D. Vaughan Griffiths

Associate Department Head

Dr. Griffiths is a Professionally Licensed Civil Engineer in the state of Colorado and a Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. His research focuses on finite element analysis and risk assessment in geotechnical engineering. He is the author of over 380 papers and 3 textbooks that have gone into multiple and foreign language editions. He is one of the world’s most highly cited geotechnical engineering researchers. Dr. Griffiths teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on Advanced Soil Mechanics, Risk Assessment in Geotechnical Engineering, Finite Element Methods and Numerical Methods for Engineers.

Contact

Coolbaugh Hall 252
303-273-3669
d.v.griffiths@mines.edu
Personal Web Page

Education

BSc. University of Manchester, UK
MS University of California at Berkeley
PhD University of Manchester, UK
DSc University of Manchester, UK

Professional Memberships and Qualifications

PhD and DSc (Doctoral and Higher Doctoral degrees)
P.E. (Colorado) Professionally licensed engineer
Dist.M.ASCE (Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers)
D.GE (Diplomate in Geotechnical Engineering)
C.Eng (Chartered Engineer, UK)
FICE (Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, UK)

Awards and Honors

Fulbright Distinguished Chair, Australia (2023)
Wilson Tang Lecturer (2022)
T.H. Wu Distinguished Lecture (2021)
Honorary Professor, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia (2021-2023)
Elected a Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (2020)
Awarded Honorary Fellowships at Magdalen College and St. Catherine’s College, University of Oxford, UK (2019)
H Bolton Seed Medal and Lecture, Geo-Institute, ASCE (2017)
Selected as the Cross Canada Geotechnical Lecturer by the Canadian Geotechnical Society (2017)
Inaugural ISSMGE Suzanne Lacasse Lecturer (2016)
Outstanding Paper Award, Computers and Geotechnics (2016)
Thomas C. Keefer Medal, Canadian Society of Civil Engineering (2011)
George Stephenson Medal, Institution of Civil Engineers, UK (1993)

Selected Publications

Robbins, B.A. and Griffiths, D.V. “A two-dimensional, adaptive finite element approach for simulation of backward erosion piping.” Comput Geotech, vol.129, no. 103820 (2021) DOI
Griffiths, D.V. and Martin, C.M. “Critical failure mechanisms in relatively flat undrained slopes” Géotechnique Letters, vol.10, No.2, pp.95-99, (2020) DOI
Wang, W. and Griffiths, D.V. “Case study of slope failure during construction of an open pit mine in Indonesia.” Can Geotech J, 56(5), pp.636-648 (2019)
Zhu, D., Griffiths, D.V. and Fenton, G.A. “Worst case correlation length in probabilistic slope stability analysis.” Géotechnique, vol.69, no.1, pp.85-88 (2019)
Arregui-Mena, J.D., Edmondson, P.D. Margetts, L., Griffiths. D.V., Windes, W.E., Carroll, M. and Mummery, P.M. ”Characterisation of the spatial variability of material properties of Gilsocarbon and NBG-18 using random fields.” J Nuc Mat , vol.511, pp.91-108 (2018)
Huang, J., Fenton, G.A., Griffiths, D.V., Li, D. and Zhou, C. “On the efficient estimation of small failure probability in slopes.” Landslides, vol.14, no.2, pp.491-498 (2017)
Fenton, G.A., Naghibi, F., Dundas, D., Bathurst, R.J. and Griffiths, D.V. “Reliability-based geotechnical design in the 2014 Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code.” Can Geotech J, vol.53, No.2, pp.236-251, (2016)
Griffiths, D.V. “Observations on load and strength factors in bearing capacity analysis.” J Geotech Geoenviron Eng, vol.141, no.7, pp.06015004/1-4, (2015)
Griffiths, D.V. and Yu, X. “Another look at the stability of slopes with linearly increasing undrained strength.” Géotechnique, 65, no.10, pp.824-830, (2015)
Griffiths, D.V., Huang, J. and Fenton G.A. “Probabilistic infinite slope analysis.” Comput Geotech, vol.38, no.4, pp.577-584, (2011)
Griffiths, D.V., Huang, J. and Fenton G.A. “Influence of spatial variability on slope reliability using 2-D random fields.” J Geotech Geoenviron,135, no.10, pp.1367-1378, (2009)
Griffiths, D.V., Huang, J. and Fenton, G.A “On the reliability of earth slopes in three dimensions.” Proc R Soc A, vol.465, issue 2110, pp.3145-3164 (2009)
Griffiths, D.V. and Marquez, R.M. “Three-dimensional slope stability analysis by elasto-plastic finite elements.” Géotechnique, 57, no.6, pp.337-346, (2007)
Griffiths, D.V. and Fenton, G.A. “Probabilistic slope stability analysis by finite elements.” J Geotech Geoenviron Eng, vol.130, no.5, pp.507-518, (2004)
Griffiths, D.V. and Lane, P.A. “Slope stability analysis by finite elements.” Géotechnique, 49, no.3, pp.387-403, (1999)

For a more complete list of publications and citation data, see Google Scholar