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 earned a BSc in Civil Engineering and an MSc in Geotechnical Engineering. Subsequently, I joined the Geotechnical Engineering Research Group in Sheffield to pursue 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.

Additionally, I am a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and hold the title of Chartered Civil Engineer. With substantial industrial experience from 2005 to 2011, I contributed to various projects in international consulting and construction companies. My involvement spanned a wide spectrum of geotechnical challenges, including soil improvement, seismic hazard analysis, in-situ and laboratory soil testing, and deep excavation. In my role as a Senior Engineer, I led the design team, conducting seismic hazard analysis studies such as amplification, liquefaction, bearing capacity of soil, landslide assessments, and addressing unusual soil problems such as swelling and collapsibility.

Research interests

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