People

Grace Abou-Jaoude Estephan

Associate Professor

Contact Information

Office: Bassil 304
Extension: 2283
Email: grace.aboujaoude@lau.edu.lb

Office Hours:
MWF 13:00-14:00

Research interests

  • Landslide Hazard and Risk Mapping
  • Foundation Design
  • Soil-Structure Interaction
  • Pile Dynamics and Pile Driving

Selected publications

Journals

  1. Salgado R., Zhang Y., Abou-Jaoude G., Loukidis D., and Bisht V. (2017) “Pile Driving Formulas Based on Pile Wave Equation Analyses”, Computers and Geotechnics 81: 307-321
  2. Grant A., Wartman J., Abou-Jaoude G. (2016) “Multi-Modal Method for Coseismic Landslide Hazard Assessment”, Engineering Geology 212: 146-160
  3. Saade, A., Abou-Jaoude, G., and Wartman, J. (2016) “Regional-scale co-seismic landslide assessment using limit equilibrium analysis”, Engineering Geology 204: 53-64
  4. Salgado R., Loukidis D., Abou-Jaoude G., and Zhang Y. (2015) “The role of soil stiffness non-linearity in 1-D Pile Driving Simulations”, Géotechnique, Volume 65, Issue 3, March 2015 pages 169 –187
  5. Ghauch, Z. and Abou-Jaoude G. (2013) “Strain response of hot-mix asphalt overlays in jointed plain concrete pavements due to reflective cracking”, Computers and Structures 124, 38-46
  6. Foye, F.C, Abou-Jaoude, G., Prezzi, M. and Salgado, R. (2009) “Resistance Factors for Use in Load and Resistance Factor Design of Driven Pipe Piles in Sands.” Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, Vol. 135, N1, pp. 1-13

Conferences

  1. Abou-Jaoude G. and Wartman J. (2017) “Landslide hazard mapping in Lebanon”, Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Seoul, September 2017
  2. Abou-Jaoude, G., Saade A., Wartman J., and Grant A. (2016, August) “Earthquake-Induced Landslide Hazard Mapping: A case study in Lebanon”. Presented at the Geo-Chicago 2016: Sustainability, Energy, and the Geoenvironment, Chicago, Illinois.
  3. Grant, A. R., Wartman, J., and Abou-Jaoude, G. (2014, October) “A Terrain classification system for coseismic landslide hazard analysis: Lebanon, A Case Study”.  Presented at the 2014 GSA Annual Meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia.
  4. Abou-Jaoude, G. and Z. Ghauch (2012) “Numerical Investigation of Design Strategies to Achieve Perpetual Pavements”, Presented at the 91st TRB Annual Meeting. January 22-26, 2012, Washington D.C.
  5. Ghauch, Z. and Abou-Jaoude G. (2011) “Strain Response of Hot-Mix Asphalt Overlays for Bottom-up Reflective Cracking”, Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering Computing, 6-9 September 2011, Chania, Greece.
  6. Abou-Jaoude G., Najjar, M. (2011) “Perception of Lebanese Middle School Students about Engineering”, Proceedings of the 2nd International IEEE EDUCON Education Engineering, 4-6 April, Amman, Jordan.
  7. Abou-Jaoude G., Sadek S., and Ghalayini I. (2008) “Evaluation of Dynamic Analyses and Static Pile Load Tests from Bored Cast-in-Situ Piles in Dense Sands and Sandstones”, Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on the Application of Stress Wave Theory to Piles, 8-10 September, Lisbon, Portugal

Technical Reports

  1. El Mohtar, C., Abou-Jaoude, G., Abdallah, C., and Harb, J. (2016) “THE KFARNABRAKH LANDSLIDE OF NOVEMBER 30TH, 2015: A Geological and Geotechnical Evaluation of the Landslide and Risk of Future Failures.” GEER Association Report No. GEER-047, March 2016
  2. Loukidis, D., Salgado, R and Abou-Jaoude, G. (2009) “Assessment of Axially Loaded Pile Dynamic Design Methods and Review of INDOT Axially Loaded Pile Dynamic Design Methods.” FHWA/IN/JTRP-2009, Joint Transportation Research Program, Purdue University
  3. Foye, K.C., Abou-Jaoude, G., and Salgado, R. (2004) “Limit States Design (LSD) for Shallow and Deep Foundations” FHWA/IN/JTRP-2004, Joint Transportation Research Program, Purdue University

Funded Projects

  1. Recruitment and Retention of Women in Engineering
    Start Date: December 2009
    End Date: February 2011
    Principal Investigator: Grace Abou-Jaoude
    Project duration: 2 years
    Project Budget: 25,000USD
    This project examined the reasons that lead female students in Lebanon to stir away from careers in engineering. It aimed at understanding what young female students already know about the engineering fields and what might spur their interest in choosing engineering careers over the more traditionally female-populated fields of literature and humanities. It also aimed at addressing the issue of retention of female engineering students by providing access to peer support, faculty mentors, and successful professional role models. 
     
  2. Earthquake- Generated Landslide Hazard in Lebanon
    Start Date: June 2012
    End Date: June 2015
    Principal Investigator: Grace Abou-Jaoude
    U.S. Collaborator: Joseph Wartman (University of Washington, Seattle)
    Project duration: 3years
    Project Budget: 103,500USD
    This project was funded by the National Academy of Science NAS and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) through a grant under the Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) Program. During the project, we developed an understanding of the landslide hazard potential under seismic loading in Lebanon. We produced earthquake-induced landslide hazard maps for different peak ground acceleration conditions to show the probability of slope failures for different seismic magnitudes and environmental conditions.
     
  3. Landslide risk index mapping for Lebanon
    Start Date: October 2015
    End Date: March 2017
    Principal Investigator: Grace Abou-Jaoude
    U.S. Collaborator: Joseph Wartman (University of Washington, Seattle)
    Project duration: 1 year
    Project Budget: 76,000USD  
    This project was funded by the National Academy of Science NAS and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) through a grant under the Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) Program. It was a continuation of the project on co-seismic landslide hazard mapping in Lebanon. Here, we assessed the impact of precipitation- and earthquake-induced landslide events on people and structures. We developed a risk-based landslide map in function of both hazard level and the resulting consequences.  The outcome was a major advancement to the state of practice in regional-scale landslide assessment.  This project directly supported the USAID mission of “promoting the development of resilient, democratic societies”.  Resilient societies have several characteristics including the ability to mitigate the impact of natural disasters (USAID 2015).  A risk-based landslide map for Lebanon was provided public officials, policy-makers, and geotechnical engineers meaningful information for a direct estimation of human and capital losses in high risk areas. 

Academic degrees

Ph.D., Civil Engineering, Purdue University, USA, 2006
M.E., Civil Engineering, Purdue University, USA, 2003
B.E., Civil Engineering, American University of Beirut, Lebanon, 2001

Professional memberships

  • Professional Registration at the Order of Engineers and Architects, Beirut, Lebanon
  • Member of the Lebanese Geotechnical Society
  • Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Geo-Institute
  • Member of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineers (ISSMGE)
  • Member of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS)