Earthquake and Geotechnical Engineering

The shaking table in action

Human-structure interaction

Geotechnics field research

The Earthquake and Geotechnical Engineering research group is a team of world leading academics who are studying ways to improve the resilience of infrastructure to extreme events and make infrastructure more adaptable in response to changing circumstances and contexts.

World-class facilities and innovative research change the way we design resilient infrastructures

Professor Anastasios Sextos, Head of Group

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Colourful pixelated image showing seismic performance with red area in centre, blue at edge Research

Our research focuses on the performance of infrastructure and spans a broad range of scales from the micro-modelling of fibre reinforced soils, through large scale experimental work on the seismic performance of bridges, to field testing of dams and slopes, and at the largest scale, modelling of city-wide resilience in response to effects such as climate change.

Fish-eye lens image of multi layer array rig Equipment and facilities

Our large portfolio of equipment for field and laboratory testing includes a 6 axis shaking table and a hollow cylinder apparatus for dynamic soil testing, and will soon include a new £12m National Soil-Foundation-Structure Interaction (SoFSI) facility. We also have access to all the other computational and testing facilities within the faculty.

Two men in hard hats using earthquake testing lab Consultancy and testing

Industry access to the world-class expertise of the Earthquake and Geotechnical Engineering research group is via the Bristol Earthquake and Engineering Laboratory Ltd (BEELAB), a commercial company wholly owned by the University. Areas of expertise include seismic qualification testing, field testing, materials testing and FE analysis.

Girls and boys in a Nepalese school SAFER Nepal project

The SAFER Schools project is a perfect example of this collaborative approach. It marries cutting edge research and laboratory-based testing with co-produced solutions developed with and by communities in Nepal. The research has been supported by workshops and on-site training so, aided by our local and international partners, we are leaving behind the skills and expertise for communities to rebuild Nepal safely.

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