Professor Sam Clarke
Department of Civil and Structural Engineering
Professor of Blast Geotechnics
sam.clarke@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 5703
+44 114 222 5703
Room D121, Sir Frederick Mappin Building (Broad Lane Building)
Full contact details
Professor Sam Clarke
Department of Civil and Structural Engineering
Room D121
Sir Frederick Mappin Building (Broad Lane Building)
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD
Department of Civil and Structural Engineering
Room D121
Sir Frederick Mappin Building (Broad Lane Building)
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD
- Profile
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My research aims to understand the fundamentals of blast impact to save lives and infrastructure.
Dr Sam Clarke
Sam graduated from The University of Sheffield with a MEng (Hons) degree in Structural Engineering and Architecture in 2006.
He then joined the Geotechnical Engineering Group and completed his PhD in advanced numerical modelling in 2009. During his doctorate studies Sam spent a number of periods working with Arup Geotechnics' Numerical Skills Team in London and the university spin-out company LimitState.
He spent a short period as a Research Assistant before taking up the post of Lecturer in Geotechnical Engineering in November 2009.
Over the past decade Sam has spent much time investigating the role of soil in blast events. He works on the fundamental physics that govern the interaction between soil, air and explosive charges.
Soil is a variable material; unlike steel, its behavior is not easy to predict. Understanding the fundamentals enables Sam to make accurate predictions of what the effects of a blast in a particular environment would be.
Understanding the impact of blast on soil, buildings, transport and communication networks can contribute to the design of infrastructure that is more resilient to terrorism. Sam’s work also helps to protect troops, vehicles and structures in warzones.
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Research Themes
- Research interests
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Sam’s research has led to many collaborations with the Defence Science & Technology Laboratory.
He is currently investigating the high stress, high strain-rate response of geomaterials experienced in blast loading events as well as novel techniques for the quantification of the loading in such events.
He is now a core member of the Blast and Impact Dynamics research group.
His main research interests focus on:
- The role of soil in buried explosive events
- Numerical modelling of soil in blast events
- Quantification of rate effects in soils
- Experimental techniques for the measurement of blast loading
- Publications
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Show: Featured publications All publications
Featured publications
Journal articles
- Characterisation of buried blast loading. Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 476(2236). View this article in WRRO
- High-pressure compressibility and shear strength data for soils. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 56(7), 1042-1048. View this article in WRRO
- Predicting the role of geotechnical parameters on the output from shallow buried explosives. International Journal of Impact Engineering, 102, 117-128. View this article in WRRO
- Effects of strain rate and moisture content on the behaviour of sand under one-dimensional compression. Experimental Mechanics, 56(9), 1625-1639. View this article in WRRO
- Design of a split Hopkinson pressure bar with partial lateral confinement. Measurement Science and Technology, 27. View this article in WRRO
- Geotechnical causes for variations in output measured from shallow buried charges. International Journal of Impact Engineering, 86, 274-283. View this article in WRRO
- A large scale experimental approach to the measurement of spatially and temporally localised loading from the detonation of shallow-buried explosives. Measurement Science and Technology, 26. View this article in WRRO
Conference proceedings papers
- Repeatability of Buried Charge Testing. Military Aspects of Blast and Shock 23. Oxford, UK, 7 September 2014 - 12 September 2014. View this article in WRRO
All publications
Journal articles
- An approach to quantifying the influence of particle size distribution on buried blast loading. eng, 4(1), 319-340.
- Fantastical fractal frequency filters. IAPS Newsletter, 15.
- Experimental investigation of blast mitigation of pre-fractal obstacles. International Journal of Protective Structures. View this article in WRRO
- Blast wave interaction with structures – an overview. International Journal of Protective Structures.
- The Effect of Stress Level on the Resilient Modulus of Non-Engineered Mudrock Backfill Materials. CivilEng, 3(3), 630-642.
- Time of arrival as a diagnostic for far-field high explosive blast waves. International Journal of Protective Structures.
- Optical diagnostics in near-field blast measurements. Fire and Blast Information Group Technical Newsletter(82), 25-30. View this article in WRRO
- Out with a bang: the challenge of measuring explosions. Careering Ahead(11), 74-77.
