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Dr. Debra F. Laefer | ||
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DEBRA LAEFER North Carolina State University Department of Civil Engineering 208 Stinson Dr., Campus Box 7908 Raleigh,
NC 27695-7908
(919) 515-7631 (919)
515-7908 fax debra_laefer@ncsu.edu EDUCATION PhD 2001 Civil Engineering, Geotechnical, Phi Kappa
Phi University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois. M.S. 1997 Civil Engineering, Structural, Phi Kappa Phi University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois. M.S. 1994 Civil Engineering, Geotechnical, Tau Beta Pi Polytechnic
University, Brooklyn, New York. B.S. 1992 Civil Engineering, Columbia University, School
of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), New York, New York. B.A. 1991 Art History, Columbia University, Dean’s List Columbia
College (CC), New York, New York. RESEARCH INTERESTS • Preventative measures for the protection of
the built environment from man-made ground movements, vibrations, and direct
attacks. • Damage prediction and monitoring of building and utility
response due to adjacent excavation and tunneling. • The stabilization, repair, restoration, and
seismic retrofit of unreinforced masonry and archaeological ruins. • Soil improvement and reinforcement
techniques to preclude and arrest ground movements, including innovative foundation
alternatives. • Infrastructure renewal, focusing on new
applications of grout and synthetics for structural and geotechnical
enhancement. FUNDED RESEARCH • General Electric, Research Program for
Minority Undergraduates, Faculty Supervisor, “Risk Assessment of a Local Family
Planning Facility from High Explosives Attack”, 2002. • National Center for Preservation Technology
and Training, MT-2210-8-NC-27, Publications Grant for Computerized Masonry
Database, 1998. • American Society of Civil Engineers, O.H.
Ammann, Research Fellowship in Structural Engineering, 1997. • National Academy of Applied Science, U.S.
Army’s Research and Engineering Apprenticeship Program, 1997. • International Programs Office, Travel Grant
to London, Inspection of underground construction, 1996. • National Endowment for the Arts, Individual
Design Grant, 95-4216-0013, Research grant for masonry repair, Jun. 1995-Jun.
1997. • Federal Highway Administration,
“DTFH61-94-P-01710, Micropiles and Related Techniques: State of Technology”, Oct. 1994-Apr. 1995. • American Society of Civil Engineers, Trent
R. Dames and William W. Moore Fellowship, Research grant for ground
reinforcement, 1994. • National Endowment for the Humanities,
Younger’s Scholar Grant, “Demographic Changes in Brooklyn World War II to the
Present”, 1987.
FELLOWSHIPS, SCHOLARSHIPS, HONORS, AND AWARDS Fellowships and Scholarships
General Electric, Teaching Incentive Grant,
2000. American Association of University Women,
Selected Professions Fellowship, 1999-2000. Department of Civil and Environmental
Engineering, Travel Grant, 1998. Ford Foundation Fellow, Arms Control,
Disarmament, and International Security, “Protection of Cultural Monuments from
Terrorism and War”, 1997-98. American Women in Science Scholarship, 1997. Earthquake Engineering Research Institute,
Travel Grant, 1997. Kosciuszko Foundation Scholarship, 1997. National Science Foundation Fellowship, SURGE
Program, 1995-96. Fulbright Fellowship, Milan, Italy. “Seismic Retrofit of Unreinforced Masonry
Via Grout Based Technology”, 1994-95. Bishop Scholar (Columbia Engineering
Scholarship Award for Leadership Potential), 1989. Honors and Awards Equity for Women Award, Finalist, NCSU, 2002. Faculty Seminar, Campus Writing and Speaking
Program, NCSU, Spring 2002. Civil Engineer of the Week, University of
Illinois, 1996, 1997 and 2001. Women in Engineering, Summer Middle School
Camps Girls, Departmental Representative, 1999 & 2000. Phi Kappa Phi, University of Illinois Honor
Society, inducted 1999. National Academy of Applied Science,
Apprenticeship Program, 1997. Tau Beta Pi, Rho Chapter, 1993. “Fast Track” Employee Award National Park
Service, 1993. Mayor’s Corps of Engineers, New York City,
1991. TEACHING AND RESEARCH SUPERVISION EXPERIENCE Teaching Assistant Professor, North Carolina State
University Introduction to Soil Mechanics, Fall 2001 --
core undergraduate course. Rock Mechanics, Blasting, and Tunneling,
Spring 2002 -- special topics, advanced graduate class. •
Created and taught this new course. Protection of Critical Infrastructure and
Population Against Terrorist Attacks, Spring 2002. •
Adapted a course developed at the University of Illinois into a joint large
lecture/small seminar class to meet the enrollment demands of the post
September 11 atmosphere. •
Introduced the cross-university program for both graduate and undergraduate
students.
