Dr. Jean Benoît 
- Professor and Chair of Civil Engineering
T: 603 862 1419
jean.benoit@unh.edu
Kingsbury Hall
Civil Engineering , UNH
Durham, NH 03824
Research Overview
Professor Benoît has been involved in drilling, sampling and field testing starting more than 30 years ago on hydroelectric projects in Canada. His research and consulting work has been conducted throughout the US as well as in Canada and overseas including France, Italy, Egypt, Iran and Algeria.
Some significant projects include the Central Artery in Boston, Massachusetts, the Olmsted Locks and Dam in Illinois, the Loire River in France and the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy.
Other activities include management of the National Geotechnical Experimentation Sites (NGES) program since 1988, geotechnical databases, in situ geotechnical testing and bedrock bioremediation. Professor Benoît has published over 60 technical papers related to geotechnical engineering.
Selected Research Projects
Use of drilling parameters to detect anomalies in contaminated bedrock fractures.
Stratigraphic profiling and properties of soils and rocks using drilling parameters.
Testing and interpretation of field measurements using an instrumented dilatometer.
Archiving and web dissemination of geotechnical data.
Recycled subbase materials behavior
Selected Publications
Benoît, J., Sadkowski, S.S. and Bothner, W.A., "Rock Characterization Using Drilling Parameters", Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Site Characterization ISC-2, Porto, Portugal, 19-22 September, 2004, Vol.1, pp. 665-670.
Miller, H.J., Stetson, K.P. and Benoît, J., "Site Characterization and QA/QC of Deep Dynamic Compaction Using an Instrumented Dilatometer", Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Site Characterization ISC-2, Porto, Portugal, 19-22 September, 2004, Vol.1, pp. 727-732.
Sadkowski, S.S., Bothner, W.A., Benoît, J., Birch, S.B. and Escamilla-Casas, J., "Fracture Characterization at a Bedrock Bioremediation Site in New Hampshire", Abstract for the NGWA/U.S. EPA Fractured Rock Conference: State of the Science and Measuring Success in Remediation, September 13-15, 2004, Portland, Maine.
Benoît, J., Bobbitt, J.I., Ponti, D.J. and Shimel, S.A., "Data Dictionary and Formatting Standard for Dissemination of Geotechnical Data", Geotechnical Engineering for Transportation Projects, Yegian, M.K. and Kavazanjian, E., Editors, ASCE Goetechnical Special Publication No. 126, GeoTrans 04 Conference, Los Angeles, CA, July 27-31, 2004, Vol. 1, pp. 829-836.
Farrell, R., de Alba, P. and Benoît, J., "A Piezometer System for Measuring Earthquake-Induced Pore Water Pressures in the Ground", 11 th Intl. Conference on Soil Dynamics, Berkeley, CA, 2004.
Miller, H.J., Stetson, K.P. and Benoît, J., "DMT Testing for Site Characterization and QA/QC on a Deep Dynamic Compaction Project", ASCE GeoTrans 04, Los Angeles, CA, 2004.
Stetson, K.P., Benoît, J. and Carter, M.J., "Design of an Instrumented Flat Dilatometer", ASTM Geotechnical Testing Journal, Vol. 26, No. 3, September 2003, pp. 302-309.
Benoît, J. and Stetson, K.P., "Use of an Instrumented Flat Dilatometer in Soft Varved Clay", ASCE Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering Journal, Vol. 129, No. 12, December 2003, pp. 1159-1167.
Benoît, J., Bothner, W.A. and Escamilla-Casas, J., "Characterization of Fractured-Rock Aquifers Using Drilling Parameters", Proceedings of the Fractured-Rocks Aquifers 2002, March 13-15, Denver, Colorado.
Apul, D., Gardner , K., Eighmy, T.T., Benoît, J., and Brannaka, L.K., "A Review of Water Movement in the Highway Environment: Implications for Recycled Materials Use", Proceedings of the International Conference on Beneficial Use of Recycled Materials in Transportation Applications, Eighmy, T.T., Editor, November 13-15, 2001, Arlington, Virginia, pp. 195-204.
Benoît, J. and Lutenegger, A.J., Editors, National Geotechnical Experimentation Sites, ASCE Geotechnical Special Publication No. 93, 2000, 408 p.
Benoît, J., "The United States National Geotechnical Experimentation Sites Program: The First Decade", National Geotechnical Experimentation Sites, Benoît, J. and Lutenegger, A.J., Editors, ASCE Geotechnical Special Publication No. 93, 2000, pp. 1-25.
Benoît, J., Eighmy, T.T. and Crannell, B.S., "Landfilling Ash/Sludge Mixtures", ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, Vol. 125, No. 10, October 1999, pp. 877-888.
Sève, G., Russo, C., Magnan, J.P., Pouget, P., and Benoît, J., "In Situ Measurement of Lateral Pressure in a Landslide and Its Use in Numerical Modelling", Seventh International Symposium on Numerical Models in Geomechanics, NUMOG VII, Austria , September 1999.
Bellotti, R., Benoît, J., Fretti, C. and Jamiolkowski, M., "Stiffness of Toyoura Sand from Dilatometer Tests", ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, Vol. 123, No. 9, September 1997, pp. 836-846.
Selected Grants
Bedrock Bioremediation Center
Principal Investigators: Nancy E. Kinner with T.P. Ballestero, J. Benoît, F.S. Birch, W.A. Bothner, J.M. Davis, T.T. Eighmy, E.R. Sullivan and L.S. Tisa. Funded by: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1999 to 2004
Assessment of Ground Modification Techniques using the Dialometer
Principal Investigator: Jean Benoît
Funded by: Massachusetts Highway Department Subcontract to the University of Masachusetts Dartmouth (Prof. H.J. Miller), 2002-2004
Coordinated Efforts in Recycled Subbase Materials Behavior at Accelerated Pavement Testing Research Facilities (J. Melton, J.S. Daniel and J. Benoît), funded by the Federal Highway Administration, 2004-2005.
Undergraduate Projects
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) - Development of a New Test Method to Aid Soil Characterization in the Field with Jessica Cristallo, undergraduate student.
Classes Taught
- Soil Mechanics
- Foundation Design I and II
- Introduction to Geo-Environmental Engineering
- In Situ Geotechnical Testing
- Geological Engineering
- Advanced Soil Mechanics
Current Geotechnical Graduate Students
- Edil Cortez
- Mark Grenier
- Frank Marowitz