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Articles 1 - 30 of 320

Full-Text Articles in Geotechnical Engineering

Nanofluid-Assisted Enhanced Sealing Containment Of Caprocks For Efficient Geological Co2 Storage, Muhammad Ali, Nurudeen Yekeen, Mujahid Ali, Nilanjan Pal, Mohammed Al Kobaisi, Alireza Keshavarz, Hussein Hoteit Dec 2026

Nanofluid-Assisted Enhanced Sealing Containment Of Caprocks For Efficient Geological Co2 Storage, Muhammad Ali, Nurudeen Yekeen, Mujahid Ali, Nilanjan Pal, Mohammed Al Kobaisi, Alireza Keshavarz, Hussein Hoteit

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Millions of tons of CO2 are stored annually in geological formations in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, relying on caprock as a seal to prevent CO2 leakage. The wettability of caprock is crucial for its effectiveness, and can be altered by organic acids present in the storage media. The present study investigates the impact of stearic acid on the CO2 wettability of shale, along with the potential of alumina nanofluids to reverse this effect. Using contact angle measurements, X-ray diffraction, and other analytical methods, the study reveals that stearic acid increases the CO2 wettability of shale, making it more …

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Thermophysical Characteristics Evaluation Of Carbon And Metal Oxide-Based Hybrid Phase Change Materials For Thermal Energy Storage Applications, Utpol K. Paul, Md Shahriar Mohtasim, Md Golam Kibria, Barun K. Das Dec 2026

Thermophysical Characteristics Evaluation Of Carbon And Metal Oxide-Based Hybrid Phase Change Materials For Thermal Energy Storage Applications, Utpol K. Paul, Md Shahriar Mohtasim, Md Golam Kibria, Barun K. Das

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Phase change materials (PCM) have limited practical applications due to their low heat conductivity. The main goal of this work is to improve the thermophysical properties of PCM by adding different compositions of hybrid carbon and metal oxide-based nanoparticles for incorporation into hybrid photovoltaic/thermal solar systems to accommodate the built environment and thermal energy storage as a building envelope for thermal comfort. Three types of nanoparticles have been selected including Graphene, Al2O3, and ZnO and synthesized samples with the combinations of 0.5 wt% Al2O3 + 2 wt% ZnO, 0.75 wt% Al2O3 + 2 wt% ZnO, 1 wt% Al2O3 + 2 …

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Reframing Soil Freezing As An Unsaturated Process, Antai Dong, Xiong Zhang Aug 2026

Reframing Soil Freezing As An Unsaturated Process, Antai Dong, Xiong Zhang

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Soil freezing and frost heave are inherently unsaturated soil phenomena. However, most existing numerical models are based on saturated soil mechanics or assume full saturation. This simplification introduces conceptual inconsistencies, requires modifications that violate fundamentals in soil mechanics and fluid mechanics, and often leads to the use of self-conflicting soil properties. To overcome these limitations, this study develops a physically consistent, fully coupled thermohydraulic model for soil freezing grounded in modern unsaturated soil mechanics. A soil freezing characteristic surface (SFCS) is introduced to represent unfrozen water content in partially frozen soils as a function of both suction and temperature. Recognizing …

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Barrier-Drainage Performance Of A Wicking Geotextile In Controlling Capillary Rise In Silt: Experimental Evaluation, Dahao Zou, Yipeng Guo, Jiejin Chen, Yafeng Li, Xiong Zhang, Yongjie Zhang, Luqiang Ding Aug 2026

Barrier-Drainage Performance Of A Wicking Geotextile In Controlling Capillary Rise In Silt: Experimental Evaluation, Dahao Zou, Yipeng Guo, Jiejin Chen, Yafeng Li, Xiong Zhang, Yongjie Zhang, Luqiang Ding

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Capillary rise in silt significantly degrades its strength and durability, yet the hydraulic mechanisms governing moisture control using wicking geotextile in silt remain insufficiently understood. This study investigates the barrier-drainage performance of a wicking geotextile in silt through one-dimensional column experiments, supported by preliminary trials. Three configurations were examined: a control specimen without geotextile (CS), an embedded configuration (ES), and a surface-exposed configuration (SES). Volumetric moisture content and matric suction were monitored, capillary responses at the soil-geotextile interface and water storage behavior were evaluated. The results show that the wicking geotextile initially acts as a temporary capillary barrier due to …

