Projects in progress

Some of the research work that is currently being carried out are:

• Thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior of saturated and unsaturated natural clays
• Hydro-mechanical degradation of white rocks. Degradation tracking techniques
• Gas migration, gas penetration pressure and preferential trajectories in low permeability media
• Hydro-mechanical behavior of compacted soils and breakwaters. Application to the construction of earth dams and embankments
• Effects of high salinity on the behavior of partially saturated active clays
• Microstructural aspects of the behavior of unsaturated soils
• LNAPL retention in partially saturated soils
• Microbiological stabilization of compacted soils

Another very important task that we carry out in the Geotechnical Laboratory is the construction of special equipment (triaxial, oedometric and isochoric cells with suction control) for other universities around the world, such as:

• University of Brasilia: oedometric cells
• University of Warsaw: oedometric cells
• University of Palermo: oedometric cells and auxiliary devices
• University of Ancona: oedometric cells (mechanical and pneumatic loading systems)
• University of Weimar: oedometric and isochoric cells and auxiliary devices
• Bochum University: Isochoric cells
• University of Turin: oedometric cell, tomographic cell, fully instrumented triaxial cell and auxiliary devices
• University of Rome: oedometric cell and auxiliary devices
• University of Lisbon: oedometric cell and auxiliary devices
• GRS (Germany): isochoric cells
• University of Mexico: oedometric cell and auxiliary devices
• Shanghai University: Oedometric cell
• College Station (USA): oedometric cell and auxiliary devices
• University of Newcastle (Australia): oedometric cells and auxiliary devices
• University of Queensland (Australia): large diameter, high pressure oedometric cell