Craig H. Benson Ph.D., P.E. is Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Geological Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he has been a member of the faculty since January 1990. Dr. Benson has a BS from Lehigh University and MSE and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. All degrees are in Civil Engineering, with the MSE and Ph.D. degrees specializing in geo-engineering. Dr. Benson is a licensed professional engineer.

For the last 15 years, Dr. Benson has been conducting experimental and analytical research on barriers to flow and contaminant transport, and is regarded as one of the leading international experts on the performance of barrier systems. Dr. Benson has been conducting research on the effectiveness of alternative earthen final covers (AEFCs) for waste containment as one of his primary scholarly thrusts. This research has included laboratory studies, large-scale field experiments, and modeling. Dr. Benson consulted on the first AEFC approved for a composite-lined facility in the United States. He has received several awards for his work, including the Presidential Young Investigator Award from the National Science Foundation and the Distinguished Young Faculty Award from the US Dept. of Energy. Dr. Benson has also received the Huber Research Prize as well as the Croes, Middlebrooks, Collingwood, and Casagrande Awards from the American Society of Civil Engineers. Dr. Benson is an active member of the Geo-Institute and is chair of ASTM committee D18.04 on Hydrologic Properties of Soil and Rock.

Dr. Benson is one of the principal investigators for US EPA’s Alternative Cover Assessment Project (ACAP). He was intimately involved in design of the ACAP test sections, and acted as the engineer-of-record during construction. Currently he is collaborating with the Desert Research Institute on interpretation of data being collected from the ACAP test sections.

Email address: benson@engr.wisc.edu