- Towards A Better Understanding Of Near-Field Explosions. Counter IED Report.
- How soil changes the danger of a buried IED – new research. The Conversation.
- Near-field spatial and temporal blast pressure distributions from non-spherical charges: Horizontally-aligned cylinders. International Journal of Protective Structures.
- Deformation of Armox 440T plates subject to buried explosive charge detonations: A benchmark for appliqué systems. International Journal of Impact Engineering, 150.
- On the Cover of this Issue: Reflected Near-Field Blast Pressure Measurements by S. E. Rigby, R. Knighton, S. D. Clarke, and A. Tyas. Experimental Mechanics, 60(7), 873-873.
- Reflected near-field blast pressure measurements using high speed video. Experimental Mechanics. View this article in WRRO
- Characterisation of buried blast loading. Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 476(2236). View this article in WRRO
- High-pressure compressibility and shear strength data for soils. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 56(7), 1042-1048. View this article in WRRO
- Effect of moisture content on high strain rate compressibility and particle breakage in loose sand. Experimental Mechanics. View this article in WRRO
- Influence of particle size distribution on the blast pressure profile from explosives buried in saturated soils. Shock Waves, 28(3), 613-626. View this article in WRRO
- Local Variations in Gabion Structures. International Journal of Protective Structures. View this article in WRRO
- Electromagnetic Interference in Measurements of Radial Stress During Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar Experiments. Experimental Mechanics. View this article in WRRO
- Predicting the role of geotechnical parameters on the output from shallow buried explosives. International Journal of Impact Engineering, 102, 117-128. View this article in WRRO
- Approach to Developing Design Charts for Quantifying the Influence of Blast Wave Clearing on Target Deformation. Journal of Structural Engineering, 143(1). View this article in WRRO
- Effects of strain rate and moisture content on the behaviour of sand under one-dimensional compression. Experimental Mechanics, 56(9), 1625-1639. View this article in WRRO
- Design of a split Hopkinson pressure bar with partial lateral confinement. Measurement Science and Technology, 27. View this article in WRRO
- Measuring spatial pressure distribution from explosives buried in dry Leighton Buzzard sand. International Journal of Impact Engineering, 96, 89-104. View this article in WRRO
- Experimental studies of the effect of rapid afterburn on shock development of near-field explosions. International Journal of Protective Structures, 7(3), 452-465. View this article in WRRO
- Preface to special edition on blast load characterisation. International Journal of Protective Structures, 7(3), 303-304. View this article in WRRO
- Blast Quantification Using Hopkinson Pressure Bars. Journal of Visualized Experiments(113), 1-11. View this article in WRRO
- Geotechnical causes for variations in output measured from shallow buried charges. International Journal of Impact Engineering, 86, 274-283. View this article in WRRO
- Displacement timer pins: An experimental method for measuring the dynamic deformation of explosively loaded plates. International Journal of Impact Engineering, 86, 124-130. View this article in WRRO
- Observations from Preliminary Experiments on Spatial and Temporal Pressure Measurements from Near-Field Free Air Explosions. International Journal of Protective Structures, 6(2), 175-190. View this article in WRRO
- Characterisation of Blast Loading: Current Research at The University of Sheffield. Explosives Engineering(March/April), 14-17. View this article in WRRO
- Angle of Incidence Effects on Far-Field Positive and Negative Phase Blast Parameters. International Journal of Protective Structures, 6(1), 23-42. View this article in WRRO
- A large scale experimental approach to the measurement of spatially and temporally localised loading from the detonation of shallow-buried explosives. Measurement Science and Technology, 26. View this article in WRRO
- A Numerical Investigation of Blast Loading and Clearing on Small Targets. International Journal of Protective Structures, 5(3), 253-274. View this article in WRRO
- The Negative Phase of the Blast Load. International Journal of Protective Structures, 5(1), 1-19. View this article in WRRO
- Incorporating TESRA behaviour in an advanced constitutive model. Numerical Methods in Geotechnical Engineering - Proceedings of the 8th European Conference on Numerical Methods in Geotechnical Engineering, NUMGE 2014, 1, 127-132.
