About Dr. Meier

Dr. Meier holds a Ph.D. from Georgia Institute of Technology (1995), a M.Sc. from University of Colorado at Boulder (1983), and a B.S. from Virginia Tech (1979). He has been on the faculty of the Department of Civil Engineering at The University of Memphis since August 1995. Before that, he worked for 12 years as a Research Civil Engineer at the U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station (now the Engineering Research and Development Center) in Vicksburg, MS. While at Waterways Experiment Station, he worked in the Geomechanics, Soil and Rock Mechanics, and Mobility Systems Divisions.

Dr. Meier's research interests are primarily in the areas of soil mechanics, pavement mechanics, highway materials, and numerical methods. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in soil mechanics, pavement design, highway materials, and engineering economics, among others.

Dr. Meier is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), American Concrete Institute (ACI), and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and serves on several committees within those organizations. He is also a long-serving officer in the local ASCE and ACI organizations, and an associate editor for the Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenviromental Engineering. Dr. Meier has also been the ASCE Student Chapter Faculty Advisor since 1997.

Research Interests

Collapsible Soils
Unsaturated Soil Mechanics
Pavement Mechanics
Highway Materials
Soft Computing Methods

Publications

Meier, R., Abbo, A., and Wang, L. (Eds.) Soil Behavior and Geomicromechanics, ASCE Geotechnical Special Publication No. 200, 2010.

Zou, G., Drumm, E. C., and Meier, R. W. (2007) "Environmental Effects on the Predicted Service Life of Flexible Pavements," Journal of Transportation Engineering, ASCE, Vol. 133, No. 1, January 1, 2007, pp. 47-56.

Huang, B., Meier, R., Prozzi, J., and Tutumluer, E. (Eds.) Pavement Mechanics and Performance, ASCE Geotechnical Special Publication No. 154, 2006.

Zuo, G., Drumm, E., Meier, R., Rainwater, N., Marshall, C., Wright, W., and Yoder, R. (2004) Observed Long-Term Water Content Changes in Flexible Pavements in a Moderate Climate. Geotechnical Engineering for Transportation Projects: pp. 1066-1075.

Drumm, E. C. and Meier, R.W. (2003) "LTPP Data Analysis: Daily and Seasonal Variations in Insitu Material Properties, Project 20-50(7&12)" Final Report to National Cooperative Highway Research Program, web document http://trb.org/publications/nchrp/nchrp_w60.pdf.

Zou, G., Meier, R.W. and Drumm, E.C. (2002) "The Effect of Temperature Averaging on Predicted Pavement Life," Transportation Research Record, No. 1809, TRB, Washington D.C., pp. 119-125.

Marshall, P. C., Meier, R. W., and Welch, M., "Seasonal Temperature Effects On Flexible Pavements In Tennessee," Transportation Research Record No. 1764, TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 2001, pp. 89-96.

Meier, R. W. and Barkdoll, B. D. "Sampling Design for Network Model Calibration Using Genetic Algorithms," Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, ASCE, July, 2000.

Meier, R. W. and Tutumluer, E. "Uses of Artificial Neural Networks in the Mechanistic Empirical Design of Flexible Pavements," in Artificial Intelligence and Mathematical Methods in Pavement and Geomechanical Systems, A. A. Balkema, Rotterdam, 1998.

Meier, R. W. and Rix, G. J. "Backcalculation of Flexible Pavement Moduli from Falling Weight Deflectometer Data using Artificial Neural Networks," in Artificial Neural Networks for Civil Engineers: Advanced Features and Applications, ASCE, 1998.

Meier, R. W., Alexander, D. R. and Freeman, R. "Using Artificial Neural Networks as a Forward Approach to Backcalculation," Transportation Research Record No. 1570, TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D. C., 1997, pp. 126-133.

Tutumluer, E. and Meier, R. W., "An Attempt at Resilient Modulus Modeling Using Artificial Neural Networks," Transportation Research Record No. 1540, TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D. C., 1996, pp. 1-6.

