Charles H. Dowding
Charles H. Dowding
Professor
A122 Technological Institute
2145 Sheridan Road
Evanston, IL 60208-3109
E-mail address: c-dowding@northwestern.edu
Phone: (847) 491-4338
Fax: (847) 491-4011
Education
- Ph.D., University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana
- M.S., University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana
- B.S.C.E., University of Colorado at Boulder
Research
- Construction Vibrations: Autonomous crack measurement (ACM) is a cost effective digital system to compare measured crack response to weather changes (temperature and humidity) to that induced by vibration-shifts focus from measuring ground motions to more easily understood crack width.
- Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) Technology: Special complian cables to measure local shear band deformation in soft soils-allows remote surveillance of structures and slopes susceptible to deformation.
- Subsurface Exploration Decisions: Algorithms that incorporate measured geological variability and calculated reliability of facility performance to direct and terminate exploration-allows the exploration process to be quantified.
Teaching Activities
- CIV_ENG-250 Introductory Soil Mechanics
- CIV_ENG-358 Airphoto Interpretation
- CIV_ENG-495 Underground Construction
- CIV_ENG 451 Engineering Properties of Soils
- CIV_ENG-453 Rock Mechanics
- CIV_ENG-458 Soil Dynamics
- CIV_ENG 515 Geotechnical Engineering Seminar (with Prof. Finno)
Honors and Awards
- Distinguished Civil Engineering Alumni Award from University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana 2006
- Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecturer 2003-2005
- Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award for Education from the University of Colorado at Boulder 2003
- Board of Direction of the International Society of Explosive Engineers 2002
- Outstanding Applied Research Award in Rock Mechanics from NRC U.S. National Committee for Rock Mechanics
Selected Publications
- "Response of Test House to Vibroseis Vibrations and Environmental Forces" (w/ D. L. Teasdale et al), Environmental & Engineering Geoscience, Journal of the Geological Society of America, Vol. XII, No. 1, February 2006, pp 25-37
- "Comparison of Crack Response to Long-Term Weather and Blast Vibration Effects" (w/ L.M. McKenna) Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, ASCE, Volume 131, No. 9, September 2005, pp 1151-1161
- "Finite Element Analysis of TDR Cable-Grout-Soil Mass Interaction During Localized Shearing", (w/ J.T. Blackburn), Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, ASCE, Volume 130, No. 3, March 2004, pp. 231-239.
- "Directing Exploration with 3D FEM Sensitivity and Data Uncertainty," (w/ A Graettinger) Journal of Geotechnical and GeoEnvironmental Engineering, ASCE, November, 1999.
- Geo Measurements by Pulsing TDR Cables and Probes, (w/ K O'Connor), CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 1999, 340 pps.
- Construction Vibrations, Prentice Hall, Saddle River, NJ, 1996, 620 pps; now available at Amazon.com