- Briefing: UK Ministry of Defence force protection engineering programme. Proceedings of the ICE - Engineering and Computational Mechanics, 166(EM3), 119-123. View this article in WRRO
- Modelling viscous effects during and after construction in London clay. Geotechnical Engineering Journal of the SEAGS & AGSSEA, 44(2), 48-54. View this article in WRRO
- Modelling discrete soil reinforcement in numerical limit analysis. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 50(7), 705-715. View this article in WRRO
- Effect of inundation on shear strength characteristics of mudstone backfill. Engineering Geology, 158, 48-56.
- Designing simulator tools for rail research: The case study of a train driving microworld. Applied Ergonomics.
- Modelling of viscous effects in natural clays. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 49(2), 129-140. View this article in WRRO
- Numerical modelling of blast mitigation of pre-fractal obstacles. International Journal of Protective Structures.
- The Effect of Soil Mineralogy and Particle Breakage on the Impulse Generated from Shallow Buried Charges. Applied Sciences, 13(9), 5628-5628.
- A Review of Blast Loading in the Urban Environment. Applied Sciences, 13(9), 5349-5349.
- Temporally and Spatially Resolved Reflected Overpressure Measurements in the Extreme Near Field. Sensors, 23(2), 964-964.
- Far-field positive phase blast parameter characterisation of RDX and PETN based explosives. International Journal of Protective Structures, 204141962211497-204141962211497.
- Mitigation of blast loading through blast–obstacle interaction. International Journal of Protective Structures, 204141962211158-204141962211158.
- High-Speed Infrared Radiation Thermometer for the Investigation of Early Stage Explosive Development and Fireball Expansion. Sensors, 22(16), 6143-6143.
- Blast Quantification Using Hopkinson Pressure Bars. Journal of Visualized Experiments(113).
- Preliminary yield estimation of the 2020 Beirut explosion using video footage from social media. Shock Waves.
Chapters
- Using optical diagnostics for near field blast testing, Current Perspectives and New Directions in Mechanics, Modelling and Design of Structural Systems (pp. 515-520). CRC Press
- The development of a small-scale geotechnical teaching centrifuge In Royal Academy of Engineering (Ed.), Enhancing Engineering Higher Education (pp. 37-41). London: Royal Academy of Engineering. View this article in WRRO
Conference proceedings papers
- Using optical diagnostics for near field blast testing. Current Perspectives and New Directions in Mechanics, Modelling and Design of Structural Systems. Cape Town, South Africa, 5 September 2022 - 7 September 2022.
- Transient response of structures subjected to blast loading: the chase for better experimental measurements. Proceedings of 3rd International Conference on Impact Loading of Structures and Materials 2022 (pp 28-29), 13 June 2022 - 17 June 2022.
- The effect of loading frequency on the resilient modulus behaviour of non-engineered Mudrock backfill materials. 17th European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, ECSMGE 2019 - Proceedings, Vol. 2019-September
- Particle breakage in partially-saturated sand under dynamic loading. 17th International Symposium on the Interation of the Effects of Munitions with Structures (ISIEMS)
- Assessing the performance of protective systems subject to buried charge blasts. Proceedings of The 17th International Symposium on the Interaction of the Effects of Munitions with Structures (17th ISIEMS). Bad Neuenahr, Germany, 16 October 2017 - 20 October 2017. View this article in WRRO
- Characterisation of reflected blast loads in the very near-field from non-spherical explosive charges. Proceedings of The 17th International Symposium on the Interaction of the Effects of Munitions with Structures (17th ISIEMS). Bad Neuenahr, Germany, 16 October 2017 - 20 October 2017. View this article in WRRO
- Investigating high strain rate shear in soils using a split Hopkinson pressure bar. 3rd UK Defence Seminar on the High Strain Rate Properties of Soils and Granular Media. Dstl, Porton Down
- Reflected pressures from explosives buried in idealised cohesive soils. Proceedings of the 24th Military Aspects of Blast and Shock. Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, 19 September 2016 - 23 September 2016. View this article in WRRO
