December 23, 2024
Federico Somaini Wins the Gruner Geotechnics Prize 2024
Gruner has awarded the Geotechnics Prize for the second time at ETH Zurich. This year, the prize goes to Federico Somaini, who studied the behavior of landslide slopes during earthquakes.
Using the innovative Material Point Method (MPM), Federico Somaini convincingly simulated how the Leimbach landslide near Zurich behaves during an earthquake. The results show that only during extremely strong earthquakes—such as those not expected in Switzerland—do large-scale deformations of up to three meters occur. Through the precise simulation of complex conditions, Somaini has uniquely demonstrated how modern methods can realistically represent creeping landslide slopes.
The award was presented on December 7, 2024, during the Master's graduation ceremony at ETH Zurich and shortly afterward, it was personally handed over by Laurent Pitteloud, Head of Department Geotechnics at Gruner, at the company's headquarters in Basel. This annual award recognizes outstanding master's theses in geotechnics by graduates of the civil engineering master's program, supporting the development of young engineers.
Laurent Pitteloud, Head of Department Geotechnics, presents Federico Somaini with the prize at Gruner's headquarters in Basel.
The Gruner Geotechnics Prize was awarded for the second time.
Somaini's work stands out for its innovation, quality and comprehensible analysis of complex conditions.
The prize is awarded at the ETHZ's Master of Civil Engineering ceremony.