Geotechnical

Shot of device for geotechnical research


The Geotechnical (GEO) field of study is supported by 4 (FTE) tenure and tenure-track professors.

Geotechnical (GEO) Faculty Members

Major areas of study

  • micromechanics of soil
  • sustainable water pipelines
  • soil-structure interaction
  • soil dynamics
  • numerical simulations of reservoir injection
  • soft rock mechanics
  • trenchless technologies
  • non-destructive testing of geo-materials

Current research activities

  • theoretical research into the mechanical behaviour of particulate materials
  • application of geomechanics in petroleum, mining and pavement engineering
  • micromechanics of soils
  • flow of fluids through low hydraulic conductivity materials
  • experimental and numerical investigation of wave propagation in geo-materials to improve and create new nondestructive testing techniques
  • use of geophysical methods for geotechnical site characterization
  • dynamic characterization of soils at low strain levels
  • excitation frequency effects in bender element, resonant column, and seismic tests
  • centrifuge modelling for clay and hydraulic barriers
  • condition assessment of civil infrastructure using NDT energy
  • geotechnics with applications in geothermal and wind energy
  • compressed air energy storage
  • sustainability assessment in geotechnical engineering
  • soil structure interaction with applications in foundations and railways
  • soil constitutive modelling
  • blast analysis in underground structures
  • ground improvement
  • probabilistic analysis and LRFD
  • buried pipeline renewal and renovation using trenchless methods
  • buried infrastructure asset management
  • pipeline deterioration modelling and assessment
  • water pipeline cleaning and renovation
  • soil-pipe-lining interaction

Research centres, groups and labs

  • Centre for Advancement of Trenchless Technologies (CATT) (dissolved in 2022)

Industry and government partnerships