- Experimentation and modelling of near field explosions. Proceedings of the 24th Military Aspects of Blast and Shock. Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, 19 September 2016 - 23 September 2016. View this article in WRRO
- Localised variations in reflected pressure from explosives buried in uniform and well-graded soils. Proceedings of the 24th Military Aspects of Blast and Shock. Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, 19 September 2016 - 23 September 2016. View this article in WRRO
- Design of a partially confined split Hopkinson pressure bar. Proceedings of 24th International Symposium on Military Aspects of Blast and Shock
- Gabion Systems Exposed To Blast Pressure- Experimental Tests To Validate Numerical Simulations – A Cooperation Between Germany And The Uk. 16th International Symposium on the Interaction of the Effects of Munitions with Structures (ISIEMS). Destin, FL, USA, 10 November 2015 - 13 November 2015. View this article in WRRO
- 'Bubble-type' vs 'shock-type' loading from buried explosives. 16th International Symposium on the Interaction of the Effects of Munitions with Structures (ISIEMS). Destin, FL, USA, 10 November 2015 - 13 November 2015. View this article in WRRO
- Experimental Studies of Blast Wave Development and Target Loading from Near-Field Spherical PETN Explosive Charges. 16th International Symposium on the Interaction of the Effects of Munitions with Structures (ISIEMS). Destin,FL, USA, 10 November 2015 - 13 November 2015. View this article in WRRO
- Finite element modelling of split-Hopkinson pressure bar experiments on sand. 16th International Symposium on the Interaction of the Effects of Munitions with Structures (ISIEMS). Destin, FL, USA, 10 November 2015. View this article in WRRO
- A Review of UFC-3-340-02 Blast Wave Clearing Predictions. 16th International Symposium on the Interaction of the Effects of Munitions with Structures (ISIEMS). Destin, FL, USA, 10 November 2015 - 13 November 2015. View this article in WRRO
- Lateral Clearing of Far-Field Obliquely Reflected Blast Waves. The First International Conference on Structural Safety under Fire & Blast (CONFAB 2015). Glasgow, UK, 2 September 2015 - 4 September 2015. View this article in WRRO
- Effect of Spatial Variation of Blast Loading on Response of Plates. Proceedings Of The First International Conference on Structural Safety under Fire & Blast (CONFAB 20. Glasgow, UK, 2 September 2015 - 4 September 2015. View this article in WRRO
- Finite element simulation of plates under non-uniform blast loads using a point-load method: Blast wave clearing. 11th International Conference on Shock & Impact Loads on Structures. Ottawa, Canada, 14 May 2015 - 15 May 2015. View this article in WRRO
- Finite element simulation of plates under non-uniform blast loads using a point-load method: Buried explosives. 11th International Conference on Shock & Impact Loads on Structures. Ottawa, Canada, 14 May 2015 - 15 May 2015. View this article in WRRO
- Modelling split-Hopkinson pressure bar tests on quartz sand. Proceedings of the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, University of Sheffield, UK - The. Sheffield, UK View this article in WRRO
- The identification of pyrite induced foundation heave by chemical and structural assessments. Geotechnical Engineering for Infrastructure and Development - Proceedings of the XVI European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, ECSMGE 2015, Vol. 4 (pp 2317-2322)
- The Effect of Temperature and Moisture Content on the Behaviour of Pyritic Fill: Development of an In Situ Monitoring System (pp 1321-1326)
- Force Protection Engineering: Soil Research. 2nd UK Defence Seminar on the High Strain Rate Properties of Soils and Granular Media. Dstl, Porton Down, 11 December 2014.
- Recent developments on the characterisation of blast loading (CoBL). 2nd UK Defence Seminar on the High Strain Rate Properties of Soils and Granular Media. Dstl, Porton Down, 11 December 2014 - 12 December 2014.
- The influence of Geotechnical Conditions on the Output of Shallow Buried Charges. 2nd UK Defence Seminar on the High Strain Rate Properties of Soils and Granular Media. Dstl, Porton Down, 11 December 2014 - 12 December 2014.