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Effect Of Anisotropic Hydraulic Conductivity On Groundwater Seepage Into A Rectangular Tunnel In Submerged Sand, Deki Yangzom Ghaley, Sanjay Kumar Shukla Jul 2026

Effect Of Anisotropic Hydraulic Conductivity On Groundwater Seepage Into A Rectangular Tunnel In Submerged Sand, Deki Yangzom Ghaley, Sanjay Kumar Shukla

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Managing groundwater seepage around tunnels is critical to tunnel design, particularly when the tunnel is constructed below the water table. Accurate seepage flow patterns and water inflow prediction under ordinary and critical conditions are imperative to mitigate potential tunnel construction and service disasters. In the past, an in-depth study on the anisotropic hydraulic conductivity of the soil mass that may affect the seepage condition has not been carried out. In this work, this aspect has been investigated numerically for a rectangular tunnel submerged within a homogeneous sand mass, considering the anisotropic hydraulic conductivity ratio (kz / kx, kz = vertical …

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Assessing Planetiq Gnss-Ro Ionospheric Electron Density And Tecusing Ground-Based Ionosondes And Cosmic-2, Mohammed Alheyf, Mohamed S. Yamany, Ibrahim F. Ahmed Jun 2026

Assessing Planetiq Gnss-Ro Ionospheric Electron Density And Tecusing Ground-Based Ionosondes And Cosmic-2, Mohammed Alheyf, Mohamed S. Yamany, Ibrahim F. Ahmed

Faculty Publications

Radio occultation (RO) has become a key technique for monitoring the ionosphere by deriving electron density (Ne) profiles and total electron content (TEC) from GNSS signals. This study assesses the newly deployed PlanetiQ GNOMES constellation by validating its ionospheric Ne profiles and profile-based TEC against collocated measurements from ionosondes and the COSMIC-2 mission under both quiet and disturbed geomagnetic conditions. Data matching for the statistical validation uses conservative spatial thresholds of less than 1◦ in latitude and longitude and temporal limits of 30 min for ionosondes and 1 hfor COSMIC-2, supported by a dedicated sensitivity analysis, whereas storm-time case studies …

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Erratum For "Soil Freezing Characteristic Surface For Partially Frozen Soils", Antai Dong, Xiong Zhang, Ming Xiao May 2026

Erratum For "Soil Freezing Characteristic Surface For Partially Frozen Soils", Antai Dong, Xiong Zhang, Ming Xiao

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The following corrections should be made to "Soil Freezing Characteristic Surface for Partially Frozen Soils" by Antai Dong, Xiong Zhang, and Ming Xiao, https://doi.org/10.1061/JGGEFK.GTENG -13924: In the third sentence of the Abstract, the value for suction when completely dried is incorrect. It should be 106 kPa. The label at the end of the suction axes in Figs. 1(a) and 2 is similarly inaccurate. Corrected versions of Figs. 1 and 2 are provided herein. To preserve the published version of record, these details have been corrected only in this erratum. (Figure Presented)

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Shear Stability Enhancement In Fracture Plugging Zones: Unveiling Failure Mechanisms And Adhesive Benefits Through Photoelastic Analysis, Haoran Jing, Yili Kang, Chengyuan Xu, Lei Liu, Xiaopeng Yan, Zhenjiang You Mar 2026

Shear Stability Enhancement In Fracture Plugging Zones: Unveiling Failure Mechanisms And Adhesive Benefits Through Photoelastic Analysis, Haoran Jing, Yili Kang, Chengyuan Xu, Lei Liu, Xiaopeng Yan, Zhenjiang You

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Addressing lost circulation during drilling operations typically involves the utilization of lost circulation materials (LCMs) to create a fracture plugging zone (FPZ), which effectively decouples the wellbore fluid column pressure (Pw) from the formation pressure (Pf). This FPZ, comprised of aggregated granular LCM particles, frequently succumbs to shear stress, with shear failure being the predominant mode of structural failure, leading to ongoing fluid losses. To illuminate the failure mechanisms of the FPZ under conditions of escalating drilling differential pressure (Pw - Pf), we utilized photoelastic experiments to capture and visualize the evolving mesoscopic mechanical structure of the FPZ. Photoelastic images …

