Research

Featured research

One of the largest and most unique subsurface imaging experiments ever conducted in Florida, USA

We conducted one of the world's most unique near-surface imaging experiments using seismic waves in Newberry, Florida, at a site known for significant spatial variability, karstic voids, and underground anomalies. The experiment utilized state-of-the-art sensing technologies to sense active-source and passive-wavefield seismic waves, including approximately two kilometers of distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) fiber optic cable, forming a dense 2D array of 1920 channels, and a 2D array of 144 three-component nodal stations. The active-source data was generated using a large three-dimensional vibroseis shaker truck and impact sources, and it was simultaneously sensed by both the DAS and the nodal stations. The raw and processed data, along with detailed documentation of the experiment and Python tools to aid in visualizing the DAS dataset have been archived and made publicly available on DesignSafe

Research story 

In 2013, my research journey commenced when I crossed paths with Professor Mohamed Ashour at Mansoura University, Egypt, during my pursuit of a Structural Engineering MSc. Professor Ashour had recently returned from the US and opted to teach in Egypt for a brief period. Renowned for his work on deep foundations, particularly the strain wedge model (SWM) technique, cited extensively in FHWA manuals, Professor Ashour became my guiding mentor throughout my first and second master's degrees. Upon completing my second master's, I attended an open house organized by the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), where I met Professor Brady Cox during my quest for a Ph.D. opportunity. As he transitioned from his position as a Professor at UT Austin to a Professor at USU, Professor Cox presented me with an enticing offer of a fully funded Ph.D. position at USU. Professor Cox's expertise in subsurface imaging and site response captivated my interest, and the prospect of establishing a research lab from scratch seldom arises. As a researcher, I have consistently produced high-quality papers regardless of the availability of extensive equipment worth hundreds of thousands of dollars or just a laptop. In my view, enduring research must undergo rigorous peer review, be published, and whenever possible, be accompanied by practical tools to facilitate the implementation of its findings. Consequently, throughout my research expedition, I consistently developed software and computational resources that facilitate the practical application of my research findings, benefitting both academia and industry alike. 

Timeline

Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering | Utah State University, USA (2024)

MS in Systems and Materiel Engineering | Alabama A&M University, USA (2020)

MS in Structural Engineering | Mansoura University, Egypt (2017)

BS in Civil Engineering | Mansoura University, Egypt (2012)

Research interests

Subsurface imaging and site response

Dynamic site characterization techniques based on seismic wave propagation have the potential to revolutionize geotechnical site characterization. There are two main categories of common Vs characterization techniques, noninvasive/surface wave methods, and invasive/borehole methods. Although invasive methods are often more time-consuming and expensive, they produce 1D Vs profiles at the measurement location that are generally believed to be more accurate than noninvasive methods. A broader spatial area can be sampled using noninvasive methods because they use arrays of receivers placed across the ground surface. For site response analyses, it is imperative to determine the Vs structure, whether it be through invasive or noninvasive methods. My Ph.D. with Professor Brady Cox incorporates field testing, lab work, and intensive data processing. I have used 1D, 2D, and 3D invasive and noninvasive imaging methods like cross-hole, surface wave inversion, machine learning, and Full Waveform Inversion (FWI). We have collected data using geophones, several types of 3-component seismometers, and distributed acoustic sensing (DAS). We have triggered seismic waves using a variety of tools starting from a sledgehammer to multimillion-dollar vibroseis shaker trucks. We implemented these techniques in several high-profile projects



Soil-pile interaction and soil modeling

Pile foundation is among the oldest yet most popular construction techniques to date. It is often necessary to install deep foundations to resist uplift or lateral forces, extend the foundation beneath the scouring depth, or when the soil beneath the base of a structure does not have the bearing capacity to support it. Depending on the type of load and soil conditions, engineers and contractors have developed different methods for installing deep foundations. During my research with Professor Ashour, we developed several analytical methods for modeling the soil-pile interaction based on both the soil and pile properties. Our work encompassed axially and laterally loaded single piles and pile groups. For instance, we designed a closed-form solution that computes the pile cap settlement and rotation when supported by any configuration of piles with different dimensions (i.e., stiffness) and subjected to axial forces and/or moments. We have also developed a model for predicting the collapse potential of collapsible soil and its inundated stress-strain curve, which was incorporated into a soil-pile interaction model to estimate the pile response to downdrag. We have also updated the Strain Wedge Model (SWM) technique allowing it to solve for the lateral mobilized response of pile-group-cap systems. All of our research was either published in journal articles or project reports and packaged into software to ease its use by researchers and industry engineers. 