Research Supervison Supervisor – Individual Research, North
Carolina State University Pioneering the translation of scanned data
into finite element meshes for the purpose of facilitating the analysis of
existing structures; doctoral candidate Erol Kalkan, Spring, 2002 - current. Creating a seamlessly integrated management
information system with GIS, CAD, and relational databases for pre-and
post-incident hazard assessment for urban areas using the World Trade Center
September 11, 2001 data; master’s candidate Anu Pradhan and bachelor’s
candidate Alison Koss, Winter, 2001- current. Devising meaningful laboratory tests for
soundless demolition materials; bachelor’s candidates John Wortman and Nicole
Ambrozevitch, Spring 2002 - current. Analyzing below ground and surface soil
movement due to tunneling in Seoul; bachelor’s candidate Justin Struble, Spring
2002- current. Assessing the vulnerability of a local family
planning facility to a high explosives attack; bachelor’s candidate Dannie
Weaver, Spring 2002- current. Investigating the source of distress of a
group of pre-civil war buildings at Somerset Plantation, a state historic
landmark in eastern NC; bachelor’s candidates Jon Frazier and Ashley Evans,
Fall, 2001-current. Supervisor – Individual Research, University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Schnabel Laboratory. Large-scale research related to the impact of adjacent excavation
on existing structures. Individual and
group projects for 82 undergraduate and master’s students over four years
related to instrumentation, geotechnical testing, and development of scaled
materials for soil-structure interaction, 1997-2001. Seventy-five percent of the non-military,
graduating students under this program have gone on to graduate school. Women in Engineering Program, Historical
construction material usage, one high school student, Summer 1997. PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION AND SPECIALIZED TRAINING
PUBLICATIONS (* peer reviewed publications) *Laefer, D., Elliott, A., and Weller, L.
(2002). “The Temporary Use of Drilled
Shafts in the Renovation of Carnegie Hall”
Deep Foundations 2002: an
International Perspective on Theory, Design, Construction, and Performance,
ed.s O’Neill, M.W. and Townsend, F.C.,Vol. 1 p. 320-334: ASCE: New York, NY. *Cording, E. J., Long, J. H., Son, M., and
Laefer, D. F. (2001) " Modeling and Analysis of Excavation-Induced
Building Distortion and Damage Using a Strain-based Damage Criterion",
Proceeding of the Conference on Response of Buildings to Excavation-induced
Ground Movements, CIRIA, London (6) Laefer, D. (2001). “Prediction and Assessment of Ground Movement and Building Damage
Induced by Adjacent Excavation”. PhD
Thesis University of Illinois. pp. 903. Laefer, D.
(2000). Masonry Production
and Repair, 160 Years of Indexed Bibliography 1837 - 1997, 230 pp.
(http://www.masonrysociety.org). *Laefer, D. (1998). “Geotechnical Protection Techniques for At-risk and In-distress
Structures”. Symposium on the Use of
and Need for Preservation Standards in Architectural Conservation, ASTM
publication 1355, Atlanta, GA, Apr. 18-19, 15 pp. Laefer, D. (1998). “Structural Assessment Training for Post-Earthquake Building
Inspection” Current Earthquake Engineering Research in the Central United
States ed. Laefer, D., Urbana, IL,
Apr. 4. Laefer, D. (ed.) [1998]. Current
Earthquake Engineering Research in the Central United States, Urbana, IL,
Apr. 4. *Laefer, D. (1997). Micropiles: State of
Technology Report contracted by the Federal Highway Administration. Publication Number FHWA-RD-96-204, 471 pp. “Measurement of Grout Injection Efficacy for
Stone Masonry Walls.” Seventh North
American Masonry Conference, South Bend, IN, Jun. 5, 1996. Laefer, D. (1994). “Quality Control Procedures for Jet Grouting” Recent Advances
in Deep Foundations, Ohio River Valley Soils Seminar XXV, Lexington, KY,
Oct. 21, paper 5, 45 pp. Laefer, D. (1994). “Enhance Engineering
Opportunities Or Else” Civil Engineering Magazine, Aug. p. 6. *Kim, D., Drabkin, S., Rokhvarger, A. and
Laefer, D. (1994). “Prediction of Low
Level Vibration Induced Settlement” Vertical and Horizontal Deformations of
Foundations and Embankments. ed. Yeung, Albert T. and Felio, Guy Y., ASCE
Special Geotechnical Publication No. 40. New York, NY, pp. 806-817.
