer, Subhi Tabal Establishment, Amman, Jordan

Professional Society Memberships

• American Society of Civil Engineering, ASCE
• TRB Committee AFP20 - Committee on Exploration and Classification of earth Materials
• TRB Committee AFS50 - Committee on Modeling Techniques in Geomechanics
• TRB Committee AFS70 - Committee on Geosynthetics
• Jordan Engineering Association

Courses Taught

• CE 4300 Shallow Foundation
• CE 4350 Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory 
• CE 7300 Advanced Geotechnical Engineering I
• CE 7335 Soil Improvement and Stabilization
• CE 7700 Numerical Methods in Geotechnical Engineering
• CE 2450 Statics
• CE 2460 Dynamics

Abu-Farsakh, M. Y., Nazzal, M., Alshibli, K., and Seyman, E., “Application of DCP in Pavement Construction Control,” accepted for publication in the Journal of the Transportation Research Board and for presentation at the 84th TRB annual meeting.

Wei, L., Tumay, M. T., and Abu-Farsakh, M. Y., 2005 “Field Testing of Inclined Cone penetration,”  ASTM American society for Testing and Materials, Vol. 28, No. 1, pp. 31-41. 

Alshibli, K., Abu-Farsakh, M. Y., and Seyman, E., 2005 “Laboratory Evaluation of the Geogauge and Light Falling Weight Deflectometer as a Construction Control Tool,” ASCE Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, Vol. 17, No. 5. pp. 560 – 569.

Abu-Farsakh, M. Y., and Titi, H. H., 2004 “Assessment of Direct CPT Methods for Predicting the Ultimate Capacity of Friction Driven Piles,” ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, volume 130, No. 9, pp. 935 - 944.

Abu-Farsakh, M., Alshibli K., Nazzal M., and Mohammad L., 2004, “Evaluation of In-situ Stiffness Modulus of Subgrades and Base Layers using the Geogauge Device,” International Journal of Pavements, volume 3, No. 1-2, pp. 89-101.

Farrag K., Abu-Farsakh M., and Morvant M., 2004, “Stress and Strain Monitoring of Reinforced-Soil Test Wall,” Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 1868, Soil Mechanics, pp. 89 - 102.

Wei L., Abu-Farsakh, M. Y., and Tumay, M. T., 2004, “Numerical Parametric Study of Piezocone Penetration in Anisotropically Consolidated Clay,” Electronic Journal for Geotechnical Engineering (EJGE), volume 9D.

Abu-Farsakh, M. Y., Tumay, M. T., and Voyiadjis G. Z., 2003, “A Numerical Parametric Study of the Piezocone Penetration Test in Clays,” International Journal of Geomechanics, Vol. 3, No. 3/4, pp. 170-181.

Titi, Hani H., Abu-Farsakh, M. Y., and Morvant, M., 2002 “Implementation of CPT Technology in Design and Analysis of Driven Piles”, Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 1808, Soils, Geology, and Foundations, pp. 168 - 179.

Abu-Farsakh, M. Y., and Voyiadjis G. Z., 1999, “Computational Model for the Simulation of the Shield Tunneling Process in Cohesive Soils,” International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics, vol. 23, pp. 23-44.

Voyiadjis G. Z. and Abu-Farsakh, M. Y., 1997, “Coupled Theory of Mixtures for Clayey Soils,” Computer and Geotechnics, vol. 20, No. 3/4, pp. 195-222.  
 

Selected Special Publications and Proceedings

Almoh’d I., Abu-Farsakh, M. Y., and Farrag, K., 2005 “Geosynthetic Reinforcement-Cohesive Soil Interface during Pullout,” ASCE Geotechnical Practical Publication 3, Great Lakes, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Abu-Farsakh, M. Y., Farrag, K., Almoh’d I., and Mohiuddin, A., 2005 “Bearing and Frictional Contributions to the Pullout Capacity of Geogrid Reinforcements in Cohesive Backfill,” Geotechnical Special Publication GSP No. 140, Slopes And Retaining Structures Under Seismic And Static Conditions,  Geo-Frontiers 2005, Austin, Texas.

Nazzal M., Abu-Farsakh M. Y., Alshibli K., and Mohammad L., 2004 “Evaluating the Potential use of a Portable LFWD for Characterization of Pavement Layers and Subgrades,” ASCE Geotechnical Special Publication, No. 126,  Geo-Trans 2004, pp. 915-924.

Titi, H. H., Mahamid M., and Abu-Farsakh, M. Y., 2004, “Evaluation of CPT Methods for Load and Resistance Factor Design of Driven Piles,” ASCE Geotechnical Special Publication, No. 126,  Geo-Trans 2004, pp. 687-696.

Abu-Farsakh, M. Y., Farrag, K., Almoh’d I., and Mohiuddin, A., 2004, “Evaluation of Interaction between Geosynthetics and Marginal Cohesive Soils from Pullout Tests,” ASCE Geotechnical Practical Publication 1, Geo Jordan 2004, pp. 299-310.

Abu-Farsakh, M. Y., Alshibli, K., Nazzal, M., and Seyman, E., 2004, “Evaluating the Stiffness Modulus of Highway Materials from the Geogauge Device,” ASCE Geotechnical Practical Publication 1, Geo Jordan 2004, pp. 287-298.

Titi, H. H., Abu-Farsakh, M. Y., and Tumay, M. T., 1999, “Evaluation of Pile Load Tests in Soft Cohesive Louisiana Soils,” ASCE Geotechnical Special Publication GSP 88, OTRC ‘99 Conference, Analysis, Design, Construction and Testing of Deep Foundations, Austin, Texas, pp. 296-308.