PhD in Civil Engineering – Development of suction monitoring systems for evaluating the behaviour of partially saturated soils

Start Date: October 2025

The School of Engineering of the University of Glasgow is seeking a highly motivated graduate to undertake an exciting 3.5-year PhD project entitled “Development of suction monitoring systems for evaluating the behaviour of partially saturated soils”. Many geotechnical infrastructures are located above the groundwater level, making the soils in these areas unsaturated. However, their design and analysis are often based on the assumption of saturated soil conditions. This approach overlooks critical behavioural characteristics of unsaturated soils that can cause significant problems, particularly in the context of climate impacts on infrastructure. Examples include soil swelling and shrinkage due to moisture variations, collapse upon wetting, and failure caused by suction loss. While unsaturated soil behaviour is more representative of real-world conditions in many geotechnical infrastructure and is directly responsible for the above-mentioned issues, it has not been adequately integrated into geotechnical design protocols. This is primarily due to the complexities and time-intensive nature of laboratory testing required to measure the unsaturated characteristics of soils experimentally. 

Soil suction is a key factor influencing the behaviour and stability of unsaturated soils, affecting their permeability, compressibility, and shear strength, all of which are critical for geotechnical applications. While tensiometers are commonly used to measure soil suction in both laboratory and field settings, their limited measurement range and design restrict their application to specific soil types and engineering scenarios. This project aims to address these limitations by developing a high-capacity tensiometer with enhanced measurement capabilities. The advanced tensiometer will be integrated into various testing setups to enable the accurate measurement of soil suction in partially saturated soils, facilitating the analysis of their hydraulic and mechanical behaviour varying environmental conditions. The findings will contribute to the development of improved testing protocols, simplifying the analysis and characterisation of unsaturated soils and enhancing the design of geotechnical infrastructure based on Unsaturated Soil Mechanics. 

This project, based in the James Watt School of Engineering at the University of Glasgow, aligns with the research themes of the Environment and Infrastructure Research Division and the Geotechnics Group. You will have access to advanced geomaterial testing facilities in the recently developed and continuously expanding geotechnical laboratory at the university. 

The deadline for application is end of January 2025, and a second round in May 2025. Please refer to the following website for details on how to apply: Link 

Please note that this application is to gain admission to our PGR programme, and an offer of admission may be issued before a decision on this Scholarship is made. Candidates applying for this Scholarship will most likely have an interview/discussion with the supervisor before any decision is made. 

For informal enquiries, please contact the first supervisor [email protected]