- Testing Apparatus for the Spatial and Temporal Pressure Measurements from Near-Field Free Air Explosions. 6th International Conference on Protection of Structures against Hazards. Tianjin, China, 16 October 2014 - 17 October 2014. View this article in WRRO
- Validation of Semi-Empirical Blast Pressure Predictions for Far Field Explosions - Is There Inherent Variability in Blast Wave Parameters?. 6th International Conference on Protection of Structures against Hazards. Tianjin, China, 16 October 2014 - 17 October 2014. View this article in WRRO
- Quasi-static and high-strain-rate experiments on sand under one-dimensional compression. Hopkinson Centenary Conference (pp 1-15). Cambridge, UK, 8 September 2014. View this article in WRRO
- Measuring the Spatial and Temporal Pressure Variation from Buried Charges. Military Aspects of Blast and Shock 23. Oxford, UK, 7 September 2014 - 12 September 2014. View this article in WRRO
- Repeatability of Buried Charge Testing. Military Aspects of Blast and Shock 23. Oxford, UK, 7 September 2014 - 12 September 2014. View this article in WRRO
- Strain-rate effects in dry and partially-saturated sand under one-dimensional compression at high pressures (pp 1397-1402) View this article in WRRO
- Strain rate and moisture effects on sand response. 1st UK Defence Seminar on the High Strain Rate Properties of Soils and Granular Media. QinetiQ Farnborough, 24 September 2013.
- Capturing the spatial and temporal variations in impulse from shallow buried charges. 15th International Symposium on Interaction of the Effects of Munitions with Structures (ISIEMS). Potsdam, Germany, 16 September 2013 - 20 September 2013.
- An in-situ monitoring system for natural temperature and relative humidity. Eurock 2013 - Rock Mechanics for Resources, Energy and Environment (pp 351-356). London, 21 September 2013 - 26 September 2013. View this article in WRRO
- Assessment of geotechnical properties of British coal measures rocks for construction. 1st Australasia and South East Asia Conference in Structural Engineering and Construction. Perth, Western Australia, 28 November 2012 - 2 December 2012.
- The role of geotechnical parameters on the impulse generated by buried charges. MABS 22 Bourges (2012). SPIEZ Switzerland, 4 November 2012 - 9 November 2012. View this article in WRRO
- The influence of soil density and moisture content on the impulse from shallow buried explosive charges. 14th International Symposium on Interaction of the Effects of Munitions with Structures (ISIEMS). Seattle, USA, 19 September 2011 - 23 September 2011. View this article in WRRO
- Analysis of the stability of sheet pile walls using Discontinuity Layout Optimization. Numerical Methods in Geotechnical Engineering - Proceedings of the 7th European Conference on Numerical Methods in Geotechnical Engineering (pp 163-168) View this article in WRRO
- Shear wave velocity measurement of Kaolin during undrained unconsolidated triaxial compression. Proceedings of the 62nd Canadian Geotechnical Conference. Halifax, Canada View this article in WRRO
- Enhanced information design for high-speed train displays: Determining goal set operation under a supervisory automated braking system. Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Europe Chapter 25th Annual Conference 2008. Soesterberg, The Netherlands
- Reflected blast loads from long cylinders in the near-field. Proceedings of The 18th International Symposium for the Interaction of Munitions with Structures. Panama City, Florida, USA View this article in WRRO
Reports
- BT-314 Protection wall trials for Sulzer Pumps UK
- BT-303 The Characterisation of Aircraft Surrogate Baggage Material - Dstl
- BT-295: SHPB and Taylor impact testing of high strength steels
- BT-302 Test Bay Wall Trials
- BT-234 Polycarbonate Screen Trials
- BT-306 Independent Glass, Velocity Measurements 2nd Calibration
- BT-229 Small Scale Penetrator Trials Photogrammetry of concrete targets Issue 4: Firings 1 to 31
- BT-229 Small Scale Penetrator Trials Photogrammetry of concrete targets Issue 3: Firings 1 to 16
- BT-229 Small Scale Penetrator Trials Photogrammetry of concrete targets Issue 2: Firings 1 to 12
- BT-229 Small Scale Penetrator Trials - Point of Impact Assessment
- BT-229 Small Scale Penetrator Trials Photogrammetry of concrete targets C-880-01 to C-880-05
- BT-290 Independent Glass Velocity Measurements
- High-pressure quasi-static experiments on dry fuse sand
- Compression of Hesco MIL2 units with sand and gravel fills
