Key research

• Identifying the key mechanisms at a micro-structural level that dictate critical aspects of soil constitutive behaviour, and quantifying that behaviour within numerical models that capture the evolution of strength, stiffness, damage and volume collapse, as appropriate, under monotonic, cyclic and episodic loading.
• Developing conceptual models for calculating the performance of geotechnical infrastructure and events – including foundations, pipelines and geohazards – under monotonic and cyclic loading, and develop unified numerical treatments of the effects of cyclic loading, incorporating the relevant aspects of soil constitutive behaviour.
• Developing coupled fluid-structure-soil models for problems such as scour, pipeline and steel catenary riser response, and the performance of jack-up rigs.
• Establishing an analysis framework for optimising the choice of foundation system or design solution, taking account of variability, uncertainty and risk.

The Centre is an international leader in the field of offshore geotechnical engineering research, which has led to 775 conference and journal publications since 1997, many of which have won awards. The research mainly focuses on foundation systems in the calcareous sediments found off the coast of Australia, but also offshore Brazil, India, the Middle East and Southern Africa.