Concrete and geotechnical engineering

Our research in concrete engineering focuses in particular on the use of fibre-reinforced polymers as internal or external reinforcement for concrete structures.  This material can be used for new structures or to extend the life of existing structures. We also conduct research looking at the use of cementless mortars and recycled aggregate.  Our geotechnical expertise include the reinforcement of weak soils, heat recovery from shallow soil layers, soil-structure interaction and the transport of contaminants in porous media.

Soil Structure Interaction

Buried structures such as tunnels, shelters and other underground infrastructures are important civil engineering structures in the modern world. Buried structures are becoming more and more widespread as a consequence of the decreasing availability of quality above ground space and resources due to fast growing populations.

The research project aimed at acquiring a better understanding of the behaviour of buried structures under dynamic loading e.g. blast and impact loads. For a proper design and analysis of underground structure response, the whole system behaviour including simulation of blast loads, propagation of shock waves through the soil medium, interaction of the surrounding soils with buried structure and the structure response is numerically simulated in a single model.