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Memorial Tributes Volume 17 (2013) / Chapter Skim
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ROBERT V. WHITMAN
Pages 322-329

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From page 323...
... This switch initiated Bob's illustrious career in the new discipline of soil dynamics, which included service on Air Force advisory panels for the earliest of the hardened missile complexes and then for developing stable foundations 323
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From page 324...
... that was adopted for the well-known and still widely used Newmark "sliding-block analysis" to estimate the movement of earth slopes during earthquakes. He then went on to independently develop a method similar to the Seed-Idriss Simplified Procedure to predict the potential for soil liquefaction based on in situ tests for assessing the sand's resistance to shaking; draw the first national earthquake hazard maps (i.e., contours of equal probabilities for peak ground acceleration)
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From page 325...
... Allin Cornell, who had unique expertise in using stochastic models to represent earthquake loadings on and damage to buildings. Together, they developed damage probability matrices that ingeniously integrated the likelihood of occurrence of seismic events (the hazard matrix)
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From page 326...
... Bob Whitman was widely admired for his leadership and commitment to public service. His brilliant analytical and insightful mind enabled him to identify key issues, express them clearly, and then present viable solutions to problems ranging from the highly technical to largely political.
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From page 327...
... When asked why he engaged in so many activities, he replied "they were interesting challenges and I couldn't stay away from them." Bob Whitman's contributions, beyond those associated with soil dynamics and earthquake engineering, included development of one of the first computer programs for slope stability analyses; pioneering application of probabilistic concepts for risk analysis in geotechnical engineering as set forth in his ASCE Karl Terzaghi Lecture (1981) ; and leadership in establishing centrifuge testing facilities in the United States for geotechnical research.
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From page 328...
... Ladd acknowledges that substantial information about the career of Robert V Whitman was obtained from the Oral History Series published by the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, No.
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Key Terms

  • soil dynamics
  • civil engineering
  • geotechnical earthquake
  • building codes
  • karl terzaghi

  • wet soil
  • slope stability
  • civil engineer
  • seismic provisions
  • swarthmore college

  • geotechnical engineering
  • losses resulting
  • state flow
  • independently develop
  • using stochastic

  • naval shipyard
  • methodology structure
  • ground acceleration
  • estimating losses
  • harbor naval

  • asce karl
  • ingeniously integrated
  • jill whitman
  • approach formed
  • risk analysis

  • hardened missile
  • nrc panel
  • included developing
  • fondly remember
  • transient flow


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