Engineering the
Deep Earth for a
Sustainable
Future

GEOMECHANICS , GEOENERGY, GEORESOURCES

Visiting Researchers

Professor Sheng-Qi Yang

Professor Sheng-Qi Yang

Endeavour Research Fellow

Research Interest

Experiment and simulation on fracture evolution behavior of rock containing all kinds of flaws; Deformation and damage mechanics of deep rocks; Rock creep (time-dependent) experimental and model mechanics; Deep underground rock mass engineering and reinforced technique

Professor Derek Elsworth

Professor Derek Elsworth

Professor of Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering

Research Interest

Rock mechanics, Groundwater hydrology, Mathematical modelling, Poromechanics, Coupled processes, Contaminant hydrology, Mining engineering, Petroleum engineering, Fracture hydrology

Professor Tao Xu

Professor Tao Xu

Endeavour Research Fellow

Research Interest

Rock mechanics, Rock seepage mechanics, Coal mining induced gas outbursts, Stability of underground workings, Strata movement, subsidence, slope stability, Slope stability, Acoustic emission and micro-seismicity monitoring, Computer applications in mining/geotechnical engineering, Hydraulic fracturing and associated hydro-mechanical coupling

Professor Herbert Huppert

Professor Herbert Huppert

Professor of Theoretical Geophysics

Research Interest

Carbon dioxide sequestration, Flow of granular media, Constrained lava flows, Exchange flows, Fluid mechanics of solidification

Dr. Qinglei Yu

Dr. Qinglei Yu

Associate Professor (Geomechanics, Mining Engineering)

Research Interest

Image-based numerical modelling of geomaterials, joint rock characterization and modelling, microseismic monitoring

Professor Sevket Durucan

Professor Sevket Durucan

Professor of Mining and Environmental Engineering

Research Interest

UCG gasifier design, CO2 storage performance assessment, CBM-ECBM performance assessment, Underground environment control in coal mines

Professor Hui-Hai Liu

Professor Hui-Hai Liu

Head, Department of Hydrogeology, Earth Sciences Division, Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Research Interest

Fluid flow in porous media, Flow and transport in unsaturated fractured rock, Coupled hydrological and mechanical processes in the subsurface

Professor Robert Zimmerman

Professor Robert Zimmerman

Professor of Rock mechanics

Research Interest

Hydromechanical behaviour of fractured and porous rocks, Petrophysics, Fluid flow in porous media, Rock failure and fracture

Professor Chandrasekharam

Professor Chandrasekharam

Professor, Department of Earth Sciences

Research Interest

Groundwater resources assessment/ evaluation, Saltwater intrusion into coastal aquifers, Arsenic and fluoride pollution in groundwater, Chemical evolution of geothermal springs, Geothermal energy resources evaluation (for power generation and direct use), Low temperature rock-water interaction experiments, Flow stratigraphy based on field, Geochemical and paleomagnetic studies, Regional correlation of flows using trace element and isotopic signatures, petrogenesis and evolution

Professor James R. Rice

Professor James R. Rice

Professor of Engineering Sciences and Geophysics

Research Interest

Earthquake source processes, Fault and crack dynamics, Lithospheric stressing and seismicity, Hydrologic and surficial processes, Pore fluid interaction with earth materials, Landslides, Episodic glacial motions

Professor Hong Li

Professor Hong Li

Visiting Scholar at University of Alberta

  • AffiliationUniversity of Alberta, Dalian University of Technology
Research Interest

Numerical Analysis, Reservoir Engineering, Rock Mechanics, Petroleum Engineering

Professor Giovanni Barla

Professor Giovanni Barla

Professor of Rock Mechanics

  • AffiliationEditor-in-Chief, Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering Journal
Research Interest

Rock mass characterisation, Numerical modelling and back analysis, Performance monitoring, Slope stability, Rock-structure interaction for underground workings and tunnels, Surface and underground mining

Professor H.S. Thilakasiri

Professor H.S. Thilakasiri

Senior Lecturer, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Moratuwa

  • Emailsaman@civil.mrt.ac.lk
  • Phone+94-11-2650567-8(Ext.2121)
  • AffiliationDepartment of Civil Engineering, University of Moratuwa, Moratuwa, Sri Lanka.
Research Interest

Image-based numerical modelling of geomaterials, joint rock characterization and modelling, microseismic monitoring

Professor S.R. De S. Chandrakeerthy

Professor S.R. De S. Chandrakeerthy

Senior Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Moratuwa

  • Emailraghu@civil.mrt.ac.lk
  • Phone+94-11-2650567-8(Ext.2108)
  • AffiliationDepartment of Civil Engineering, University of Moratuwa, Moratuwa, Sri Lanka.
Research Interest

Structural Engineering

Professor Manoj Khandelwal

Professor Manoj Khandelwal

Endeavour Research Fellow

Research Interest

Rock Mechanics and Rock Science; Rock Blasting, Slope Stability, Ground Control, Environmental Technology, Soft Computing, etc

Dr. Lei He

Dr. Lei He

Endeavour Research Fellow

Research Interest

Support for large underground opening, for long-term stability, to against explosion and earthquake; Development and application of three-dimensional numerical manifold method (3D-NMM) to rock engineering.