- Soils testing in support of FPE research programme
- Split Hopkinson pressure bar experiments on dry fuse sand
- Consequences of density and moisture content variability in gabion structures
- Characterisation of Blast Loading, End of Year 2 Report
- HITSss Phase 5.1 and 5.2 Final Report for DSTL
- Experiments on the mechanical properties of Leighton Buzzard and Sandy Loam soils at static and dynamic strain rates
- The Characterisation of Blast Loading, End of Year 1 report
- MACET and SHPB characterisation of FPE sand
- The effect of STANAG Pit boundary conditions on Impulse (FHITS Phase 19)
- Pit prep and sampling protocol
- Comments on Dstl vehicle mine blast test procedure
- Route planning and forensic aids
- Blastech visit report to QinetiQ Eskmeals to observe HITS pit preparation & control
- Geotechnical report for HitsSS test series
Posters
- Protecting against buried explosives: blast loading and soil response. Engineering Researcher Symposium 2018, The University of Sheffield.
- Understanding materials in blast: research at The University of Sheffield. Dstl MSA Defence Materials Forum, The University of Sheffield.
- Current testing facilities at The University of Shefield. View this article in WRRO
- Explosions and impact events in soil: the effect of strain rate and moisture.
Theses / Dissertations
- Enhancement of the BRICK Constitutive Model to Incorporate Viscous Soil Behaviour. View this article in WRRO
Datasets
- BT-285 MBDA Concrete testing.
- BT-293 Saleria Foam - Material Analysis.
Presentations
- Pressure-time measurements from buried explosives. The Edge, Encliffe Village, Sheffield.
- Geomaterials Characterisation.
- The University of Sheffield: Geomaterials Characterisation.
- Detailed measurement of near-field blast pressures. Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Shrivenham, UK.
Other
- Book review, Rudolph Glossop and the rise of geotechnology. Geotechnique, 62(4), 369-369. View this article in WRRO
- Characterisation of buried blast loading. Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 476(2236). View this article in WRRO
- Research group
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Geotechnical Engineering
Blast & Impact
- Grants
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Mechanisms & Characterisation of Explosions
The overall aim of MaCE is to develop a comprehensive conceptual model of blast loading which will serve to underpin accurate predictive models for protection engineers.
- PhD opportunities
Understanding Rate Effects In Geomaterials
The purpose of this project will be to conduct experimental work to identify:
- The triaxial behaviour of different geomaterials at a range of loading rates and
- The parameters which affect the geomaterials sensitivity to loading rate
The outcome of this work will be well validated material models which can be used in computational analysis models to predict the response of protection systems to intense transient loading.
Predicting The Impulse From Buried Charges
To date, no-one has attempted to synthesise all the disparate data sources into a single complied dataset to allow for a meta-analysis to be conducted. This will involve collating data from the literature and from the Sheffield Blast tests in an attempt to model and predict the output of shallow buried charges. This data can then be fed into the Sheffield predictive model for blast behaviour, which is detailed in the paper linked to below.
Shock Transmission Through Geological Materials
The aim of the PhD will be to investigate the 3 zone model below. It is expected that zones 1 and 3 will be of lesser interest and zone 2 is where the work will be focussed.
- Zone 1: Cratering- total compaction of the layer with the material being ejected. This is assuming that the initial source is buried. For an above ground burst it is highly likely that cratering will not occur. It is proposed that this is covered by a focussed literature review.
- Zone 2: Dynamic compaction and shock propagation using the Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bar (Kolsky Bar) apparatus.
- Zone 3: Elastic shock propagation - traditional earthquake mechanics, soils can and have previously been quantified using "bender" element tests. It is proposed that this is covered by a focussed literature review.
If you're interested in one of these projects or would like to self-propose a project, please contact Sam on the email above. Current PhD opportunities in the department can be viewed here.