Kalehiwot Nega Manahiloh, B.S., M.S., Ph.D., P.E.

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Associate Professor of Civil Engineering

(434) 592-4243

kmanahiloh@liberty.edu

Education

Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, Washington State University, 2013
M.Sc. in Civil Engineering, Addis Ababa University, 2009
B.Sc. in Civil Engineering, Addis Ababa University, 2004

Professional Registration

Professional Civil Engineer (P.E.), Registration No. 19164, Delaware
Professional Construction Engineer (P.C.E.), License No. 1934, Ethiopia

Honors and Awards

Best Paper Award, LUSE (Spring 2023)
Online Teaching Academy Fellow, UVU (Fall 2020)
Early Career Geotechnical Faculty Fellow, NSF/USUCGER (Spring 2018)
Foundation Engineering Faculty Fellow, ADSC (Summer 2016)
Professional Engineer Award, College of Engineering, UD (Spring 2016)
Outstanding Dissertation Award, Civil and Environmental Engineering, WSU (2014)
ExCEEd Teaching Fellow, ASCE (2014)
Excellence in Research Award, WSU (2013)
Civil and Environmental Engineering Scholarship, WSU (2013)
Civil and Environmental Engineering Scholarship, WSU (2012)
Outstanding Teaching Assistant, College of Engineering, WSU (2012-13) (Nominated)
Outstanding Teaching Assistant, Civil and Environmental Engineering, WSU (2012-13)

Fundamental Research

Experimental Unsaturated Soil Mechanics
Micro-geomechanics
Nondestructive Characterization

Applied Research

Field, laboratory, and numerical assessment of geo-structural systems
Geo-environmental applications of Biochar
Eco-friendly ground improvement methods
Applications of machine learning in Geotechnical systems

Membership in Professional Organizations

Member, Unsaturated Soil Group at University of Delaware (US-GUD), 2013 – present
Member, Chi-Epsilon – The Civil Engineering Honor Society, 2014 – present
Member, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), 2009 – present
International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE)
Member, Delaware Valley Geo-Institute (DVGI), 2013 – present
Member, American Geophysical Union (AGU), 2011 – present
Member, Ethiopian Association of Civil Engineers (EACE), 2004 – present

Membership in Technical Committees

Member, ASCE Geo-Institute – Unsaturated Soils Committee
Member, ASCE Geo-Institute – Computational Geotechnics Committee
Friend, TRB AFP60 – Engineering Behavior of Unsaturated Soils Committee
Member, TRB AFP30 – Soil and Rock Properties Committee