Laefer, D. (1993). “Heading into Termination:
Laying Down the Paper Trail” Women in Natural Resources, Jul.,
pp. 6-12. PUBLISHED ABSTRACTS Laefer, D. (1999). “When Masonry Units Have to Be Replaced: Some Important Selection Considerations.”
AIC St. Louis Laefer, D. (1998). “Masonry Repair -- the State of American Practice” Saving
Buildings in Central and Eastern Europe.
IABSE Colloquium, Berlin, Jun. 4-5, p. 108-09 Laefer, D. (1998). “Replacement of Masonry-- Important Selection Considerations” Saving
Buildings in Central and Eastern Europe.
IABSE Colloquium, Berlin, Jun. 4-5, p. 118-19 PRESENTATIONS (* Invited) * “Blast-proofing Existing Building – Current
Challenges.” Brookings Institute, June
26, 2002. *”Building Hardening: Dilemmas and Opportunities.” Professional Engineers of North Carolina,
Annual Meeting, Hilton Head, SC, June 28, 2002. *”New Thoughts on Old Excavation
Procedures.” Army Corps of Engineers
November 14, 2001 *”Horizontal Soil Movement as the Controlling
Factor of URM Structures Adjacent to Excavations.” Robert Silman Associates,
P.C., November 9, 2001. * “A New Masonry Database on Old
Masonry.” TMS Annual Conference, St.
Louis, MO, October 13, 2001. *“Engineering Challenges of Protecting
Infrastructure.” International
Terrorism: Dealing with the Unforeseen,
International Affairs Program, Urbana, IL, Jun. 22-23, 1999. “When Masonry Units Have to Be Replaced: Some Important Selection Considerations.”
AIC St. Louis, June, 13, 1999. “Reducing the Hazard -- Post-Earthquake
Building Inspection for the State of Illinois”
Disaster Preparedness, Response and Recovery. American Institute for Conservation of
Historic and Artistic Works Annual meeting, Arlington, VA, Jun. 2-7. with J.P.
Arnett. “Finding Funds, $500 to $500,000.” Department of Civil Engineering,
Geotechnical Seminar, University of Illinois, Feb. 25, 1997. * “Guns, Bombs, and the Built Environment.” Arms
Control, Disarmament, and International Studies, Friday Follies, University
of Illinois, Dec. 12, 1997. “Micropiles:
the New American Alternative.”
Department of Civil Engineering, Geotechnical Seminar, University of
Illinois, Mar. 31, 1997. THESIS AND RESEARCH EXPERIENCE Doctoral Thesis, “Prediction and Assessment of Ground Movement and
Building Damage Induced by Adjacent Excavation”. Designed,
tested, and analyzed large-scale experimental models in order to establish more
precise criteria for building response due to adjacent excavation and tunneling
for modern and historic structures.
Employing a controlled and extensively instrumented environment to
closely monitor the behavior of the soil mass, excavation wall, and model-scale
structures from initiation of excavation through system failure. Correlating building response with
structural stiffness and excavation wall behavior. The experimental phase is being done in conjunction with Finite
Element Method computer modeling and analysis of field data (Thesis advisors,
Professors Edward Cording and James Long).
Master’s Project, “Settlement Induced by Low-Level Vibrations in
Non-Cohesive Soils”.
Conducted
laboratory studies to replicate excavation related soil conditions in an attempt
to identify critical parameters associated with significant settlement due to
traffic and construction related vibrations.
