WELCOME!

Welcome to our research group "Computational Modeling & Engineering Geomechanics Lab." at McMaster University. The ultimate goal of our research is to develop advanced engineering technologies with an emphasis on sustainable development and resilient system for infrastructure, energy, environment, and societal needs.

Our research group specializes in computational geomechanics, multiphysics, and multiscale modeling of natural and engineering systems, with particular emphasis on coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical processes in porous media. Our research involves building and implementing computationally efficient and robust algorithms by leveraging theoretical and computational frameworks to predict how multiphase solids interact with diverse influences such as stress, deformation, heat source, chemical species, and fluid flows. In addition, our research interests encompass how material instabilities such as strain localization, soil liquefaction, damage, and fracture occur and impact across different spatial and temporal scales.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Computational Geomechanics / Geotechnical Engineering

• Multiphysics and Multiscale Modeling of Porous Media

• Stable and Consistent Mixed Finite Element Formulation

• Material Heterogeneity and Inverse Optimization Problems

• Resilient Infrastructure and Materials Exposed to Extreme Environments

• Computational Data-driven Mechanics using Machine Learning

• Efficient, Scalable, and Robust Algorithm / Scientific Parallel Computing

• NEWS

• A manuscript titled "A Volume Averaging FEM-Based Fracture Model for Damage Process in Cohesive-Frictional Solids" has been accepted for publication in ASCE's International Journal of Geomechanics! (September 18, 2022)

• Our research group is pleased to welcome a new M.Eng. student, Yunseok Hwang. Welcome, Yunseok! (September, 2022)

• A manuscript titled "Revisiting Preparation of Phase Space for Learning Path-Dependent Behavior via Deep Neural Networks" has been accepted for publication in ASCE's Journal of Engineering Mechanics! (August 07, 2022)

• Our Ph.D. student Libin Tang successfully passed his Comprehensive Exam - Part B. Congratulations, Libin! (May 25, 2022)

• Our Ph.D. student Yongfan Guo successfully passed his Comprehensive Exam - Part B. Congratulations, Yongfan! (May 24, 2022)

• Our research group is pleased to welcome an undergraduate EREA (Engineering Research Experience Award) student, Charlotte Casey. Welcome, Charlotte! (May 01, 2022)

• I am pleased to announce that, our Ph.D.student, Mahyar Malekzade Kebria, is selected as the 2nd winner of Seminar Day 2022 in the Department of Civil Engineering. His presentation title is "Modeling Phase Transiting Multiphase Mixture via Phase-field and Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Framework." Congratulations, Mahyar! (May 19, 2022)

• Our journal paper titled "An algorithmic framework for computational estimation of soil freezing characteristic curves" is accepted for publication! (February 24, 2022)

• Our Ph.D. student, Ehsan Motevali Haghighi, was selected as one of the recipients of the EGS (Engineering Graduate Society) Professional Development Award in Winter 2022. Congrats, Ehsan! (February 14, 2022)

• Our Ph.D. student Libin Tang successfully passed his Comprehensive Exam - Part A. Congratulations, Libin! (January 26, 2022)

• Our Ph.D. student, Ehsan Motevali Haghighi, was awarded a travel grant from the Department of Civil Engineering - GeoNiagara 2021! (December 17, 2021)

• A journal paper titled "A framework for constructing elasto-plastic constitutive models for frozen and unfrozen soils" is accepted! (November 11, 2021)

• Our Ph.D. student Yongfan Guo successfully passed his Comprehensive Exam - Part A. Congratulations, Yongfan! (October 21, 2021)

• A journal paper titled "A Multifeatured Data-driven Homogenization for Heterogeneous Elastic Solids" is accepted for publication! (September 27, 2021)

• Dr. Na achieved a professional engineering license in Ontario, Canada (Professor Engineering, P.Eng.)! (August 31, 2021)

• Our Ph.D. student Ehsan Motevali Haghighi successfully passed his Comprehensive Exam - Part B. Congratulations, Ehsan! (August 25, 2021)

• A journal paper titled "Comparison of machine learning methods for ground settlement prediction with different tunneling datasets " is accepted for publication! (August 16, 2021)

• A journal paper titled "Investigation of Climate Change on Unsaturated Porous Media via a Discrete Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Model" is accepted for publication! (August 19, 2021)

• Our Ph.D. student Mahyar Malekzade Kebria successfully passed his Comprehensive Exam - Part B. Congratulations, Mahyar! (May 19, 2021)

• Our research group is pleased to welcome a new Ph.D.student, Libin Tang. Welcome, Libin! (May, 2021)

• Our Ph.D. student Esan Motevali Haghighi successfully passed his Comprehensive Exam - Part A. Congratulations, Ehsan! (February 11, 2021)

• Our research group is pleased to welcome a new Ph.D.student, Yongfan Guo. Welcome, Yongfan! (January, 2021)

• Our Ph.D. student Mahyar Malekzade Kebria successfully passed his Comprehensive Exam - Part A. Congratulations, Mahyar! (October 6, 2020)

• Our research group's new website is now launched! (September 2020)