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Machine Learning-Based Upscaling Of Rock Permeability From Pore Scale To Core Scale: Effect Of Training Dataset Size And Sub-Core Volumes, Yaotian Guo, Fei Jiang, Takeshi Tsuji, Yoshitake Kato, Mai Shimokawara, Lionel Esteban, Mojtaba Seyyedi, Marina Pervukhina, Maxim Lebedev, Ryuta Kitamura Mar 2026

Machine Learning-Based Upscaling Of Rock Permeability From Pore Scale To Core Scale: Effect Of Training Dataset Size And Sub-Core Volumes, Yaotian Guo, Fei Jiang, Takeshi Tsuji, Yoshitake Kato, Mai Shimokawara, Lionel Esteban, Mojtaba Seyyedi, Marina Pervukhina, Maxim Lebedev, Ryuta Kitamura

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Permeability characterizes the capacity of porous formations to conduct fluids, thereby governing the performance of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), hydrocarbon extraction, and subsurface energy storage. A reliable assessment of rock permeability is therefore essential for these applications. Direct estimation of permeability from low-resolution CT images of large rock samples offers a rapid approach to obtain permeability data. However, the limited resolution fails to capture detailed pore-scale structural features, resulting in low prediction accuracy. To address this limitation, we propose a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based upscaling method that integrates high-precision pore-scale permeability information into core-scale, low-resolution CT images. In …

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A Rapid Field Moisture Measurement Unit For Compaction Acceptance Of Unbound Materials, Chuanjun Liu, Xiong Zhang, Jenny Liu Feb 2026

A Rapid Field Moisture Measurement Unit For Compaction Acceptance Of Unbound Materials, Chuanjun Liu, Xiong Zhang, Jenny Liu

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The moisture content (MC) was a critical parameter that needed to be monitored in geomaterial compaction. Nuclear density gauges (NDGs) had been the practice in MC and density measurement for decades but had become less desirable due to cost, regulatory, and safety concerns. Meanwhile, lightweight deflectometers (LWDs), proposed as an alternative to NDGs, did not have a function of MC measurement. This study aimed to identify a rapid field moisture analyzer to work with LWDs for evaluating the compaction acceptance of unbound materials in situ. The study started with evaluating the effectiveness and practicability of two existing moisture analyzers recommended …

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Influence Of Wicking Geotextile Installation On Moisture Migration In Silt Under Rainfall Infiltration, Yipeng Guo, Dahao Zou, Min Hu, Xiong Zhang, Fang Xu, Yongjie Zhang, Jiejing Chen Feb 2026

Influence Of Wicking Geotextile Installation On Moisture Migration In Silt Under Rainfall Infiltration, Yipeng Guo, Dahao Zou, Min Hu, Xiong Zhang, Fang Xu, Yongjie Zhang, Jiejing Chen

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Silt is widely used in subgrade construction in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River in China due to limited availability of high-quality fill. However, its high moisture sensitivity and low strength often lead to pumping, settlement, and deformation. This study investigates the hydraulic performance of a wicking geotextile in silt under simulated rainfall infiltration using one-dimensional soil column experiments. Three installation configurations were evaluated: (i) a control sample (CS) without geotextile, (ii) an embedded sample (ES) with the geotextile fully installed as a capillary barrier, and (iii) a surface-exposed sample (SES) with the geotextile extended to the …

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Fiber-Reinforced Foam Concrete Using Quarry Micro Fines And Sugarcane Bagasse Ash: A Box–Behnken Design Optimization And Performance Assessment, Ravindaran Thangavel, Sanjay Kumar Shukla, Mini K. Madhavan Feb 2026

Fiber-Reinforced Foam Concrete Using Quarry Micro Fines And Sugarcane Bagasse Ash: A Box–Behnken Design Optimization And Performance Assessment, Ravindaran Thangavel, Sanjay Kumar Shukla, Mini K. Madhavan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Foam concrete is well-appreciated for its thermal and acoustic benefits and is prepared by introducing foam into cement slurry/mortar. The current research examines the feasibility of Quarry Micro Fines (QMF), a waste generated from the quarries during sand manufacturing, as a substitute for fine aggregate in the preparation of foam concrete. During the preparation of concrete, a portion of cement is replaced with sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA), while polypropylene (PP) fibers are added to improve the shrinkage resistance and tensile strength of the resulting concrete. A three-factor, three-level Box–Behnken Design (BBD) in Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to optimize …

