EquipmentHollow Cylinder Torsional Shear Apparatus

My research focuses on Geotechnical Engineering for Resilience and Sustainability, with particular emphasis on:

 

• Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering and related problems
• Geo-disaster risk assessment and mitigation
• Experimental geotechnics, including soil behaviour from very small to large strain levels
• Geoenvironmental engineering
• Ground improvement techniques for seismic-resilient structures
• Computational geotechnics, including constitutive modelling, DEM, and FEM approaches

 

I hold BSc and MSc degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio (Italy), a PhD in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering from the University of Tokyo (Japan, 2010), and a Postgraduate Certificate in Tertiary Teaching from the University of Canterbury (2020). My academic career spans 18 years, including research and teaching appointments in Japan (5 years), Australia (3 years), and New Zealand (10 years).

 

My research has been supported through competitive funding from major agencies, including the Earthquake Commission, Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (Smart Ideas Endeavour Fund), QuakeCoRE, DEVORA, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, and Japan Science and Technology Agency. To date, I have secured more than NZ$3 million in external research funding, including over NZ$2 million as primary investigator. I have authored or co-authored more than 180 technical publications.

 

My recognitions include the JGS Best Paper Award (2022), the IABSE Outstanding Scientific Paper Award (2021), the NZSEE Otto Glogau Award (2020), and a JSPS Research Fellowship (2014). I served as Team Leader of the 2016 NZSEE “Learning from Earthquake” Mission in Kumamoto, Japan, and Team Co-Leader of the 2015 JGS/JSCE “Learning from Earthquake” Mission in Nepal. I am an elected member of the NZGS managment committee, and member of ISSMGE TC101 “Laboratory Testing” and ISSMGE AsRTC1 “Geotechnical Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change-induced Geo-disasters in Asia-Pacific Regions.”

Sean provides specialised technical services and operational management of the UC Civil & Environmental Engineering Geomechanics Laboratory. Current and upcoming capabilities available within the Geomechanics Laboratory include:

 

• Constant rate of strain (CRS) one-dimensional consolidation testing of soil elements.
• Monotonic and cyclic triaxial testing of soil elements.
• Monotonic and cyclic simple shear testing of soil elements.
• Hollow cylinder/torsional shear testing of soil elements.
• Pumice content estimation testing of soil samples.

My current research focusses on the performance of New Zealand soils (especially the pumice-rich soils of the North Island) when subjected to earthquake loading in order to understand the resistance of these soils to liquefaction.
Pumice-rich soils are frequently encountered on engineering projects across the central North Island, and these soils display unique behaviours because they are vesicular (full of holes). This makes these soils problematic for engineers since conventional tools were not developed for use with these soils. Beyond investigating the liquefaction resistance of these soils, my research ultimately aims to translate the different behaviours of these soils into what it means for our buildings and infrastructure built in areas with pumice-rich soils.

I am currently accepting applications from students interested in post-graduate research looking to develop new experimental datasets for the behaviour of pumice-rich soils. Scholarship opportunities are available for the right candidates.
To apply, please contact me by email with your CV, a list of courses completed at University (i.e. a transcript), a short summary of your research experience to date and a sample of written work if possible (this might include a conference article, journal article, or undergraduate research project report).