Sai Vanapalli

Dr. Sai Vanapalli is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Ottawa. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Saskatchewan (1994) and an M.Tech. from Kakatiya University, India. His research focuses on unsaturated soil mechanics, including foundation design, expansive soils, freeze-thaw effects, and pavement engineering. He has authored/co-authored over 125 publications, supervised 16 graduate students, and pioneered state-of-the-art laboratory equipment for unsaturated soil testing.

Dr. Vanapalli has organized major international conferences such as the Diamond Jubilee Canadian Geotechnical Conference (2007) and the 12th IACMAG (2008). He received the Stermac Award (2010) and multiple teaching awards, including the OCUFA Teaching Excellence Award (2007). His lab houses advanced equipment like the modified ring shear test apparatus and University of Ottawa Bearing Capacity Equipment (UOBCE), supported by grants from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI-LOF).

Key research themes include geotechnical engineering, unsaturated soil technology, geo-environmental studies, and critical state mechanics. His work bridges theory and practice, emphasizing practical engineering solutions for unsaturated soil challenges. He actively reviews for journals like Geotechnique and serves on editorial boards, furthering global knowledge exchange in geotechnics.