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A Coupled Thermo-Hydraulic Transfer Model For Soil Freezing, Antai Dong, Xiong Zhang Jan 2026

A Coupled Thermo-Hydraulic Transfer Model For Soil Freezing, Antai Dong, Xiong Zhang

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Frost heave is a common challenge in cold regions, threatening infrastructure stability. Despite decades of research, numerical simulation remains difficult due to the complex nature of coupled processes. This study presents a coupled thermo-hydraulic model for soil freezing, developed within the framework of unsaturated soil mechanics. The model uses suction and temperature as primary variables and incorporates a method to estimate ice content. It employs a soil freezing characteristic surface (SFCS), previously developed in related work, to calculate unfrozen water content as a function of both suction and temperature in partially frozen soils. The model is implemented in COMSOL for …

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Soil Freezing Characteristic Surface For Partially Frozen Soils, Antai Dong, Xiong Zhang, Ming Xiao Jan 2026

Soil Freezing Characteristic Surface For Partially Frozen Soils, Antai Dong, Xiong Zhang, Ming Xiao

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The soil freezing characteristic curve (SFCC), which relates unfrozen water content to temperature, is a fundamental constitutive relationship in frost heave simulations. However, the influence of soil suction, another critical state variable, is often neglected. This study highlights how the SFCC is significantly affected by suction conditions, with unfrozen water content varying markedly between saturated (suction = 0) and completely dried (suction = ∞) conditions at the same subfreezing temperature. Recognizing this limitation, the concept of the soil freezing characteristic surface (SFCS) is proposed to incorporate the impacts of both temperature and suction on unfrozen water content. After that a …

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High-Resolution, Fast-Response Optical Fiber Temperature Sensor With A Large Measurement Range Based On Fiber-Tip Alumina Fabry-Pérot Interferometer, Ruimin Jie, Chen Zhu, Robert Abbott, Michael Davis, Xiong Zhang, Jie Huang Jan 2026

High-Resolution, Fast-Response Optical Fiber Temperature Sensor With A Large Measurement Range Based On Fiber-Tip Alumina Fabry-Pérot Interferometer, Ruimin Jie, Chen Zhu, Robert Abbott, Michael Davis, Xiong Zhang, Jie Huang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We present an alumina-tip optical fiber Fabry-Pérot interferometric temperature sensor exhibiting high-temperature performance, rapid response, and high resolution. Fabricated by fusion splicing an alumina micro disk directly to a single-mode fiber, the sensor achieves robust, stable operation without complex fabrication processes or adhesives. Experimental evaluation confirms a measurement range extending to 1000°C, with sensitivity of 28.66 pm/°C, a resolution of 0.042°C, and a rapid response time of approximately 13 ms. Compared to state-of-the-art optical fiber FPI sensors, our alumina-tip sensor offers superior overall performance, effectively addressing critical demands for high-resolution, fast-response temperature measurement in extreme environments including aerospace, structural monitoring, …

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Numerical Investigation Of The Influence Of Fiber Content On The Shear Performance Of Uhpc Deep Beams Reinforced With Hybrid Steel And Synthetic Fibers, Hossein Mirzaaghabeik, Sanjay Kumar Shukla, Nuha S. Mashaan Jan 2026

Numerical Investigation Of The Influence Of Fiber Content On The Shear Performance Of Uhpc Deep Beams Reinforced With Hybrid Steel And Synthetic Fibers, Hossein Mirzaaghabeik, Sanjay Kumar Shukla, Nuha S. Mashaan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study investigates the shear performance of ultra-high-performance concrete deep beams (UHPC-DBs) reinforced with hybrid fibers comprising 5D steel fibers and Forta-Ferro (FF) synthetic fibers. UHPC-DBs are widely used in bridges, piles, and transfer girders because of their high load-bearing capacity. Although fiber content strongly influences shear behavior, the contribution of synthetic fibers in hybrid systems remains insufficiently understood. To address this gap, finite element analysis based on the concrete damage plasticity (CDP) model was developed in ABAQUS and validated using experimental results from five previously tested UHPC-DBs with different fiber contents. Load–deflection response, crack patterns, shear capacity, mid-span deflection, …

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Confinement-Dependent Transient Mi For The Hoek-Brown (H-B) Strength Criterion, Hao Li, Leo Pel, Zhenjiang You, David Smeulders Dec 2025