Training

DesignSafe Academy and NHERI hackathon.

The DesignSafe Academy (DSA) included hands-on training on DesignSafe tools and real-world case studies. It is designed to enable graduate students and postdocs working on natural hazards to use DesignSafe in innovative ways. The DSA covered a range of tools and workflows around data analysis, artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, and visualization in DesignSafe. The DSA offered regular lectures followed by hands-on training and discussion sessions covering several real-world case studies. Participants had the opportunity to explore case studies on hurricanes, flooding, and earthquakes through experts in these fields. The academy culminates in the NHERI Hackathon, where participants incorporate DesignSafe, SimCenter, and other NHERI components into natural hazards research. Participants were asked to develop streamlined workflows for Natural Hazards research with support from field experts, and TACC staff. These workflows could be deployed on DesignSafe and SimCenter for broader use in the natural hazards community.



NHERI Rapid Intensive Hands-On Workshop

The RAPID Facility's mission is to enable transformative research by providing natural hazard and disaster researchers with the resources and support needed to collect, process, and analyze perishable data from extreme events. These unique open datasets serve various purposes, including developing and calibrating scientific natural hazard simulation models. 

Journal articles

[J13] Abbas, A., Aimar, M., Cox, B., Foti, S. (2024) "A Frequency-Domain Beamforming Procedure for Extracting Rayleigh Wave Attenuation Coefficients and Small-Strain Damping Ratio from 2D Ambient Noise Array Measurements" Submitted to Earthquake Spectra (Preprint)

[J12] Abbas, A., Cox, B. R., Tran, K. T., Corey, I., Dawadi, N. (2024) "An Open‐Access Data Set of Active‐Source and Passive‐Wavefield DAS and Nodal Seismometer Measurements at the Newberry Florida Site" Seismological Research Letters (SSA). (Paper | Preprint)

[J11] Abbas, A., Aimar, M., Yust, M.,  Cox, B., Foti, S., (2024) "Emerging technologies and advanced analyses for non-invasive near-surface site characterization" Soils and Rocks. link 

[J10] Abbas, A., Vantassel, J., Cox, B., Kumar, K., Crocker, J., (2023) "A Frequency-Velocity CNN for Developing Near-Surface 2D Vs Images from Linear-Array, Active-Source Wavefield Measurements" Computers and Geotechnics (Elsevier). DOI: 10.1016/j.compgeo.2023.105305. (Paper | Preprint)

[J9] Xu, X., Abbas, A., Lee, J., (2022) "Characterization of fracture process zones in scaled centre-notched quasi-isotropic carbon/epoxy laminates using a convolutional neural network" Engineering Fracture Mechanics (Elsevier). DOI: 10.1016/j.engfracmech.2022.108768. link

[J8] Ashour, M., Abbas, A. (2021) "Mobilized response of piles subjected to downdrag" International Journal of Geomechanics (ASCE). DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0002087. link 

[J7] Ashour, M., Abbas, A. (2020) "Response of piles in multilayers of soil under uplift forces" International Journal of Geomechanics (ASCE). 0.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0001676. link 

[J6] Ashour, M., Abbas, A., (2020) "Axially Loaded Piles in Inundated Collapsible Soils under Compression and Tension Forces" Canadian Journal of civil engineering (NCR). https://doi.org/10.1139/cjce-2019-0506. link

[J5] Ashour, M., Abbas, A., Altahrany, A., Alaaeldin, A. (2020) "Modeling the Behavior of Inundated Collapsible Soils" Engineering Reports (Wiley). https://doi.org/10.1002/eng2.12156. link 

