Biography
Dr Zili Li is an iCRAG Funded Investigator in the iCRAG Geohazards and Geotechnical Engineering research spoke. He graduated with a PhD in Geotechnical Engineering in 2015 from the University of Cambridge, UK. He has postdoctoral work experience in Colorado School of Mines, US and currently work as a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Geotechnical Engineering at University College Cork, Ireland. Since his employment at UCC in 2016, he has secured €2+ million research grant as the PI, including prestigious SFI Frontiers for the Future Programme (€612.8k total budget) (top-tier independent research grant). He is the chair of ISMLG 2023 (the 4th International Symposium of Machine Learning and Big Data in Geoscience), 29th August to 1st September 2023, University College Cork, Ireland https://ismlg2023.com.
In addition, Dr. Li leads the monitoring and assessment of world-class CERN tunnel projects (€405k) for Large Hardon Collider (LHC), funded by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) at Geneva Switzerland. He is also the Leader of Task Force ‘Big Data Acquisition’ in TC309 Machine Learning & Big Data at International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE).
Technical description
Recent advances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have developed a series of innovative field monitoring technologies, including distributed fibre optic sensing, wireless sensor network, automous robotic inspection, smartphone sensing and etc., which enable to acquire large amount of geodata at lower cost of labour and time than previously available. Nevertheless, the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of many emerging geotechnical monitoring tools still largely remains at relatively early levels far before systemically wide application in a large scale.
My research group develops and improves novel monitoring tools for big geodata acquisition together with the associated geodata processing methods in collaboration with Cambridge University, UC Berkeley, Tyndall, CERN and other industrial partners. The developed ICT tools are employed to gather more comprehensive big data of large-scale geo infrastructures (road network, underground tunnels) than previously available. Based upon the field data, computational analysis (e.g., finite element modelling) is conducted to evaluate the underground infrastructure performance during the life cycle, subject to deterioration, climate change, etc. The research outcome aims to comprehensively reveal geo-infrastructure defects, save significant maintenance cost and minimize associated geo-risks.
Meanwhile, my research group is working on geothermal infrastructure, underground gas storage, AI-assisted rock fracturing analysis for deep geothermal energy and other areas of sustainability in geotechnics.
Role
- Funded Investigator
Institution
- UCC
Research Area
- Earth Science in Society
Expertise
- Geohazards and Geoengineering
