Professor Jean Salençon is Honorary Professor at the École polytechnique and the École nationale des ponts et chaussées (France). He was Chair professor-at-Largee and Visiting Distinguished professor at the City University of Hong Kong (2011-2016).

He was the President of the French Academy of Sciences during the years 2009 & 2010 and presided over the Institut de France in 2009. He is also a Member (Emeritus) of the French Academy of Technologies, a foreign Member of the Istituto Lombardo (Milan) and of the Academia das Ciências de Lisboa (Portugal), an honorary Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and a Corresponding Member of the Académie des sciences et lettres de Montpellier (France).

He is a recognized leader, worldwide, in the field of Continuum Mechanics. More specifically, his research activities were essentially developed in the Solid Mechanics Laboratory (École polytechnique, Palaiseau, France) with, as an essential characteristic, the transfer of basic concepts and results in Continuum mechanics to practical applications in civil and mechanical engineering. Among his major contributions, one may mention the elaboration of a Theory of Yield Design based upon the only concept of yield strength of the constituent materials and simple mathematical results of convex analysis as a convenient general framework for all types of stability analyses: slopes and dams, anisotropic and reinforced soils, yield design of plates and slabs, probabilistic approach, homogenization, etc. Other aspects of the research activities of Jean Salençon include Viscoelasticity, Elastoplasticity and Elasticity.

Professor Jean Salençon has been a member of various scientific councils and administrative boards of public or private entities. He is the author of more than 190 publications including 12 books and textbooks, 8 tutorial and practical multimedia software.
 

Honors

1. Légion d'Honneur (Commander)
2. Ordre National du Mérite (Officer)
3. Palmes Académiques (Commander)

 

Scientific Awards

1. Montyon Prize, awarded by the Académie des sciences, (Paris), 1978.
2. Trevithick Prize, awarded by the Institution of Civil Engineers (London), 1990.
3. AFPS Prize, awarded by the Association française de génie parasismique (1991).
4. Honorary Member of the EUROMECH Society

 

Scientific Works

1. Publications: Thesis - Books (Eyrolles, Wiley, Presses de l’E.N.P.C., Ellipses, AUPELF, Éditions de l’École polytechnique, Springer) - Reports for the French Academy of Science - Scientific publications - Lecture Notes at the École polytechnique and École nationale des ponts et chaussées - Conferences - Lectures at CISM (Udine), at CISCO, at ENIT (Tunis), at the Politecnico (Milan), at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica (Rio de Janeiro), at the University of Salta (Argentina), at the University of Granada (Spain), at the University of Pavia (Italy), at the City University Hong Kong. Publications and lectures in international meetings (with proceedings). Research reports. (More than 190 publications.)
2. Research domains: Structure analysis. Soil Mechanics. Continuum Mechanics.
3. Main results: Charts for the calculation of the bearing capacity of shallow foundations. Yield design theory. Stability analysis of earthworks. Probabilistic approach of the yield design theory. Applications of the yield design methods in the case of anisotropic soils. Stability analysis of reinforced earth structures. Composite materials. Bearing capacity of shallow foundations under inclined and eccentric loads and seismic conditions. Theoretical approach of ultimate limit states design.

 

Past Positions

1. 2014-2016:  Visiting Distinguished Professor, City University of Hong Kong, SAR
2. 2011-2014:  Chair Professor-at-large, City University, Hong Kong, SAR
3. 2009-2013:  Member of the Administrative Board of CNRS (Paris, France)
4. 2009-2010:  President of the Académie des sciences
5. 2009:  President of the Institut de France
6. 2008-2015:  Member of the International Advisory Board of the UANL (Monterrey, Mexico)
7. 2007-2012:  President of the scientific Board of GDF-SUEZ
8. 2007-2008:  Vice-president of the Académie des sciences
9. 2005-2011:  Member of the Administrative Board of the CNAM (Paris, France).
10. 2004-2012:  Rector of the CISM (Udine, Italy).
11. 2004-2007:  Member of the Scientific Board of the École nationale des ponts et chaussées.
12. 2004:  Chairman of the Central Administrative Board of the Institut de France.
13. 2002-2005:  Member of the Board of Governors of École polytechnique.
14. 2000-2004:  Member of the Bureau IUTAM.
15. 2000-2003:  Member of the Conseil général des ponts et chaussées
16. 2000-2001:  Founding Member of the Académie des Technologies, Paris (France).
17. 1996-2003:  Member of the scientific council of CISM (Udine, Italy).
18. 1996-1997:  Member of the Scientific Committee of the Institut Français du Pétrole.
19. 1995-2002:  Member of the Board of governors of École Centrale.
20. 1995-1998:  Member of the Scientific Committee of the ONERA.
21. 1992-2000:  Chairman of the IUTAM Solid Symposia Panel.
22. 1992-1997:  Vice president of the CADAS (Council for Applications of the French Academy of Science).
23. 1990-2000:  Member and Chairman (1992-2000) of the Committee for scientific research RENAULT Consortium (France).
24. 1990-1996:  Member of the Board of governors of École polytechnique
25. 1989-2000:  Member of the CADAS (Council for Applications of the French Academy of Science).
26. 1987-1991:  President of the Scientific Committee of the Institut de Mécanique de Grenoble (IMG).
27. 1986-1993:  Member of the Scientific Committee of the École nationale des ponts et chaussées.
28. 1986-1990:  President of the French Committee for Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering.
29. 1986-1989:  President of the Scientific Committee of G.R.E.C.O., "Rheology of Geomaterials".
30. 1985-2000:  Chairman of the Department of Mechanics at École polytechnique.
31. 1985-1989:  Member of the European Mechanics Committee.
32. 1983-1992:  Member of the Scientific Committee of the Laboratoire des ponts et chaussées.
33. 1983-1986:  Member of the Committee for "Sciences pour l'ingénieur" of the French National Research Centre, (C.N.R.S).
34. 1982-2005:  Professor in Mechanics at the École polytechnique
35. 1982-1994:  President of the Board of management of the Laboratoire de Mécanique des Solides, École polytechnique.
36. 1982-1989:  Member of the Commission of "Grands équipements de la recherche technique".
37. 1982-1983:  President of the Committee for Mitigation of Seismic hazard (Académie des sciences).
38. 1980-1985:  Head of the Department of Mechanical and material sciences, École nationale des ponts et chaussées.
39. 1980-1983:  Member of the National Committee of C.N.R.S.
40. 1977-1998:  Professor, École nationale des ponts et chaussées, Paris.
41. 1976-1985:  Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal de Mécanique Théorique et Appliquée.
42. 1975-1977:  Associate Professor in Structure Analysis, École nationale des ponts et chaussées, Paris.
43. 1974-1980:  Member of the Central Committee for Research of the Centre Technique Industriel de la Construction Métallique (CTICM).
44. 1974-1975:  Scientific Advisor to the Centre de Mise en Forme des Matériaux (CEMEF).
45. 1969-1982:  Lecturer in Mechanics at the École polytechnique (full time: 1974-1975).
46. 1965-1982:  Lecturer in Soil Mechanics, École nationale des ponts et chaussées, Paris.
47. 1964-1974:  Assistant Lecturer in Strength of materials and Materials engineering, École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris.
48. 1964-1974:  Researcher at the Laboratoire de Mécanique des Solides, École polytechnique;  Research domains: Elasticity, Viscoelasticity, Plasticity, Soil Mechanics, Continuum Mechanics

 

Publications

A list of Professor Salençon's recent publications can be found here