Associate Professor Kai Zhang

Associate Professor Kai Zhang

Endeavour Research Fellow

Research Interest

Experiments in rock mechanics, especially on the creep character. Damage and plastic model for rock, and numerical simulation. Roadway support design in Coal Mines.

Dr. Shikuo Chen

Dr. Shikuo Chen

Endeavour Research Fellow

Research Interest

Rock Fractal Characterization, CBM extraction, Unsaturated Seepage in Fractured Rock Mass, Rock Instability and Controlling in Mining and geological disaster, Crack Damage Evolution and the Expansion of Numerical Implementation with Comsol.

Associate Professor Chenhui Wei

Associate Professor Chenhui Wei

Endeavour Research Fellow

Research Interest

Numerical modeling of rock damage under coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical conditions; Coal gas migration and coal-gas interaction

Associate Professor Diyuan Li

Associate Professor Diyuan Li

Endeavour Cheung Kong Research Fellow

Research Interest

Experimental rock mechanics under various loading conditions, particularly for hard and brittle rocks; Rock dynamics and fracture propagation under dynamic loads; Slabbing/spalling and rockburst mechanism of rocks in deep mining or tunneling engineering; Cement backfilling and paste backfilling technology in mining engineering.

Associate Professor Wendong Yang

Associate Professor Wendong Yang

Research Fellow

Research Interest

The creep behavior of rock and rock masses,The mechanical properties of jointed rock masses,Hydraulic fracturing.

Associate Professor Yong Liu

Associate Professor Yong Liu

Research Fellow

Research Interest

water jet, abrasive gas jet, Sc-CO2 jet and ice-particle gas jet and their application on rock/coal breakage and surface treatment, CBM extraction, CBM well drilling, hydraulic fracture in coal seam, rock impact dynamics, abrasive wear.

Professor Dong-Yin Li

Professor Dong-Yin Li

Research Fellow

Research Interest

Coal mine design and system optimization,Roadway support,Coal mine gas control and drainage,Coal mine resources scientized mining,Mining technology.

Professor Tingting Wang

Professor Tingting Wang

Research Fellow

Research Interest

Brittle characteristics and acoustic emission signals during rupture process of rock mass;Chaotic characteristics of fracture network;Advanced algorithm for Acoustic Emission source localization and featureextraction of fracture network

Professor Wanchun Zhao

Professor Wanchun Zhao

Research Fellow

Research Interest

Rock mechanics and Fracturing improvement on unconventional oil and gas reservoir.Hydraulic fracturing and SRV.Engineering mechanics on Drilling and completing.

Dr. Liwei Song

Dr. Liwei Song

Research Fellow

Research Interest

Numerical simulation of seismic wavefield in transversely isotropic media,Reverse-time migration.

Prof. Zhenyu Zhang

Prof. Zhenyu Zhang

Endeavour Research Fellow/Professor of Rock Mechanics and Mining Engineering

Research Interest

Rock Mechanics, Fluid flow through porous and jointed rocks, Pressure in mining activities and ground control, Deep resource exploitation and geohazard prevention

Dr. Huiru Sun

Dr. Huiru Sun

Research Fellow

Research Interest

Interaction mechanism between gas hydrate phase transition and multiphase flow; Key mechanism and technology of CO2 storage and CO2-EOR

Dr. Yanliang Li

Dr. Yanliang Li

Lecturer at Jilin University

Research Interest

Rock damage and fragmentation properties under deep in-situ pressures; Rock fracture behavior under dynamic and static loads; Visualization and quantitative statistics of cracks in rock materials; Mechanisms of rock breaking and coring in deep scientific drilling

Professor Yuekun Xing

Professor Yuekun Xing

Associate Professor

Research Interest

Fracturing and Fracture Monitoring for High-temperature Oil-Gas and Geothermal Reservoirs; Petroleum Related Rock Mechanics

Dr. Wei Zeng

Dr. Wei Zeng

Lecturer at Foshan University, China

Research Interest

Coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) behaviour of fractured rock masses; Reliability analysis of geotechnical engineering.