Low carbon soil stabilisation for mitigating the impact of climate change in transport infrastructure

Summary

This PhD project aims to study low carbon soil stabilisation methods for mitigating the impact of climate change in compacted geomaterials incorporated in the transport infrastructure substructure formations.

Current performance shortcomings in the transport infrastructure formations induced by extreme climatic events cause excessive maintenance requirements with increased costs and disruptions to commuters and loss of productivity in the freight services. This PhD project aims to study low carbon soil stabilisation methods for mitigating the impact of climate change in compacted geomaterials incorporated in the transport infrastructure substructure formations. While the infrastructure developed in the last 60 years has been built following the principles of compaction, much of the UK transport infrastructure was built before those principles were understood and practiced and thus particularly vulnerable to increasingly severe changes in hydraulic stresses caused by climate as well as degradation of its properties due to increasingly higher traffic demand, e.g. increase in dynamic stresses as a function of speed and axle loads. Hence the consideration of soil stabilisation is critical.

The project will focus on the study of sustainable stabilisation methods performance in mitigating the shortfalls in performance exhibited as a result of multiple cycles of wetting and drying that stabilised compacted geomaterials undergo during their service life. It will also aims to study the impact of extreme climatic events (e.g. flash flooding accompanied by periods of intense rainfall and extended period of droughts). It will involve advanced laboratory testing and modelling focussing on the water retention behaviour of stabilised compacted materials and monotonic and dynamic stress-strain behaviour simulating typical transport infrastructure conditions.

Applicants to research degree programmes should normally have at least a first class or an upper second class British Bachelors Honours degree (or equivalent) in an appropriate discipline. The criteria for entry for some research degrees may be higher, for example, several faculties, also require a Masters degree. Applicants are advised to check with the relevant School prior to making an application. Applicants who are uncertain about the requirements for a particular research degree are advised to contact the School or Graduate School prior to making an application.

The minimum English language entry requirement for research postgraduate research study is an IELTS of 6.0 overall with at least 5.5 in each component (reading, writing, listening and speaking) or equivalent. The test must be dated within two years of the start date of the course in order to be valid. Some schools and faculties have a higher requirement.