The impacts of extreme weather events on geotechnical infrastructure
Joel Smethurst (Infrastructure)
Extreme weather events, including prolonged periods of drought and short-duration intense rainfall events, are becoming more frequent as the climate warms due to anthropogenic climate change. Extreme events can have a significant impact on geotechnical infrastructure including flood levees and embankments and cuttings supporting transport infrastructure, leading to more frequent failures and subsequent impacts such as flooding and disruption to transport operations. Prolonged drought can cause significant soil drying, shrinkage and cracking that can lead to seepage through levees as well as enabling rapid rainfall infiltration into the ground helping to cause slope failure. Highly intense rainfall events can cause erosion and shallow landsliding, particularly in steep slopes. This PhD project will investigate the extreme weather events that cause failure of geotechnical assets, and how these weather extremes might alter due to climate change and influence the frequency/incidence of failure in the future. The project will involve investigation of large datasets of asset failure and weather to derive suitable extreme events scenarios for application to carefully validated numerical simulations of geotechnical assets. There will be opportunities to interact with key UK asset owners such as Network Rail and the Environment Agency, through associated research projects.
Failure within a chalk cutting near Watford, Hertfordshire, caused by an extreme rainfall event (Credit: Network Rail)
Key skills: Data analysis, modelling and simulation.
Eligibility: UK rates (subject to fund availability)
Start date: October 2023 (subject to fund availability)
Application deadline: August 2023
CIVIL, MARITIME
AND ENVIRONMENTAL
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
University of Southampton
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Contact us:
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University of Southampton
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Southampton
SO17 1BJ
United Kingdom
CIVIL, MARITIME
AND ENVIRONMENTAL
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
University of Southampton
Explore our website:
Contact us:
+44(0)23 8059 5000
+44(0)23 8059 3131
University of Southampton
University Road
Southampton
SO17 1BJ
United Kingdom
© 2020 Civil, Maritime and Environmental Engineering Department
© 2020 Civil, Maritime and Environmental Engineering Department