Professor Joel Smethurst

Research groups

Research interests

• Deterioration of geotechnical infrastructure subject to both seasonal cycles of wetting and drying and applied traffic loading
• The effect of extreme weather events and climate change on the performance of earthworks (cuttings and embankments) and flood levees
• The effects of vegetation transpiration and root reinforcement on the performance of earthworks
• The stabilisation of both infrastructure slopes and large landslides using discretely spaced piles
• Short and long-term heave of clay beneath deep basement structures

Current research

Much of my research (in the areas described above) is based on field measurement of the performance of real structures, often over long periods of time, with one instrumented slope site having been monitored continuously for over 20 years. In many cases, field data and supporting laboratory measurements have been used to calibrate numerical models which are used to further investigate behaviour and/or performance.

My research has been funded by EPSRC and a number of industrial partners including Cementation Skanska, Mouchel (now part of Kier and WSP), Mott MacDonald, Environment Agency, National Highways, London Underground,  Network Rail, and Rail Safety and Standards Board.

Recently completed research projects include the major EPSRC Programme Grant ACHILLES (www.achilles-grant.org.uk) which investigated weather driven deterioration of clay earthworks, and a Network Rail project analysing transitions between clay embankments and underbridges.

Research projects