2nd Annual VGS Legacy Lecture – A Foundational Force in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering скачать в хорошем качестве

2nd Annual VGS Legacy Lecture – A Foundational Force in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering

by Thava Thavaraj, Ph.D., P.Eng., Senior Geotechnical Engineer/Principal, Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd., and Jason Dowling, Ph.D., P.Eng., Senior Structural Engineer & Principal, Associated Engineering. This legacy lecture pays tribute to Professor W. D. Liam Finn, a towering figure in geotechnical earthquake engineering whose career spanned over five decades and reshaped discipline globally. From his early days at UBC to his transformative work in liquefaction modeling, site response analysis, modelling of large pile groups and soil-structure interaction, Dr. Finn’s contributions laid the foundation for modern seismic design and performance-based engineering. His pioneering development of the Martin-Finn-Seed effective stress model and its implementation in landmark computer programs revolutionized how engineers understand and simulate seismic soil behavior. Beyond his technical brilliance, Dr. Finn was a mentor of rare warmth and generosity, welcoming students from around the world, instilling in them a deep respect for fundamentals, and inspiring generations to think critically and compassionately. His legacy lives on not only in the models we use and the codes we follow, but in the people he trained, the institutions he built, and the enduring culture of excellence he fostered at UBC and beyond. This lecture reflects on his life, his work, and the indelible mark he left on the field and its future. Lecture presented in Burnaby, BC, Canada on 26 November 2025. Video recorded and published with permission from Dr. Thava Thavaraj, and Dr. Jason Dowling.