Combined traditional triaxial consolidation testing apparatus with a
vibration table. Employed a
multifactorial approach. (Professor Dong-Soo Kim, Polytechnic University). PROFESSIONAL AND CIVIC AFFILIATIONS American Institute for Conservation of
Historic and Artistic Works, 1998-2000, 2002-current. Architecture
Specialty Group, 1998-2000, 2002-current. American Rock Mechanics Association,
2002-current. American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE),
1989-2000, 2002-current. Deep
Foundations Committee (applied 2002). President,
New York City, Young Member Forum (YMF), 1994. Co-chair
Northeast Regional Young Member Leadership Conference, 1994. Vice
President, YMF, 1993. Special
Program Chair 1992-93. Community
Service Committee, 1991-93 Publicity
Chair, Automation Conference, New York City, 1991. American Society for Testing and Materials,
1998-1999, 2002-current. Committee
E6 Building Performance, 1998-1999, 2002-current. Committee
C12 Mortars and Grout for Unit Masonry, 2002-current. Committee
D18 , 2002-current. Association for Preservation Technology,
1997-2000, 2002-current. Engineering Earthquake Research Institute,
1996-2000, 2002-current. Co-chair
Existing Buildings Committee, 2002-current. Student
Chapter President, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1996-98. Conference
Chair, Current Earthquake Engineering Research in the Central U.S., 1998. ATC-20
Training Volunteer Program Coordinator, 1997, 1998 (coordinated trained 250
design students and professionals for post-seismic building inspection). International Association for Bridge and
Structural Engineers, 1997-2000, 2002-current. International Committee on Monuments and
Sites, 1992-94, 1997-2000, 2002-current. Archaeological
Site Committee, 2002-current. Masonry
Committee, 1997-current. The Masonry Society, Technical Member,
1993-1995, 1997-current. Repair
and In Situ Assessment Committee, 2002-current. Transportation Research Board, 2002-current. Women’s Ice Hockey, Trailblazers, NCSU,
2002-current. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Assistant
Professor
North
Carolina State University, Sept. 2001-current. • Developed and
taught cross-university lecture and seminar course, “Protection of Critical
Infrastructure and Population against Terrorist Attack” • Created and taught
advanced graduate course, “Rock Mechanics, Tunneling, and Blasting” • Assigned,
supervised, and reviewed the daily research work of 7 undergraduates, 1
master’s, and 1 doctoral students. • Initiated a
research program related to the protection and repair of historic structures. Consultant Atkinson-Noland,
Dec. 2000. • Reviewed contract documents and recommended a
monitoring plan, including the establishment of tolerable building movement
limits for a pair of early twentieth century brick buildings adjacent to a
proposed tiedback anchor excavation. Research Assistant Army
Corps of Engineers, June-August, 2000. • Analyzed geotechnical and structural earthquake
response data for the implementation of wavelet modes. • Prepared technical
reports related to large-scale, psuedo-static experiments on infilled masonry. Instructor University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Spring 1999 and Spring 2000. • Formulated and
structured a new course entitled “Protecting critical infrastructure against
terrorist attacks”. • Co-taught this
weekly, interdisciplinary graduate/undergraduate seminar sponsored by the Ford
Foundation. • Lectured on high
explosives, infrastructure vulnerabilities, and structural design
modifications. Research Assistant University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Aug. 1996-Aug. 2001. • Conceptualized and
structured a three year, half-million dollar research initiative involving two
faculty members, five graduates students, and thirty-five undergraduates to
determine building response caused by subsurface construction. • Drafted all research
proposals, devised a fund raising strategy, and formulated the solicitation of
all necessary monies. • Scheduled and
organized large portions of this four-pronged research effort, which included
laboratory experiments, computer modeling, field data analysis, and guideline
creation. • Selected and
oversaw the production of all materials and instrumentation for the
experimental portion, including specialty masonry units, lime-based mortars,
and scaled reinforced concrete. • Evaluated, analyzed, modified, and recommended a
battery of testing procedures for the structural materials and frames prior to
their incorporation into the large-scale model testing facility. • Designed an
innovative testing frame for shear and displacement based damage assessment. • Developed and
oversaw the erection of a new $400,000 building to permanently house the
research equipment. • Simultaneously
assigned, supervised, and reviewed the daily laboratory work of up to 36
undergraduate and master’s students. Principal Investigator National
Endowment for the Arts, Jun. 1995-Jun. 1997. • Executed a
two-year research effort to compile technical data and qualitative information
as to repair options for broken and cracked stone, brick, and terra cotta. • Discussed and
conferred with over two hundred engineers, architects and preservation
professionals as to common misdiagnosis of masonry distress, misapplication of
repair techniques, and limitations and advantages of various technical options
including grouts, consolidants, plastic repair, epoxies, anchors, strapping,
doweling, Dutchmen, and unit replacement. • Composed and
fashioned a two volume resource guide for design professionals and owners of
historic properties. • Coordinated the
research efforts of eight undergraduate students. |