Major research issues/sites:

• Erosion, hydro-mechanical instabilities
• Soil behaviour and material instabilities (liquefaction, diffuse failure)
• Interactions between cohesive soils or granular soils, and internal flow (seepage) or external flow (surface flow)
• Continuous and discrete computer modelling
• Laboratory testing and field investigations
• Analysis of field measurements and monitoring data (pore pressure, temperature).

Short technical description:

Soil Mechanics Laboratory:

• Physical characterisation
• Direct shear box for soil, concrete and geosynthetic materials
• Innovative devices for characterizing the soil resistance of soil to water erosion and hydro-mechanical instabilities in a granular soil
• Triaxial device for characterizing the soil resistance to static and cyclic loadings
• Fibre optics to detect leaks

Specific features/uniqueness:

The largest research soils mechanics laboratory in Europe. Investigations on both internal erosion and surface erosion in the field of hydraulic structures (earthdams, dikes, levees).

Options and conditions for visiting scientists:

Only in joint projects or direct collaboration