Duke University Center for African and African American Research

    Fred Boadu
  • Fred Boadu

  • Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • Overview

    Fred Boadu received his B.S. (Hons) in geological engineering from the University of Science and Technology, Ghana, a Post-Graduate Diploma in applied geophysics from McGill University, an M.S. in geophysics from the University of Calgary, and his Ph.D. from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1994. He was an Assistant Lecturer at the University of Science and Technology, School of Mines (Tarkwa, Ghana) from 1982 to 1984. Since 1986, he has worked for several oil companies (Chevron, Amoco, and Mobil) during the summer months on a variety of research projects. He is also a consultant for Texaco, Inc. and Ghana National Petroleum Corporation.

Dr. Boadu’s research focuses on the areas of exploration, engineering and environmental geophysics. Current research involves characterizing the transport and storage properties of porous media such as fractured rocks, soils and human tissue. The work involves modeling, laboratory and field experiments. Fractal concepts and neural networks are used to interpret results. Recently, Dr. Boadu has been involved in research regarding nitrate contamination in groundwater, and as well, in education and awareness campaign of the implications in potential health hazards in Ghana

  • Education

  • Selected Publications

  • Momayez, M, Boadu, F, Cassidy, N, & Jongmans, D. (2013, December 1). Introduction to the JEEG – NSG Geotechnical Assessment and Geo-environmental Engineering Geophysics Special Issue. Near Surface Geophysics , 11 (1994).
  • Momayez, M, Boadu, F, Cassidy, N, & Jongmans, D. (2013, December 1). Introduction to the JEEG - NSG Geotechnical Assessment and Geo-environmental Engineering Geophysics Special Issue. Journal of Environmental & Engineering Geophysics , 18 (4), 201-203.
  • Boadu, FK, Owusu-Nimo, F, Achampong, F, & Ampadu, SIK. (2013, December). Artificial neural network and statistical models for predicting the basic geotechnical properties of soils from electrical measurements. NEAR SURFACE GEOPHYSICS , 11 (6), 599-612.
  • Boadu, FK, & Owusu-Nimo, F. (2011, June). Exploring the Linkages between Geotechnical Properties and Electrical Responses of Sand-Clay Mixtures under Varying Effective Stress Levels. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENGINEERING GEOPHYSICS , 16 (2), 73-83.
  • Boadu, FK. (2011). Predicting the engineering and transport properties of soils using fractal equivalent circuit model: Laboratory experiments. Geophysics , 76 (5), F329-F338.
  • Boadu, FK, & Owusu-Nimo, F. (2010). Influence of petrophysical and geotechnical engineering properties on the electrical response of unconsolidated earth materials. Geophysics , 75 (3), XG21-XG29.
  • Boadu, FK, Gyamfi, J, & Owusu, E. (2009). Reply to the discussion. Geophysics , 74 (3), X2-.
  • Boadu, FK, Owusu-Nimo, F, & Menyeh, A. (2008). Nitrate contamination in groundwater at farmlands in Nsawam, Ghana: The role of fractures from azimuthal resistivity surveys. Journal of Environmental and Engineering Geophysics , 13 (1), 27-32.
  • Owusu-Nimo, F, Boadu, FK, & Menyeh, A. (2008). Geotechnical parameters from integrated geophysical methods: Laboratory measurements and regression models. Environmental and Engineering Geophysical Society - 21st Symposium on the Application of Geophysics to Engineering and Environmental Problems 2008 , 1 , 204-214.
  • Boadu, FK, Owusu-Nimo, F, & Menyeh, A. (2008). Exploring the linkages between geotechnical properties and geophysical responses of unconsolidated materials - Laboratory measurements. Environmental and Engineering Geophysical Society - 21st Symposium on the Application of Geophysics to Engineering and Environmental Problems 2008 , 1 , 25-35.
  • Skokan, C, & Boadu, F. (2008). Humanitarian geophysics. Environmental and Engineering Geophysical Society - 21st Symposium on the Application of Geophysics to Engineering and Environmental Problems 2008 , 1 , 20-24.
  • Boadu, FK, & Seabrook, BC. (2006). Effects of clay content and salinity on the spectral electrical response of soils. Journal of Environmental and Engineering Geophysics , 11 (3), 161-170.
  • Boadu, FK, Gyamfi, J, & Owusu, E. (2005). Determining subsurface fracture characteristics from azimuthal resistivity surveys: A case study at Nsawam, Ghana. Geophysics , 70 (5), B35-B42.
