Geotechnical engineering

Our research focuses on AI-ML, probabilistic methods, and numerical simulations to address challenges in geomechanics and geotechnical engineering, focusing on prediction, simulation, and uncertainty quantification for geohazards, foundation behavior, site characterization, and complex soil-structure systems.

The Melbourne Granular Geomaterial Laboratory focuses on enhancing our understanding of the behaviour of granular geomaterial through advanced experimentation, 3D imaging and micro to macro-scale analysis.

The Porous Media Research Laboratory focuses on the fundamental understanding of soil behaviour and geo-related phenomena, along with other porous materials, energy geotechnics and geophysics.

Our research provides better understanding and reliable solutions in offshore geotechnical engineering, including seabed sediment characterisation, offshore structure-seabed interaction and georisk mitigation towards safe and sustainable engineering in the Ocean.

Focussing on CO2 geo-sequestration, the Matthai team unravels the complex interplay of sub-surface processes in geological structures by means of novel numerical simulations, simultaneously considering wide-ranging time and length scales from the rock pore to the scale of the earth’s crust.

We have made great contributions to clarifying the CO2-ECSG (enhanced coal seam gas recovery) field by identifying CO2 behaviour in deep coal seams in its super-critical state.