Wuhan University, Wuhan, China, 3 Dec 2009

PHOON Kok Kwang

方国光

PhD, PEng, FIES, FASCE

Professor

Editor-in-chief Georisk

1-page bio (PDF 61 KB)

Department of Civil Engineering
National University of Singapore

E1A-07-14
Blk E1A, #07-03, 1 Engineering Drive 2
Singapore 117576
Tel: (65) 6516 6783

Fax: (65) 6779-1635
Email: cvepkk@nus.edu.sg

International Journal of Georisk (Taylor & Francis)

Centre for Soft Ground Engineering

Georisk & Reliability website & forum

Geotechnical Safety Network

Geotechnical Society of Singapore

KK Phoon is Professor and Director, Centre for Soft Ground Engineering in the Department of Civil Engineering, National University of Singapore. His current research interests include risk and reliability in geo-engineering and geohazards, fast iterative solvers for very large scale soil-structure interaction problems, numerical simulation of seepage in unsaturated porous media, and rainfall-induced landslides.

KK Phoon is the President of the Geotechnical Society of Singapore, scientific advisor to the International Centre for Geohazards (Norway), board member of the Civil Engineering Risk and Reliability Association (USA), and board member of the International Association for Computer Methods and Advances in Geomechanics (USA).

He has participated actively on various editorial boards, conference advisory committees, and conference organization. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the highest and most prestigious technical paper award bestowed by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) - the Norman Medal in 2005. Founded in 1852, ASCE represents more than 140,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America's oldest international engineering society.

KK Phoon is the founding editor-in-chief of Georisk, an international journal dedicated to Assessment and Management of Risk for Engineered Systems and Geohazards. He is the book editor of Reliability-Based Design in Geotechnical Engineering (Taylor & Francis). He was elected Fellow of ASCE in 2008 and Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Singapore (IES) in 2009.  He is the current President of the Geotechnical Society of Singapore (GeoSS).

• Professional Engineer (PEng), Singapore
• Fellow, American Society of Civil Engineers
• Fellow, Institution of Engineers Singapore
• PhD, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York (USA)
• BEng (1st class), MEng, National University of Singapore

• Professor, National University of Singapore

• Senior tutor, Lecturer, Assistant Professor/tenured, Associate Professor, National University of Singapore

• Guest professorships:  Huazhong University of Science and Technology; Wuhan University

• Visiting Positions: Huazhong University of Science & Technology (China); National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (Taiwan); University of Florence (Italy); Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Norway); International Center for Geohazards, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (Norway)Dalhousie University (Canada); Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University (Japan)

• Faculty Teaching Awards (2002/2003, 2003/2004, 2006/2007, 2007/2008, 2008/2009)
• Minister’s Innovation Award (Distinguished), Ministry of Transportation, Singapore, 2008, "for 'Use of alternative fill materials for PPT Phases 3 and 4 reclamation'”
• Fellow, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), 2008 - "for significant accomplishments and professional distinction in the industry”
• IACMAG Excellent Contributions Award, International Association for Computer Methods and Advances in Geomechanics, 2008 - "for his excellent scientific contributions and leadership in the advancement of probabilistic methods and large-scale computing in geomechanics and geotechnical engineering practice"
• Committee of the Year Award, 2008, Geo-Institute of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) [as Chair of Risk Assessment and Management Committee] - "for their distinguished service to the Geo-Institute"
• Hogentogler Award, American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), 2007 - "presented to the author of an ASTM paper of outstanding merit on soil or rock. It recognizes meritorious effort and it is the most prestigious technical award given by ASTM Committee D18"
• Editorial Board Member Exemplary Award, Geo-Institute of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), 2007 - "for exemplary service in the capacity as an Editorial Board Member for the Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering"
• Norman Medal, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), 2005 - "oldest and most prestigious award bestowed upon the author or authors of a paper that is judged worthy of special commendation for its merit as a contribution to engineering science."
• Highly commendable paper award, Eighth International Conference on Inspection, Appraisal, Repairs & Maintenance of Structures, 2003 - "for delivering a highly commendable paper at Eighth IARMS"
• Department Teaching Commendation Awards (1997/1998, 1999/2000)
• Institution of Engineers Singapore (IES) Gold Medal, 1987

• Editor-in-chief, Georisk (Taylor & Francis)
• President, Geotechnical Society of Singapore, 2010-2011
• International Scientific Advisor, International Centre for Geohazards (ICG), Norway
• Board Member, International Association for Computer Methods and Advances in Geomechanics (IACMAG), 2009 -
• Board of Member, Civil Engineering Risk and Reliability Association (CERRA), USA, 2003-2011
• Advisory Panel, Geotechnique (ICE)
• Advisory Board Member, International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics (John Wiley & Sons)

• Scientific Advisory Board, 2nd International Conference on Computational Methods in Tunnelling (EURO:TUN 2009), 9-11 September, 2009, Bochum, Germany

• International Scientific Committee, 10th International Conference on Structural Safety and Reliability, 13-17 September 2009, Osaka, Japan

• International Advisory Board, Geo-Informatics and Zoning for Hazard Mapping (GIZ2009), 3-4 Dec 2009, Kyoto, Japan.