Meier, R. W. and Rix, G. J., "Backcalculation of Flexible Pavement Moduli from Dynamic Deflection Basins Using Artificial Neural Networks," Transportation Research Record 1473, TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D. C., 1995.

Meier, R. W. and Rix, G. J., "Backcalculation of Flexible Pavement Moduli from Dynamic Deflection Basins Using Artificial Neural Networks," Transportation Research Record 1473, TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D. C., 1995.

Meier, R. W. and Rix, G. J., "Backcalculation of Flexible Pavement Moduli Using Artificial Neural Networks," Transportation Research Record 1448, TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D. C., 1994.

Baylot, E. A., Meier, R. W. and Hadala, P. F., "Engineer Model Improvement Program - Report 11: Parametric Studies of Alternative Methods of Simulating Combat Engineer Activity and of Engineer Battlefield Preparation Using the Engineer Functional Area Model," Technical Report GL-90-8, U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS, September 1994.

Meier, R. W. and Horner, D. A. (Eds.), "Proceedings, First North American Workshop on Modeling the Mechanics of Off-Road Mobility," Miscellaneous Paper GL-94-30, U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS, August 1994.

Rix, G. J. and Meier, R. W., "Use of Artificial Neural Networks for Automated Nondestructive Test Interpretation," Proceedings, Conference on the Repair and Rehabilitation of the Infrastructure in the Americas, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, May 1994.

Meier, R. W. and Rix, G. J., "An Initial Study of Surface Wave Inversion Using Artificial Neural Networks," Geotechnical Testing Journal, Vol. 16, No. 4, December 1993.  

Teaching

Advanced Soil Mechanics (G)
Applied Soil Mechanics (U)
Approximation and Uncertainty (U)
Civil Engineering Materials (U)
Computer Methods in Civil Engineering (U)
Critical State Soil Mechanics (G)
Design of Highway and Airfield Pavements (G)
Engineering Economics (U)
Mechanics of Materials (U)
Pavement Design and Evaluation (U/G)
Senior Design (U)
Senior Seminar (U)
Soil and Site Improvement (G)
Soil Mechanics (U)
Unsaturated Soil Mechanics (G)

Honors and Awards

Herff College of Engineering Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award (2013)
Memphis-Area Joint Engineers Council Award of Excellence (2013)
ASCE Student Chapter Faculty of the Year Award (2012)
ASCE Tennessee Section Daniel S. Barge Distinguished Service Award (2010)
ASCE Student Chapter Faculty of the Year Award (2009)
J. Geotech. & Geoenv. Engg. Outstanding Editorial Board Member (2009)
Herff College of Engineering Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award (2007)
ASCE Tennessee Section Peter G. Hoadley Engineering Educator of the Year (2006)
ASCE Student Chapter Faculty of the Year Award (2005)
Herff College of Engineering Outstanding Faculty Research Award (2004)
ASCE Student Chapter Faculty of the Year Award (2003)
Department of the Army Certificate of Commendation (1993)
ASCE Mississippi Section Young Civil Engineer of the Year (1990)
Department of the Army Certificate of Commendation (1990)
Department of the Army Special Act or Service Award (1989)
Department of the Army Certificate of Commendation (1984)

Offices and Committee Memberships

ASCE Student Chapter Faculty Advisor (1997-present)
ASCE J. Geotech. & Geoenv. Engg. Editorial Board (1997-present)
ASCE West Tennessee Branch Treasurer (2004-present)
ASCE West Tennessee Branch Board of Directors (1999-2004)
ASCE West Tennessee Branch President (1998-1999)
ASTM Committee D04 on Road and Paving Materials (2000-present)
ASCE GI Pavements Committee Steering Committee (2003-present)
ASCE T&DI Highway Pavements Committee (2005-present)
ACI Mid-America Chapter Secretary (2000-present)
TRB Committee AFD80 on Strength and Deformation of Pavements (1997-2006)