Tuesdays, 3:30 pm to 5 pm
Fridays, 4 pm to 5 pm
Michael Riemer is an Adjunct Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UC Berkeley. Riemer’s research focuses on the evaluation of soil properties both in the laboratory and in situ, and the prediction of soil response to static and dynamic loading of different types. He teaches the graduate-level Advanced Geotechnical Testing and Design (CE273) and assists with the undergraduate course Geotechnical Engineering (CE175), and works directly with students at all levels with independent experimental research in the geotechnical laboratories.
Ph.D., Geotechnical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 1992
M.S., Geotechnical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 1987
B.S., Civil Engineering, Virginia Tech, 1986
Riemer’s research focuses on evaluating the development of porewater pressures in saturated soils during seismic loading and the effects of these pore pressures on other engineering properties, including the assessment and modeling of liquefaction flow failures. His research areas include static and dynamic evaluation of soil properties, constitutive behavior of sands, and the liquefaction of unusual soil.
Recent Publications
Journal Papers
• Seed, R.B., R.G. Bea, R.I. Abdelmalak, A. Athanasopoulos-Zekkos, G.P. Boutwell, J.-L. Briaud, C. Cheung, D. Cobos-Roa, L. Ehrensing, A.V. Govindasamy, L.F. Harder Jr., K.S. Inkabi, J. Nicks, J. M. Pestana, J. Porter, K. Rhee, M.F. Riemer, J.D. Rogers, R. Storesund, X. Vera-Grunauer and J. Wartman, "New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina I: Introduction, Overview, and the East Flank," ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, May 2008, Vol. 134, No. 5, pp. 701-717, doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2008)134:5(701).
• Seed, R.B., R.G. Bea, A. Athanasopoulos-Zekkos, G.P. Boutwell, J. Bray, C. Cheung, D. Cobos-Roa, L. Ehrensing, L.F. Harder Jr., J. M. Pestana, M.F. Riemer, J.D. Rogers, R. Storesund, X. Vera-Grunauer and J. Wartman, "New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina II: The Central Region and the Lower Ninth Ward," ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental, May 2008, Vol. 134, No. 5, pp. 718-739, doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2008)134:5(718).
• Seed, R.B., R. G. Bea, A. Athanasopoulos-Zekkos, G.P. Boutwell, J. Bray, C. Cheung, D. Cobos-Roa, L.F. Harder Jr., R.E.S. Moss, J. M. Pestana, M.F. Riemer, J. D. Rogers, R. Storesund, X. Vera-Grunauer and J. Wartman, "New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina II: The 17th Street Drainage Canal," ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, May 2008, Vol. 134, No. 5, pp. 740-761, doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2008)134:5(740).
• Seed,R.B., R. G. Bea, A. Athanasopoulos-Zekkos, G.P. Boutwell, J. Bray, C. Cheung, D. Cobos-Roa, J. Cohen-Waeber, B.D. Collins, L.F. Harder Jr., R.E. Kayen, J. M. Pestana, M.F. Riemer, J.D. Rogers, R. Storesund, X. Vera-Grunauer and J. Wartman, "New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina II: Orleans East Bank (Metro) Protected Basin," ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, May 2008, Vol. 134, No. 5, pp. 762-779, doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2008)134:5(762).
• Zekkos, D., J.D. Bray and M. Riemer, "Shear Modulus and Material Damping of Municipal Solid Waste Based on Large-scale Cyclic Triaxial Testing," Canadian Geotechnical Journal, February 2008, Vol. 45, pp. 45-58, doi: 10.1139/T07-069.
• Zekkos, D., J.D. Bray, E. Kavazanjian, N. Matasovic, E. Rathje, M. Riemer and K. Stokoe, "Unit Weight of Municipal Solid Waste," ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, October 2006, Vol. 132, No. 10, pp. 1250-1261, doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2006)132:10(1250).
• Safaqah, O. and M. Riemer, "The Elastomer Gauge for Local Strain Measurement in Monotonic and Cyclic Soil Testing," ASTM Geotechnical Testing Journal, August 2006, Vol. 30, No. 2, Paper ID GTJ100124, Online, 9 pp.
• Safaqah, O. and M. Riemer, "Minimizing Sampling Disturbance Using a New in Situ Device," Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, February 2006, Vol. 26, No. 2-4, pp. 153-161, doi: 10.1016/j.soildyn.2005.02.012.
Conference Papers
• Zekkos, D., J.D. Bray, K. Stokoe, E. Kavazanjian, E. Rathje, G. Athanosopoulos, M. Riemer, N. Matosovic, J. Lee and B. Seos, "Recent Findings on the Static and Dynamic Properties of Municipal Solid Waste," ASCE Geotechnical Special Publication 177: Geotechnics of Waste Management and Remediation; Proceedings of GeoCongress 2008, New Orleans, LA, March 9-12, 2008, 8 pp.
• Riemer, M.F., Y. Moriwaki and J. Obermeyer, "Effect of High Confining Stresses on Static and Cyclic Strengths of Mine Tailing Materials," Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Soil Dynamics IV, Sacramento CA, May 19-22, 2008, 10 pp.
• Dashti, S., J.D. Bray, M.F. Riemer and D. Wilson, "Centrifuge Experimentation of Building Performance on Liquefied Ground," Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Soil Dynamics IV, Sacramento CA, May 19-22, 2008, 10 pp.
• Donahue, J., J.D. Bray and M.F. Riemer, "Liquefaction Testing of Fine-Grained Soil Prepared Using Slurry Deposition," 4th International Conference on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering, Thessaloniki, Greece, June 25-28, 2007, Paper No. 1226, 13 pp.
