Research Areas

The primary interests of the Computational Geomechanics team lie in the areas of finite element analysis of geotechnical engineering problems, constitutive modelling of soils, unsaturated soils, contaminant transport through soils, artificial intelligence and geotechnical applications and application of optimisation and parameter identification to geotechnical engineering problems. The current research activities of the Computational Geomechanics team include:

• Development and engineering applications of an intelligent finite element method
• Development of a fully coupled hydro-thermo-mechanical finite element model for unsaturated soils (computer code UNSATEX)
• Finite element modelling of contaminant transport through saturated and unsaturated soils
• Stochastic finite element modelling of fluid flow and solute transport in unsaturated soils 
• Constitutive modelling of soils
• Application of datamining techniques for modelling of soils and other materials
• Evolutionary optimisation
• Topological optimisation of auxetic materials 
• Numerical modelling in tunnelling
• Direct and mathematical methods for determination of coefficient of consolidation in soft soils
• Modelling the behaviour of reinforced soil
• Decision Support System for sustainable management of contaminated land
• Stormwater collection systems
• Modelling of expansive soils.