Journal Publications

Sadr, A., Kaliakin, V.N., Hataf, N., Manahiloh, K.N. (2022) “Numerical Study of Soilbag columns and comparison to encased soil columns in loose sand.” Computers and Geotechnics. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2021.104588)
Yan, Y., Nakhli, S.A.A., Jin, J., Mills, G., Willson, C.S., Manahiloh, K.N., Legates, D.R., and Imhoff P.T. (2021). “Predicting the impact of biochar on the saturated hydraulic conductivity of natural and engineered media,” Journal of Environmental Management. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113143)
Kadivar M., Manahiloh K.N., and Kaliakin V.N. (2021) “Laboratory Assessment of the Mechanical Behavior of a Mid-Atlantic Unsaturated Transition Soil”, ASCE: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering. (https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0003759)
Nakhli S.A.A, Goy S., Manahiloh K.N., and Imhoff P.T. (2021) “Spatial Heterogeneity of Biochar (Segregation) in Biochar-Amended Media: An Overlooked Phenomenon, and Its Impact on Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity.” Journal of Env. Management. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111588)
Hosseinpour Z., Najafpour G.D., Latifi N., Morowvat H.M., Manahiloh K.N. (2021). “Synthesis of a biopolymer via a novel strain of Pantoea as a soil stabilizer.” Transportation Geotechnics, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trgeo.2020.100425.
Bugher C., Manahiloh, K.N., and Kaliakin, V.N. (2019). “Dynamic Amplification Factor in Culverts: A Parametric Study with Three-Dimensional Finite Element Analysis,” Journal of Transportation Infrastructure Geotechnology. (doi: 10.1007/s40515-019-00097-4)
Kadivar M. and Manahiloh K.N. (2019) “Mechanical behavior of artificially frozen soils,” Cold Regions Science and Tech. (doi:10.1016/j.coldregions.2019.04.005)
Manahiloh K.N., Abera K., and Motalleb Nejad M. (2018) “A refined global segmentation for multi-phase geomaterials.” Journal of Nondestructive Evaluation, 37(54): 1-12. (doi:10.1007/s10921-018-0508-y)
Motalleb Nejad, M., Momeni, M.S., and Manahiloh, K.N. “Reply of authors to the discussion of H. Gullu [Soil Dyn Earthq Eng 108 (2018) 203–4] on their article “Shear wave velocity and soil type micro-zonation using neural networks and geographic information system” [Soil Dyn Earthq Eng 104 (2018) 54–63].” Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering. (doi:10.1016/j.soildyn.2018.04.013)
Wells A., Shenton III H.W., Manahiloh K.N., and Wenczel G. (2018). “Dynamic load allowance provisions for box culverts with low fill depth.” Journal of Transportation Infrastructure Geotechnology, 5(1): 42-58. (doi:10.1007/s40515-017-0046-6)
Kadivar M., Manahiloh K.N., Kaliakin V., and Shenton III H.W. (2018). “Numerical investigation of dynamic load amplification in buried culverts.” Journal of Transportation Infrastructure Geotechnology, 5(1): 24-41. (doi:10.1007/s40515-017-0045-7)
Motalleb Nejad M., Momeni M.S., and Manahiloh K.N. (2018). “Shear wave velocity and soil type microzonation using Neural Networks and Geographic Information System.” Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering. 104, 54-63. (doi:10.1016/j.soildyn.2017.10.001)
Tabarsa A., Latifi N., Meehan C.L., and Manahiloh K.N. (2018). “Laboratory investigation and field evaluation of loess improvement using nanoclay – A sustainable material for construction.” Journal of Construction and Building Materials. 158, 454-463. (doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.09.096)
Motalleb Nejad M., Manahiloh K.N., and Momeni M.S. (2017). “Random-effects regression model for shear wave velocity as a function of standard penetration test resistance, vertical effective stress, fines content and plasticity index.” Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering. 103(2017): 95-104. (doi:10.1016/j.soildyn.2017.09.022)
Rashid A.S.A., Latifi N., Meehan C.L., and Manahiloh K.N. (2017). “Sustainable improvement of tropical residual soil using an environmentally friendly additive.” Geotechnical and Geological Engineering. 36(6), 2613-2623. (doi:10.1007/s10706-017-0265-1)
Manahiloh K.N. and Meehan C.L. (2017). “Determining the Soil Water Characteristic Curve and interfacial contact angle from microstructural analysis of X-ray CT images.” ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering. 143(8). (doi: 10.1061/(ASCE) GT.1943-5606.0001677)
Abera K., Manahiloh K.N., and Motalleb Nejad M. (2017). “The Effectiveness of global thresholding techniques in segmenting two-phase porous media.” Journal of Construction and Building Materials. 142:256-267. (doi:10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.03.046)
Manahiloh K.N., Muhunthan B., and Likos W.J. (2016). “Microstructure-based effective stress formulation for partially saturated granular soils.” ASCE International Journal of Geomechanics: Special Issues on Experimental and Computational Geomechanics for Unsaturated Soils. 16(6): 1-13. (doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000617)
Motalleb Nejad M., and Manahiloh K.N. (2015). “A modified harmony search algorithm for the optimal design of earth walls reinforced with non-uniform geosynthetic layers.” Int. Journal of Geosynthetics and Ground Engineering, 1(4): 1-15. (doi: 10.1007/s40891-015-0039-x)
Manahiloh K.N., Motalleb Nejad M., and Momeni M.S. (2015). “Optimization of design parameters and cost of geosynthetic-reinforced earth walls by Harmony Search Algorithm.” Int. Jour. of Geosynthetics and Ground Engineering, 1(2):1-12. (doi: 10.1007/s40891-015-0017-3)
Manahiloh K.N., Muhunthan B. Kayhanian M., Gebremariam S.Y. (2012). “X-ray Computed Tomography and nondestructive evaluation of clogging in porous concrete field samples.” Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, 24(8), 1103-1109. (doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0000484)
Wu M., Wen H., Muhunthan B., and Manahiloh K.N. (2012). “Influence of RAP content on the air void distribution, permeability and modulus of the base layer in recycled asphalt pavements.” Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2267, 65-71. (doi: 10.3141/2267-07)
Roopesh M.S., Manahiloh K.N., Muhunthan B., Sablani S.S. (2012). “Understanding the influence of state/phase transitions on ice recrystallization in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) during frozen storage.” Food Biophysics Journal, 7(1), 57-71. (doi:10.1007/s11483-011-9243-y)

Geotechnical Special Publications (GSPs)

