He took doctoral degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1965. He worked as a professor at Stanford University from 1968 to 1974 and director-general of the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute from 1974 to 1991. He was then a professor at the University of Oslo from 1991 to his retirement.
Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences]
He is a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters and the Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences.