Biography

I am a senior lecturer in Geotechnical Engineering and undergraduate and postgraduate admissions tutor for Civil Engineering and Construction Engineering Management courses (Campus and Degree Apprenticeships) at the University of Portsmouth, School of Civil Engineering and Surveying. I am a Fellow of the Higher Educational Academy. 

I graduated with BSc in Civil Engineering and an MSc in Geotechnical Engineering. I then joined the Geotechnical Engineering Research Group in Sheffield to complete a PhD.

My PhD research is mainly focused on the study of mechanics of the interactions between geo-synthetic materials and soil particles with the aim of achieving greater design efficiency and sustainability. This research project uses both physical and numerical methods. It combines advanced visualisation element tests using transparent soil technology with Particle Image Velocimetry to visualise the interaction mechanics. A novel methodology has been developed based on Discontinuity Layout Optimisation to model geo-synthetics materials-soil interactions.

I am also a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and a Chartered Civil Engineer. I have substantial industrial experience (2005–2011) and worked on several projects in international consulting/construction companies. My projects covered a wide spectrum of geotechnical challenges including soil improvement, seismic hazard analysis, in-situ and laboratory soil testing and deep excavation. I also led the design team as a senior engineer, performing seismic hazard analysis studies such as amplification, liquefaction, bearing capacity of soil, landslide and checking unusual problems for soil such as swelling, and collapsibility.

Research interests

• Physical modelling of geotechnical problems
• Transparent soils and non-intrusive physical modelling
• Soil structure interaction