Confinement-Dependent Transient Mi For The Hoek-Brown (H-B) Strength Criterion, Hao Li, Leo Pel, Zhenjiang You, David Smeulders

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The growing global demand for mineral resources necessitates deeper excavation, where increasing in situ stresses pose significant geomechanical challenges. Consequently, an accurate strength assessment of deep-seated rock masses is crucial for ensuring the safety and reliability of underground excavations. The Hoek-Brown (H-B) strength criterion remains a widely applied rock strength criterion. However, its conventional form struggles to characterize the full nonlinear evolution of rock strength from pre-critical to critical conditions across varying confining stresses. To address this limitation, this study proposes a Confinement-dependent Transient mi Model (CTM) as an enhancement to the H-B criterion. By incorporating confinement-sensitive variations of mi, …

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Engineering Risk And Indigenous Resilience Toward Intelligent Decision Support For Mining In Ancestral Lands, Izech Brian O. Edwin, King Harold A. Recto Dec 2025

Engineering Risk And Indigenous Resilience Toward Intelligent Decision Support For Mining In Ancestral Lands, Izech Brian O. Edwin, King Harold A. Recto

Electronics, Computer, and Communications Engineering Faculty Publications

Mining within ancestral territories reveals an ongoing conflict between technical viability and Indigenous consent. This collaborative study, conducted by an engineering scholar and a policy researcher of Indigenous heritage in Benguet among the Ibaloi and Kankanaey peoples, investigates how risk transparency and policy alignment can bridge existing divides, while formulating principles applicable to other Indigenous mining contexts. The study provides an initial evaluation of the feasibility of a proposed large-scale mining operation within a risk-informed, data-driven governance framework. Three elements of engineering risk were assessed utilizing literature-derived and proxy parameters: (1) Land degradation is indicated by a Soil Productivity Index …

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Mechanical And Deformation Behavior Of Silt Reinforced With Wicking Geotextile: An Experimental Study, Yipeng Guo, Yiyong Xue, Yongjie Zhang, Wei Ruan, Yafeng Li, Xiong Zhang, Zhili Han Jul 2025

Mechanical And Deformation Behavior Of Silt Reinforced With Wicking Geotextile: An Experimental Study, Yipeng Guo, Yiyong Xue, Yongjie Zhang, Wei Ruan, Yafeng Li, Xiong Zhang, Zhili Han

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Silt is widely utilized as a filling material in transportation construction, However, it frequently suffers from problems, such as excess pore water pressure buildup, settlement, and mud pumping. Wicking geotextiles have emerged as a sustainable solution by improving both drainage and reinforcement capacities, yet their optimal design parameters remain unclear. To address this gap, a series of tests were performed to investigate the effects of compaction degree, reinforcement configuration (number, spacing, position), and specimen geometry on the mechanical and consolidation of silt reinforced with wicking geotextiles. The results reveal that the failure mechanism of reinforced silt progresses through four distinct …

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Finding Groundwater With Electricity: Research And Testing Of An Electro-Resistive Ground-Surveying Device For Use In Well-Drilling Applications, Samuel L. Heath May 2025

Finding Groundwater With Electricity: Research And Testing Of An Electro-Resistive Ground-Surveying Device For Use In Well-Drilling Applications, Samuel L. Heath

Senior Honors Theses

A custom-built electro-resistive water detection device is tested under various conditions to evaluate its overall performance and sensitivity to changing variables. The tests, designed to assess accuracy and precision, revealed that the prototype exhibits high reliability (~ 99%) for both Schlumberger and Wenner arrays across different electrode spacings and soil conditions. Moreover, the measured resistivity values from the soil tests aligned with established literature ranges for each soil type. The device also showed the ability to consistently detect changes in soil water content by producing measurable variations in resistivity. At a total cost of $181, this prototype can serve as …

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Hickory Street Square Revitalization, Spencer Knight, Grace Dungan, Tim Kula, Evan Lauritsen, Lindsey Mennenga May 2025

Hickory Street Square Revitalization, Spencer Knight, Grace Dungan, Tim Kula, Evan Lauritsen, Lindsey Mennenga

