Itasca Consulting Group, Inc.

David Potyondy

Software Technology Lead

U.S. Minneapolis
Itasca Consulting Group, Inc.

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office: +1 (612) 677-2406
mobile: +1 (651) 279-5755

Download Curriculum Vitae

Areas of Expertise

Geomechanical
Materials
Numerical Modeling
Software Development

Consulting Services

Civil Engineering
Mining
Energy
Material Processing

David Potyondy

Software Technology Lead

Dr. Potyondy completed his PhD in Civil Engineering at Cornell University in 1993 and since that time has been employed by ITASCA, except for a two-year period from 2004-2005 as an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto. Mathematical modeling of physical phenomena is the driving passion for his research and development work. He has developed and applied both continuum and discontinuum models to represent damage and flow processes on both a macro- and micro-scale. His primary research focus is micromechanical modeling using discrete-element methods in which a solid is represented as a bonded collection of discrete particles. He developed the bonded-particle modeling methodology along with Peter Cundall and continues to develop this methodology. The modeling methodology is embodied in the Particle Flow Code (PFC) and has been widely used. He has authored 67 technical papers, 57 reports, directed development of the PFC codes, given more than 46 PFC training courses that focus on microstructural modeling of rock fracture, developed the structural-element logic in the FLAC3D code, and developed novel techniques for applying micro-mechanical discontinuum models to fracture-related boundary-value problems that are not limited to rock-mechanics applications (interesting examples of which are shaving of human hair and grinding of wheat into flour).

Education

Ph.D.(Civil Engineering), 1993
Cornell University

M.S. (Civil Engineering), 1990
Cornell University

B.S. (Civil Engineering), 1987
University of Minnesota

Professional Memberships

American Rock Mechanics Association, American Society of Civil Engineers, International Society of Rock Mechanics

Publications

Download Potyondy_David_pub_2026.pdf

U.S. Minneapolis
Itasca Consulting Group, Inc.