Knowledge of rock damage behaviour is of great importance in many engineering applications including the design of open-pit mines, deep underground tunnels, repositories, and deep wells, as well as in geophysics, tectonics, and seismology disciplines. It is therefore imperative to understand how environmental parameters affect rock damage in such applications for better and safer designs. In deep underground operations, in particular, accumulation of damage is predominantly controlled by (high) temperature and pressure (HTP) that rock is exposed to. This project aims to:
- Evaluate the effect of temperature on the mechanical strength of rocks under true triaxial (3D) stress conditions,
- Investigate fracture pattern of rocks under elevated temperatures as well as far-field external loads, and
- Introduce a more accurate and reliable coupled 3D thermo-mechanical damage model for rocks.
We are seeking a full-time, highly motivated PhD candidate to perform high-quality research in the field of rock fracture mechanics. The successful candidate will be working under the supervision of Dr Mehdi Serati and Professor David Williams the Geotechnical Engineering Centre (GEC) within the School of Civil Engineering. The candidate will join a multidisciplinary team in partnership with industry partners.