[J4] Ashour, M., Abbas, A., Boskovic, S. (2019) "Pile cap interaction with bridge pile foundations under lateral loads" Journal of Bridge Engineering (ASCE). 10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0001408. link 

[J3] Ashour, M., Altahrany, Abbas, A. (2019) "Development of t–z curve for piles in sands under uplift force" Innovative Infrastructure Solutions (Springer). 10.1007%2Fs41062-019-0210-7. link 

[J2] Abbas, A., Ashour, M., Altahrany, A. (2017) "Behaviour of piles subjected to uplift loads in sand" New York Science Journal, Marsland press. 10.7537/marsnys100517.02. link

[J1] Abbas, A., Ashour, M., Altahrany, A. (2017) "Pile response under axial tension forces in sandy soils" Journal of Bridge Engineering (ASCE).  10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0001142. link 

Datasets

[D2] Abbas, A., Cox, B., Dawadi, N., Jackson, N., Cannon, K., (2024) “Geotechnical site characterization at the Drainage Farm Site.” DesignSafe-CI. https://doi.org/10.17603/ds2-sx2h-8s20 v1. link.

[D1] Abbas, A., B. Cox, K. Tran, I. Corey, N. Dawadi, F. Menq. (2023) "Active-source and Passive-wavefield DAS and Nodal Station Measurements at the Newberry Florida Site." DesignSafe-CI. https://doi.org/10.17603/ds2-50eh-7v93 v1. link. 


Conference papers

[C1] Ashour, M., Singh, J., Abbas, A. (2018) "Load Transfer Curve of Piles in Sands under Uplift Forces" Proceedings of the 43rd Annual Conference on Deep Foundations, 2018, Anaheim, CA, USA, (DFI). 


Technical reports

[R9] Cox, B., Abbas, A., Dawadi, N. (2024) "Deep Shear Wave Velocity Profiling Using MASW and MAM Surface Wave Methods: Kemmerer Unit 1 Site, Wyoming" Geotechnical Engineering Report COX24-04, Utah State University, Logan, Utah.

[R8] Cox, B., Dawadi, N., Abbas, A. (2024) "Deep Shear Wave Velocity Profiling Using MASW and MAM Surface Wave Methods: Palisades NPP Site"Geotechnical Engineering Report COX24-01, Utah State University, Logan, Utah.

[R7] Ashour, M., Bhattacharjee, S., Abbas, A. (2023) "Assessment And Evaluation Of Post-Liquefaction Lateral Spread Impact On Bridge Deep Foundations" National Center for Transportation Infrastructure Durability & Life-Extension (TriDurLE). - In Progress

[R6] Cox, B., Abbas, A., (2023) "Deep Shear Wave Velocity Profiling Using MASW and MAM Surface Wave Methods: Duynefontyn Project, South Africa" Geotechnical Engineering Report COX23-01, Utah State University, Logan, Utah.

[R5] Cox, B., Abbas, A., Aimar, M., Foti, S., (2022) "Champlain Towers South Soil Attenuation/Damping Measurements" Geotechnical Engineering Report COX22-02, Utah State University, Logan, Utah.

[R4] Cox, B., Cannon, K., Jackson, T., Abbas, A., (2022) "Deep Shear Wave Velocity Profiling Using MASW and MAM Surface Wave Methods: Assembly Hall on Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Utah" Geotechnical Engineering Report COX22-01, Utah State University, Logan, Utah.

[R3] Ashour, M., Abbas, A., (2022) "Evaluation of downdrag loads on bridge pile foundations in inundated collapsible soils" National Center for Transportation Infrastructure Durability & Life-Extension (TriDurLE). 

[R2] Cox, B., Abbas, A., (2021) “Deep Shear Wave Velocity Profiling Using MASW and MAM Surface Wave Methods: North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina” Geotechnical Engineering Report COX21-01, Utah State University, Logan, Utah.

[R1] Ashour, M., Abbas, A., Bhattacharjee, S. (2021) "Serviceability of Piles under Compression and Downdrag Forces" Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) Contract No. 930-978.