  • Boadu, FK. (2003). Use of multifractal seismic waveform parameters to characterize the hydraulic properties of fractured media: Numerical experiments. Geophysical Journal International , 155 (2), 557-566.
  • Pratson, LF, Stroujkova, A, Herrick, D, Boadu, F, & Malin, P. (2003). Predicting seismic velocity and other rock properties from clay content only. Geophysics , 68 (6), 1847-1856.
  • Brian, S, Boadu, , & K, F. (2002). Relating Electrical Response and Petrophysical Properites of Sands Subjected to Stress Changes. Journal of Environmental and Engineering geophysics , 7 , 88-100.
  • (Academic Article)
  • Boadu, FK. (2001). Predicting oil saturation from velocities using petrophysical models and artificial neural networks. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering , 30 (3-4), 143-154.
  • Boadu, FK. (2001). Petrophysical Parameters Affecting NMR Relaxation Time and Cementation Factor: Artificial Neural Network Analysis. J. of Engineering. & Environmental. Geophysics .
  • (Academic Article)
  • Boadu, FK. (2001). Using Artificial Neural Networks to Predict Oil Saturation from Velocities Based on Petrophysical Models. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering , 30 , 143-154.
  • (Academic Article)
  • Boadu, FK. (2001). Chapter 11 Permeability estimation with an RBF network and Levenberg-Marquardt learning. Handbook of Geophysical Exploration: Seismic Exploration , 30 , 171-186.
  • Boadu, FK. (2000, January 1). Neural inversion for oil saturation from seismic velocities. SEG Technical Program Expanded Abstracts , 19 (1), 1417-1421.
  • Boadu, FK, & Seabrook, B. (2000). Estimating Hydraulic Conductivity and Porosity of Soils from Spectral Electrical Response Measurements. J. of Engineering. & Environmental. Geophysics , 5 (4), 1-9.
  • (Academic Article)
  • Boadu, FK. (2000). Hydraulic conductivity of soils from grain-size distribution: New models. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering , 126 (8), 739-746.
  • (Academic Article)
  • Boadu, FK. (2000). Wave propagation in fluid-saturated media: Waveform and spectral analysis. Geophysical Journal International , 141 (1), 227-240.
  • Boadu, FK. (2000). Predicting the transport properties of fractured rocks from seismic information: Numerical experiments. Journal of Applied Geophysics , 44 (2-3), 103-113.
  • Boadu, FK. (2000). Hydraulic conductivity of soils from grain-size distribution: New models. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering , 126 (8), 739-746.
  • Boadu, FK. (1998). Inversion of fracture density from field seismic velocities using artificial neural networks. Geophysics , 63 (2), 534-545.
  • Boadu, FK. (1997). Rock properties and seismic attenuation: Neural network analysis. Pure and Applied Geophysics , 149 (3), 507-524.
  • Boadu, FK. (1997). Fractured rock mass characterization parameters and seismic properties: Analytical studies. Journal of Applied Geophysics , 37 (1), 1-19.
  • Boadu, FK. (1997). Relating the hydraulic properties of a fractured rock mass to seismic attributes: Theory and numerical experiments. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences , 34 (6), 885-895.
  • Boadu, FK, & Long, LT. (1996). Effects of fractures on seismic-wave velocity and attenuation. Geophysical Journal International , 127 (1), 86-110.
  • Debrah, SK, Sanogo, D, & Boadu, FO. (1996). On-Farm Experiments with Sorghum to Assess the Acceptability of New Varieties and Herbicide Treatments. Electroanalysis , 82 (2), 219-.
  • (Academic Article)
  • Boadu, FK, & Long, LT. (1994). The fractal character of fracture spacing and RQD. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences and , 31 (2), 127-134.
  • Boadu, FK, & Long, LT. (1994). Statistical distribution of natural fractures and the possible physical generating mechanism. Pure and Applied Geophysics PAGEOPH , 142 (2), 273-293.
  • Boadu Fred, O. (1994). Policy on private water sales in rural Ghana. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management , 120 (6), 944-961.
  • (Academic Article)
  • Boadu Fred, O. (1991). Law and natural-resource development. Case of water in Lesotho. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management , 117 (6), 698-710.
  • (Academic Article)
  • Selected Grants

    • JHFYS Program 2010
    • jhfys immersion 1