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The Hickory Street Square Revitalization Project seeks to transform a central public space in Sidney, Nebraska into a dynamic, community-oriented area that supports local events, economic activity, and cultural heritage. The project addresses six core objectives: 1) convertible street design, 2) parking lot reconfiguration, 3) public amenities, 4) event flexibility, 5) lighting and signage, and 6) old electric plant renovation. A conceptual design was developed by the design team (S.T.E.E.L. Sentinel Solutions) by synthesizing the most effective features of three preliminary alternatives, shaped further through community feedback and evolving project constraints. The final project design minimizes disruption to existing activity …

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A Review Of Chemical Stabilisation Used To Enhance The Mechanical Properties Of Rammed Earth, David Thompson, Charles Augarde, Juan Pablo Osorio Feb 2025

A Review Of Chemical Stabilisation Used To Enhance The Mechanical Properties Of Rammed Earth, David Thompson, Charles Augarde, Juan Pablo Osorio

Articles

Rammed earth is a sustainable construction method with a lower carbon footprint and embodied energy compared to traditional materials like steel and concrete. However, its lower mechanical properties when compared to these forms of construction make it vulnerable to seismic forces. This paper reviews the published literature on enhancing rammed earth's mechanical properties through both chemical stabilisation and fibre reinforcement, with a focus on reusing waste materials. The effectiveness of these techniques are highlighted by comparing experimental results with minimum specifications taken from relevant guidelines and standards for building rammed earth structures in seismic zones. These findings demonstrate that chemical …

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Brittleness Indices For Chemically Corroded Rocks Under Unloading Confining Pressure, Hao Li, Leo Pel, Zhenjiang You, David Smeulders Feb 2025

Brittleness Indices For Chemically Corroded Rocks Under Unloading Confining Pressure, Hao Li, Leo Pel, Zhenjiang You, David Smeulders

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Rock brittleness constitutes a pivotal mechanical property for geotechnical engineering. In this paper, multi-scale investigations, involving Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), ion chromatography, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), as well as unloading tests, were conducted to examine the brittle behaviors and mechanisms of rocks under chemical-unloading confinement conditions. This paper defines rock brittleness as the capacity to withstand multiscale fracturing based on experimental investigations into multiscale damage mechanisms and macro-mechanical responses. After that, two novel brittleness indices are proposed, utilizing the dissipated energy consumption and energy-drop coefficients proposed in this study. These indices are then validated using experimental data. …

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Can Chatgpt Implement Finite Element Models For Geotechnical Engineering Applications?, Hyoung Suk Suh Feb 2025

Can Chatgpt Implement Finite Element Models For Geotechnical Engineering Applications?, Hyoung Suk Suh

Faculty Scholarship

This study assesses the capability of ChatGPT to generate finite element code for geotechnical engineering applications from a set of prompts. We tested three different initial boundary value problems using a hydro-mechanically coupled formulation for unsaturated soils, including the dissipation of excess pore water pressure through fluid mass diffusion in one-dimensional space, time-dependent differential settlement of a strip footing, and gravity-driven seepage. For each case, initial prompting involved providing ChatGPT with necessary information for finite element implementation, such as balance and constitutive equations, problem geometry, initial and boundary conditions, material properties, and spatiotemporal discretization and solution strategies. Any errors and …

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Application Of Digital Core Analysis To Improve Reservoir Characterisation And Modelling: The Otway Formation As A Case Study, Masoud Aslannezhad, Mohammad Sayyafzadeh, David Tang, Stefan Iglauer, Alireza Keshavarz Feb 2025

Application Of Digital Core Analysis To Improve Reservoir Characterisation And Modelling: The Otway Formation As A Case Study, Masoud Aslannezhad, Mohammad Sayyafzadeh, David Tang, Stefan Iglauer, Alireza Keshavarz

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Conventional reservoir models of heterogeneous reservoirs do not include micro-scale heterogeneity due to the resolution limitations of widely used well logs and core plug data. This leads to a lack of precision in the characterization of the reservoir. The reservoir quality of the thin sandstone layers in heterogeneous reservoir are critical factors for CO2 sequestration. The integration of micro-CT images from rock samples and upscaling algorithms, enables a comprehensive understanding of reservoir properties and facilitates accurate reservoir modelling. This research aims to enhance reservoir characterization and modelling by upscaling digital core data from micro scale to field scale. By focusing …

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2d Numerical Modeling Of Pavements On Expansive Soil In Extreme Climates, Ekansh Agarwal, Xiong Zhang, Ning Luo Jan 2025

