rlm          
     
Update 2021: I am currently taking a break at my farm in Korat, Thailand, herding my buffaloes, planting trees and working on several research projects: two dam safety issues in Laos and Indonesia, and development of innovative techniques for displaying and analyzing remote sensing data in volcanic terrains. For examples see https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/d109b-f3dda2c61b1d44f0bf25a83f1247db6d. I am interested in testing this method which has been a key to understanding hazard potential at both the Xe Pian Xe Namnoi dam failure site in Laos and a proposed high-risk tailings dam site in Sumatra Indonesia. If you are a researcher or professional interested in this please contact me directly at meehan@stanford.edu.

Richard L. Meehan

Richard Meehan has civil engineering degrees from M.I.T. and Imperial College, University of London. Following active duty as an officer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and construction experience designing and building the Lam Pra Plerng Dam in Northeast Thailand in the early 1960s he did research on fluid migration in rock formations at Imperial College, University of London and since the 1970s has specialized in evaluating geological hazards such as  oilfield subsidence, induced seismicity, dam stability, tailings dam safety, and flooding. He has maintained a California and Thailand-based consulting engineering practice and taught at Stanford University for the past forty years.

He has authored two MIT Press books, served as consulting and testifying expert in many legal cases including the California Paterno case which was upheld by the California Supreme Court and fundamentally changed the law in regard to government responsibility of aging flood control works.

Contact: meehan@stanford.edu


video on December 2020: a controversial mine tailings dam project in Sumatra, Indonesia.

Analysis of 2018 failure of Xe Pian Xe Namnoi hydroelectric project on the Bolvaven Plateau, PDR Laos

video on December 2012 review of Baldwin Hills fracking A joint paper with Douglas Hamilton was a cover article in Science Magazine (https://science.sciencemag.org/content/172/3981/333) and first established the connection between oilfield operations and the safety of aboveground facilities.

Supplementary material on Inglewood fracking issue

Web Project on Geotechnical Failures

Publications  and  Reviews of two books by Richard Meehan
 

Girls Algebra Project
 
 

Academics

Course taught at M.I.T. (Winter 2000):

Courses taught at Stanford (1975-present):  
Current Research projects