• International Advisory Committee, GeoFlorida 2010:  Advances in Analysis, Modeling and Design, 22-25 Feb, 2010, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA

• International Scientific Committee, Second International Symposium on Reliability Engineering and Risk Management (ISRERM2010), 23-26 Sept 2010, Tongji University, Shanghai, China

• Technical Advisory Panel, 5th International ASRANet (Network for Integrating Structural Safety, Risk, and Reliability) Conference, 14 – 16 June 2010, Edinburgh, Scotland

• International Scientific Committee, 11th International Conference on Applications of Statistics and Probability in Soil and Structural Engineering, 1-4 August 2011, ETH Zurich, Switzerland

• International Technical Committee, 13th International Conference on Computer Methods and Advances in Geomechanics (IACMAG2011), 9-13 May 2011, Melbourne, Australia.

• International Program Committee, First International Conference on Vulnerability and Risk Analysis and Management (ICVRAM),  11-13 April  2011, University of Maryland, College Park, USA.

• Foundation Engineering
• Reliability and Decision Analysis
• Analytical & Numerical Methods in Foundation Engineering
• Earth-Retaining Structures
• Analysis of Civil Engineering Experiments

• Guest Lectures: Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University (Japan); Nagoya University (Japan); Université de Moncton (New Brunswick); Université Laval (Québec); Memorial University (Newfoundland); Dalhousie University (Halifax); University of Oslo (Oslo); Korean Geotechnical Society (Seoul); Kookmin University (Seoul); Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (Oslo); Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Trondheim); University of Florence (Italy); University of Wisconsin-Madison (USA); Shanghai Jiaotong University (China); Tongji University (China); University of Kansas (USA); National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (Taiwan); National Chiao Tung University (Taiwan); Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic); University of Ostrava (Czech Republic); Trinity College Dublin (Ireland); Huazhong University of Science & Technology (China); Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics (China), City University of Hong Kong; Polytechnic of Bari (Italy).

• Risk assessment and management of geohazards

• Reliability-based foundation design

• Stochastic simulation

• Fast iterative solvers for very large 3-D soil-interaction problems

• Numerical simulation of seepage in unsaturated porous media

• Rainfall-induced landslides

1. Low, H. E., Phoon, K. K., Tan, T. S., and Leroueil, S., “Effect of Soil Microstructure on the Compressibility of Natural Singapore Marine Clay”, Canadian Geotechnical Journal, Feb 2008, 45(2), 161-176.

2. Cheng, Y. G., Phoon, K. K. & Tan, T. S., “Unsaturated Soil Seepage Analysis Using a Rational Transformation Method with Under-relaxation, International Journal of Geomechanics, ASCE, 8(3), May/June 2008, 207-212.

3. Low, H. E. & Phoon, K. K., “Effect of Cementation on the Compressibility of Upper Singapore Marine Clay”, Canadian Geotechnical Journal, July 2008, 45(7), 1018-1024.

4. Phoon K. K., "Numerical recipes for reliability analysis – a primer", Chapter 1 of Reliability-Based Design in Geotechnical Engineering: Computations and Applications, Taylor & Francis, 2008.

5. Phoon K. K. & Kulhawy, F. H., "Serviceability limit state reliability-based design", Chapter 9 of Reliability-Based Design in Geotechnical Engineering: Computations and Applications, Taylor & Francis, 2008.

6. Ching, J. Y., Phoon K. K. & Hu, Y. G., “Efficient Evaluation of Reliability for Slopes with Circular Slip Surfaces using Importance Sampling”, Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, ASCE, 135(6), 768-777.

7. Huang, S. P., Liang, B. & Phoon, K. K., “Geotechnical Probabilistic Analysis by Collocation-based Stochastic Response Surface Method- An EXCEL Add-in Implementation”, Georisk, 3(2), June 2009, 75-86.

8. Anthony, A. T. C., Phoon, K. K. & Kulhawy, F. H., “Reliability Analysis of Partial Safety Factor Design Method for Cantilever Retaining Walls in Granular Soils”, Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, ASCE, 135(5), May 2009, 616-622.

9. Phoon, K. K., Santoso, A. & Quek, S. T., “Probabilistic Analysis of Soil Water Characteristic Curves”, Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, ASCE (in press)

10. Chen, X. & Phoon, K. K., “Some Numerical Experiences on Convergence Criteria for Iterative Finite Element Solvers”, Computers and Geotechnics (in press)

Editorial/authored works

1. Phoon K. K. & Ching, J. Y. (Guest Editors), Special Issue on “Advances in Reliability-Based Design in Geotechnics”, Journal of GeoEngineering, 2010 (in press)

2. KSTAT Standards Committee [H. A. Loaiciga (chair), K. K. Phoon, and 23 others], Standard Guideline for Fitting Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity Using Probability Density Functions, ASCE/EWRI Standard 50-2008, ASCE, Reston, Sep 2008, 36 p. (ISBN 9780784409930) (standard)

