Engineering Geology and Geotechnics Research Group

The engineering geology and geotechnics researchgroup has a tradition of more than 150 years. With its 14 full time researchers/professors and nearly 30 active PhD students originated from many countries with two research laboratories it has a sound personel and technical background. The resarch activities are focused on two main broader fields such as engineering geology and geotechnics. In the geotechnics soil-structure interaction, numerical modelling, unsaturated soil mechanics, soil dynamics, soil improvement techniques, geotechnics of flood protection structures, and waste disposal sites are the key areas. In situ and laboratory testing as well as numerical modelling are the main focus areas. The hot topics in engineering geology include radioactive waste disposal in rock formations, landslide hazard assessment, cave, cellar or tunnel stability. Strong international links exists in monument diagnostics, stone and render testing. Mineralogical analysis and the role of air pollution in stone decay are also funded research areas. CO2 sequestartion by renders and climate related studies are also founded by EU. Thermal behaviour of stone and geothermal potential of rocks, raw material characterization (stones, aggregates, sand and gavel), reserve calculations, as well as recycling of quarry waste are also studied. Environmental geological site surveys, hazard assessment, prevention and mitigation are essentail parts of the research activity. Emerging research fields such as hydrogene storage and utilization from an engineering geological, geotechnical perspectives are also evaluated. Two accredited laboratories focusing on soil, rock and render testing according to EN, ASTM provides the technical backgrounds. In addition, computing facilities with geotechnical and engineering geological, rock mechanical software packages such as Plaxis 3D, Geo5, RocScience programme groups allow to solve complex engineering problems with numerical analyses.