2d Numerical Modeling Of Pavements On Expansive Soil In Extreme Climates, Ekansh Agarwal, Xiong Zhang, Ning Luo

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study focuses on modeling a rigid pavement slab on expansive soil in extreme climates to understand the interaction between weather, pavement, and soil. Lightweight superstructures such as pavements are particularly prone to damage due to the differential settlement of expansive soils. In the context of climate change, the occurrence of severe droughts followed by intense rainfall has risen, causing severe impacts on crack initiation and development, and thus infiltration patterns in the structures built on expansive soils. Pavements are typically designed for a limited lifespan, and early failure may occur if climate change is not considered during design. This …

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Challenges In Numerical Simulation Of Frost Heave, Antai Dong, Xiong Zhang Jan 2025

Challenges In Numerical Simulation Of Frost Heave, Antai Dong, Xiong Zhang

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Frost heave of soil extensively exists in northern regions and poses a significant threat to infrastructure in cold regions. Despite over a century of research, challenges persist in numerically simulating frost heave. This study addresses two key issues: (1) What is the primary driving force for liquid water transfer during the freezing process? (2) How can we correctly represent unfrozen water content? Critical insights are derived from the theoretical analysis of coupled hydrothermal migration during soil freezing processes, followed by a case simulation using COMSOL Multiphysics. It concludes that of the water content gradient, suction gradient, and hydraulic gradient, only …

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An Improved Table Method For Coded Target Identification With Application To Photogrammetric Analysis Of Soil Specimen During Triaxial Testing, Xiaolong Xia, Xiong Zhang, Sara Fayek, Zhaozheng Yin Jan 2025

An Improved Table Method For Coded Target Identification With Application To Photogrammetric Analysis Of Soil Specimen During Triaxial Testing, Xiaolong Xia, Xiong Zhang, Sara Fayek, Zhaozheng Yin

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Accurate and efficient recognition and identification of coded targets are of great importance in coded target-based photogrammetry. Recently, a deep learning-based method has been utilized to recognize the coded targets. Then, a table method has been developed to decode the coded targets, identify falsely identified coded targets, and recover missing coded targets. This method takes advantage of the geometric arrangement of the coded targets. In this paper, an improved table method has been developed to improve the coded targets recognition and identification results. Blob analysis, instead of deep learning, is utilized to recognize coded targets. Then, the RANSAC algorithm was …

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Innovative Air Convection Embankment For Cold/Arctic Region Low-Volume Roads, Hanli Wu, Jenny Liu, Xiong Zhang, Steve Saboundjian Jan 2025

Innovative Air Convection Embankment For Cold/Arctic Region Low-Volume Roads, Hanli Wu, Jenny Liu, Xiong Zhang, Steve Saboundjian

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Roadbed thaw settlement is a unique challenge for the durability of low-volume roads (LVRs) in permafrost regions. Air convection embankment (ACE) is an effective technique that acts as a semi-heat-transfer system to control temperature variation and reduce the thaw depth of subsoil. However, limited by the shortage of the necessary crushed rocks within a short distance, building an ACE in Alaska, U.S., is prohibitively expensive. Previous studies identified the feasibility of using cellular concrete for ACE and determined the optimized thickness of the cellular concrete aggregate interlayer for ACE. However, the economic efficiency and thermal and mechanical performance of the …

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Adaptation And Validation Of The Small Strain Hardening Soil Model For Sensitive Clays In Eastern Canada, Jose Fidelis Zanavelo, Denis Leboeuf, Bertrand Galy Jan 2025

Adaptation And Validation Of The Small Strain Hardening Soil Model For Sensitive Clays In Eastern Canada, Jose Fidelis Zanavelo, Denis Leboeuf, Bertrand Galy

Articles dans des actes de congrès

This study focuses on the modelling of the complex behaviour of Champlain Sea deposits of Éastern Canada. Sensitive clays present unique geotechnical challenges due to their significant strength loss upon remolding and complex stress-strain response. The research was conducted in two phases: (1) a laboratory investigation of Louiseville clay under various stress paths and (2) the development and validation of a modified constitutive model based on the Hardening Soil model with small-strain stiffness (HSsmall). Standard HSsmall showed limitations in representing the behaviour of structured sensitive clays, especially in the overconsolidated range. To address this, the HSSstruct model, which improves upon …

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