In-situ Geotechnical Sensing - Development of new sensing methods and/or sensors to monitor water content and water pressure

Transport networks act as the conduit for energy and urban systems as the pipes and cables are often placed below roads and alongside rail. While the confluence of transportation, energy and urban systems has critical benefits for maintenance it also has adverse consequences as hazards affecting one system can negatively affect the others. A resilient system is one which integrates these vital systems yet monitors the forces affecting the network which act as the proxy for hazards to all systems. A monitoring and alerting system will identify potential and actual ‘failure’ events so asset managers can take proactive action to mitigate a potential event, or to react quickly and precisely to detected failures. The remote monitoring and detection of subtle landscape changes via sensor data and satellite imaging represents a significant potential improvement over traditional techniques, (e.g. walkovers) and would make the urban infrastructure assets more resilient, minimising costly future interventions. Monitoring includes both surface and buried sensors.

The proposed project develops a methodology and technology for easy sensor installation by developing robust sensors, which can be buried in the ground for a long period (months to years). One of the issues with existing water content and water pressure sensor is the installation, which often requires the excavation of a trench or trial hole. This not only disturbs the soil, but also is costly due to the time taken and requires experts in the field. This makes them often unsuitable to be used by engineering companies and contractors on site. Thus, this projects develops bespoke sensors and easy installation methods to monitor geotechnical parameters such as water content, water pressure, temperature, density.

Therefore, if you are interested working across disciplines (e.g. geotechnical engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering), are highly motivated, adaptable and a good communicator, this might be a PhD project for you.

Interested applicants should contact the project supervisor, Dr Nicole Metje, for an informal discussion.

To find out more about studying for a PhD at the University of Birmingham see http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/applicant-information.aspx.