3. KSTAT Standards Committee [H. A. Loaiciga (chair), K. K. Phoon, and 23 others], Standard Guideline for Calculating the Effective Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity, ASCE/EWRI Standard 51-2008, ASCE, Reston, Sep 2008, 36 p. (ISBN 9780784409930) (standard)

4. Phoon K. K. (Editor), Reliability-Based Design in Geotechnical Engineering: Computations and Applications, Taylor & Francis, 2008,  544 p. (ISBN 978-0-415-39630-1) (book)

5. Phoon, K. K., Fenton, G. A., Glynn, E. F., Juang, C. H., Griffiths, D. V., Wolff, T. F. & Zhang, L. M. (Editors), Probabilistic Applications in Geotechnical Engineering, Geotechnical Special Publications 170, ASCE, Reston, 2007. (GSP)

6. Tan, T. S., Phoon, K. K., Hight, D. W. & Leroueil, S. (Editors), Proceedings, Characterisation and Engineering Properties of Natural Soils, Taylor & Francis, 2006, Vols. 3 and 4, 1252 p. (ISBN 9780415426916)

7. Lin, M. L., Chin, C. T., Lin, H. D., Honjo, Y. & Phoon, K. K., Proceedings, International Symposium on New Generation Design Codes for Geotechnical Engineering Practice (TAIPEI 2006), World Scientific, 2006, 544 p. (ISBN 981-270-382-9)

8. Parsons, R. L., Zhang, L. M., Guo, W. D., Phoon, K. K. & Yang, M. (Editors), Foundation Analysis and Design: Innovative Methods, Geotechnical Special Publications 153, ASCE, Reston, 2005. (GSP)

9. Chu J, Phoon, K. K. & Yong, K. Y. (Editors), Proceedings, International Conference for Geotechnical Engineering for Disaster Mitigation and Rehabilitation, World Scientific, 2005, 612 p. (ISBN 981-256-469-1)

10. Wardani, S. P. R., Phoon, K. K. & S. A. Tan (Editors), Proceedings, Third International Conference on Geotechnical Engineering – Geotechnical Engineering for Disaster Prevention & Rehabilitation, Semarang, Indonesia, 3 - 4 August 2005, 589 p.

11. Anderson, J. B., Phoon, K. K., Smith, E. & Loehr, J. E. (Editors), Contemporary Issues in Foundation Engineering, Geotechnical Special Publications 131, ASCE, Reston, 2005 (CDROM). (GSP)

12. Phoon, K. K., General Non-Gaussian Probability Models for First-Order Reliability Method (FORM): A State-of-the-Art Report, ICG Report 2004-2-4 (NGI Report 20031091-4), International Centre for Geohazards, Oslo, September 2004. (report)

13. Phoon, K. K., Vulnerability in Relation to Risk Management of Natural Hazards, ICG Report 2004-2-3 (NGI Report 20031091-3), International Centre for Geohazards, Oslo, August 2004. (report)

14. Phoon, K. K., Hazard and Risk Scoring of Quick Clay Slides in Norway – a Probabilistic Perspective, ICG Report 2004-2-2 (NGI report 20031091-2), International Centre for Geohazards, Oslo, September 2004. (report)

15. Sivakumar Babu, G. L. & Phoon, K. K.. (Editors), Proceedings, Risk Assessment in Site Characterization and Geotechnical Design, 2004, 282 p.

16. Liong S. Y., Phoon K. K., Babovic V. (Editors), Proceedings, Sixth International Conference on Hydroinformatics, World Scientific 2004, Vols. 1 & 2., 2004 p. (with CDROM) (ISBN: Full set 981-238-787-0)

17. Phoon K. K., Honjo, Y. & Gilbert, G. B. (Editors), Proceedings, International Workshop on Limit State Design in Geotechnical Engineering Practice (LSD2003), World Scientific 2003 (with CDROM), 54 p. (ISBN: 981-238-784-6)

18. Leung, C. F., Phoon K. K., Chow, Y. K., Yong, K. Y. & Teh, C. I. (Editors), Proceedings, Twelfth Asian Regional Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, World Scientific 2003, Vols. 1 & 2., 1588 p. (with CDROM) (ISBN: Full set 981-238-559-2)

19. Tan, T. S., Phoon, K. K., Hight, D. W. & Leroueil, S. (Editors), Proceedings, Characterisation and Engineering Properties of Natural Soils, Balkema, 2003, Vols. 1 & 2, 1531 p. (ISBN: Vol. 1 90-5809-538-X, Vol. 2 90-5809-539-8, Full set 90-5809-537-1)

20. Leung, C. F., Tan, S. A. & Phoon, K. K. (Editors), Proceedings, Fifth International Symposium on Field Measurements in Geomechanics, Balkema, 1999, 610 p. (ISBN: 90-5809-066-3)

21. Tan, T. S., Chew, S. H., Phoon, K. K. & Ng, T. G. (Editors), Proceedings, Third Asian Young Geotechnical Engineers Conference, 1997, 671 p. (ISBN: 9971-88-563-8)

22. Phoon, K. K., Kulhawy, F. H., & Grigoriu, M. D., Reliability-Based Design of Foundations for Transmission Line Structures, EPRI Report TR-105000, Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, July 1995, 380 p. (report)