Kadivar, M., Manahiloh, K.N., and Kaliakin, V.N. (2021) “Examining the Predictive Capabilities of a Bounding Surface Plasticity-Based Hyperelastic Constitutive Model for Unsaturated Granular Soils.”, 3^rd Pan-American Conference on Unsaturated Soils.
Kadivar, M., Manahiloh, K.N., and Kaliakin, V.N. (2019). “A Bounding Surface-based constitutive model for unsaturated granular soils, Geotechnical Materials, Modeling, and Testing soils, Geotechnical Special Publication No. 310, 833 – 843. (doi:10.1061/9780784482124.084)
Lamprinakos, R., and Manahiloh, K.N. (2019). “Examining the behavior of compacted soil-biochar specimens.” Soil Improvement, GSP No. 309, 141 – 147. (doi:10.1061/9780784482117.013)
Bugher, C., Manahiloh, K.N., Kaliakin, V.N., and Shenton III, H.W. (2019). “3-D Finite Element Analysis of reinforced concrete box culverts using Infinite Elements.” Geotech. Materials, Modeling, and Testing soils, GSP No. 310, 193 – 203. (doi:10.1061/9780784482124.021)
Kadivar, M., Manahiloh, K.N., and Kaliakin, V.N. (2019). “Characterizing the unsaturated strength behavior of a native transition soil used as backfill in the construction of US 301, section 3.” Geotech. Materials, Modeling, and Testing soils, GSP No. 310, 804 – 813. (doi:10.1061/9780784482124.081)
Kadivar, M., Manahiloh, K.N., Kaliakin, V.N., and Shenton, H. (2018). “Assessment of dynamic load allowance for buried culverts.” Developments in Earth Retention, Support Systems, and Tunneling, GSP No. 297, 179 – 188. (doi:10.1061/9780784481608.018)
Abera, K., Manahiloh, K.N., and Motalleb Nejad, M.* (2018). “Global segmentation algorithm for partially saturated granular geomaterials.” Advances in Geomaterial Modeling and Site Characterization, GSP No. 295, 474 – 483. (doi: 10.1061/9780784481585.046)
Motalleb Nejad M., and Manahiloh K.N. (2017). “Investigating the role of soil fabric in unsaturated soils.” Geotechnical Materials, Modeling, and Testing, GSP No. 280, 595 – 605. (doi:10.1061/9780784480472.063)
Motalleb Nejad M., Manahiloh K.N., and Meehan C.L. (2017). “Applying the techniques of microstructural image processing towards measuring interface angles in unsaturated geomaterials.” Geotechnical Materials, Modeling, and Testing, GSP No. 280, 659 – 668. (doi:10.1061/9780784480472.070)
Jin J., Abera K., Manahiloh K.N., and Imhoff P. (2017). “Experimental investigation of the effects of biochar on the hydraulic conductivity of soils.” GSP No. 276, 549-558. (doi:10.1061/9780784480434.060)
Wells A., Shenton III H.W., and Manahiloh K.N. (2016). “Parametric investigation of factors influencing the dynamic response of buried reinforced concrete culverts.” Geotechnical and Structural Engineering Congress, 648-659. (doi:10.1061/9780784479742.054)
Manahiloh K.N. and Meehan C.L. (2015). “Evolution of interphase contact angle in partially saturated soils using digital analysis of x-ray computed tomography images.” GSP, No. 256, 2092-2101. (doi:10.1061/9780784479087.193)

Refereed Conference Proceedings

Wells A., Manahiloh K.N., and Shenton III H.W. (2020) “Investigation of Dynamic Amplification Factor for Concrete Box Culverts through Finite Element Modeling.” Submitted August 2019, Proceedings of the 99^th Transportation Research Board Meeting.
Kaliakin, V. N., Kadivar, M., and Manahiloh, K. N., “Numerical Investigation of Culverts to Assess Suitability of Current Design Methods,” Actual Problems and Perspectives in the Development of Structural Construction: Innovation, Modernization and Energy Efficiency in Construction, edited by A. A. Kycauhova and C. D. Cehembaeva, Kazakh Leading Academy of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Almaty, Kazakhstan, 14-23 (2018).
Wells A., Shenton III H.W., and Manahiloh K.N. (2017). “Investigation of dynamic amplification factor for concrete box culverts through finite element modeling,” Structures Congress 2017, April 6-8.
Wells A., Shenton III H.W, and Manahiloh K.N. (2017). “Experimental evaluation of dynamic amplification factor for box culverts.” TRB annual meeting, January 8-12, Washington D.C. (Link)
Manahiloh K.N., Muhunthan B., and Likos W.J. (2014). “Effective stress and the role of liquid fabric in unsaturated granular soils.” Proceedings of the International Symposium on Geomechanics from Micro to Macro, Cambridge, UK, 863-868.
Manahiloh K.N. and Muhunthan B. (2012). “Characterizing liquid phase fabric of unsaturated specimens from x-ray computed tomography images.” Unsaturated Soils: Research and Applications, C. Mancuso, C. Jommi, and F. D’Onza, eds., Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, 71-80. (doi:10.1007/978-3-642-31116-1_10)
Wu M., Wen H., Muhunthan B., Manahiloh K.N. (2012). “Influence of recycled asphalt pavement content on the air void distribution, permeability and modulus of base layer.” Proceedings of the 91^st Transportation Research Board, Washington D.C. (Link)
Manahiloh K.N., Jaafar R., Muhunthan B., and Likos W. (2011). “Imaging and modeling the microstructure of unsaturated soils for improved prediction of macroscale response.” NSF-CMMI Research and Innovation Conference, Atlanta, Georgia.