• Riemer, M.F. and D. Cobos-Roa, "In Situ Measurement of Dynamic Properties Using the Downhole Freestanding Shear Device," 4th International Conference on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering, Thessaloniki, Greece, June 25-28, 2007, Paper No. 1320, 12 pp.
• Zekkos, D., J.D. Bray, G.A. Athanasopoulos, M.F. Riemer, E. Kavazanjian, X. Founta and A. Grizi, "Compositional and Loading Rate Effects on the Shear Strength of Municipal Solid Waste," 4th International Conference on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering, Thessaloniki, Greece, June 25-28, 2007, Paper No. 1525, 12 pp.
• Seed, R.B., R.G. Bea, A. Athanasopoulos, G.P. Boutwell, J.D. Bray, C. Cheung, D. Cobos-Roa, B.D. Collins, J. Cohen-Waeber, L.F. Harder Jr., R.E. Kayen, R.E.S. Moss, J.M. Pestana, J. Porter, M.F. Riemer, J.D. Rogers, R. Storesund, X. Vera-Grunauer and J. Wartman, "Investigation of Levee Performance in Hurricane Katrina: The New Orleans Drainage Canals," ASCE Geotechnical Special Publication 161: Embankments, Dams and Slopes; Proceedings of GeoDenver: New Peaks in Geotechnics, Denver, CO, February 18-21, 2007, GSP 161, 16 pp.
• Seed, R.B., R.G. Bea, R.I. Abdelmalak, A. Athanasopoulos, G.P. Boutwell, J.D. Bray, J.-L. Briaud, C. Cheung, J. Cohen-Waeber, B.D. Collins, D. Cobos-Roa, D. Farber, M. Hanenmann, L.F. Harder Jr., K.S. Inkabi, A.M. Kammerer, D. Karadeniz, R.E. Kayen,, R.E.S. Moss, J. Nicks, S. Nimala, J.M. Pestana, J. Porter, K. Rhee, M.F. Riemer, K. Roberts, J.D. Rogers, R. Storesund, A.V. Govindasamy, X. Vera-Grunauer, J. Wartman, C.M. Watkins, E.Wendk and S. Yim, "Investigation of the Performance of the New Orleans Regional Flood Protection Systems During Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned," ASCE Geotechnical Special Publication 161: Embankments, Dams and Slopes; Proceedings of GeoDenver: New Peaks in Geotechnics, Denver, CO, February 18-21, 2007, GSP 161, 16 pp.
• Seed, R.B., R.G. Bea, A. Athanasopoulos, G.P. Boutwell, J.D. Bray, C. Cheung, D. Cobos-Roa, B.D. Collins, L.F. Harder Jr., R.E. Kayen, J.M. Pestana, J. Porter, M.F. Riemer, J.D. Rogers, R. Storesund, X. Vera-Grunauer and J. Wartman, "Investigation of Levee Performance in Hurricane Katrina: The Inner Harbor Navigation Channel," ASCE Geotechnical Special Publication 161: Embankments, Dams and Slopes; Proceedings of GeoDenver: New Peaks in Geotechnics, Denver, CO, February 18-21, 2007, GSP 161, 16 pp .
• Theodoratos, A., G. Athanasopoulos, D. Georgiopoulos, D. Zekkos and J.D. Bray, M.F. Riemer, "Laboratory Investigation of MSW Shear Strength in a Large Box Direct Shear Apparatus," 5th Hellenic Conference in Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental Engineering, Hellenic Society of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, May 30 - June 1, 2006, 8 pp.
• D. Zekkos, J.D. Bray and M.F. Riemer, "Laboratory Evaluation of Dynamic Properties of Municipal Solid-Waste," 5th Hellenic Conference in Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental Engineering, Hellenic Society of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, May 30-June 1, 2006, 8 pp.
• Zekkos, D., J.D. Bray and M.F. Riemer, "Shear Modulus Reduction and Material Damping Relationships for Municipal Solid-Waste," Proceedings, 8th U.S. National Conference on Earthquake Engineering, San Francisco, CA, April 18-22, 2006, Paper No. 1324, 10 pp.
Technical Reports
• Seed, R.B., R. I. Abdelmalak, A. G. Athanasopoulos, R. G. Bea, G. P. Boutwell, J. D. Bray, J.-L. Briaud,C. Cheung, B. D. Collins, D. Cobos-Roa, D. Farber, M. Hanenmann, L. F. Harder, M. S. Inamine, K. S. Inkabi, A. M. Kammerer, D. Karadeniz, R.E. Kayen, R. E. S. Moss, J. Nicks, S. Nimala, J. M. Pestana, J. Porter, K. Rhee, M. F. Riemer, K. Roberts, J. D. Rogers, R. Storesund, A. Thompson, A. V Govindasamy, X. Vera-Grunauer, J. Wartman, C. M. Watkins, E.Wenk, and S. Yim, Investigation of the Performance of the New Orleans Flood Protection Systems in Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, Report No. UCB/CITRIS-06/01, CITRIS Center, University of California, Berkeley, July 2006.
• Riemer, M., Cyclic Simple Shear Testing to Evaluate Dynamic Response of Tuff at the CMRR Site, Prepared for Kleinfelder, Inc., CMRR Project #19435, UCB/EERC 20063687, April 2006, 115 pp.
• Other Publications
• Dashti, S., J. D. Bray, M. Riemer and D. Wilson, "Centrifuge Experimentation of Building Performance on Liquefied Ground," 5th NEES Annual Meeting, June 2007.