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 permanent Lecturer in Geotechnical Engineering at University College Cork, Ireland. Dr Zili Li has been involved in a number of tunnelling and underground construction projects around the world including London Crossrail Paddington Station construction, New York Queens Bored Tunnel, CERN tunnel in Switzerland and etc. He has published more than 20 papers and delivered a number of international presentations, mainly on tunnelling and underground construction.
Peatland is widely distributed in Ireland, Scotland, Northern Eurasia, Northern America as well as other countries all over world. Construction activity on peatlands in Ireland has increased significantly since 2000 due to the development of on-shore wind renewables. My research investigates the mechanical behaviour of peat, aiming to provide some guidance on civil construction projects on peatlands.
Technical description
Compared to typical mineral soils, peat usually contains much higher content of organic matter and water, which in turn results in lower shear strength, high compressibility and other unfavourable engineering characteristics.
My research conducts a series of field tests, for example, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Shear Wave Velocity (SWV) downhole testing, to measure the in-situ soil physical properties and map the peat stratigraphic profile. In addition, undisturbed peat samples are collected at site for triaxial testing in laboratory to investigate the undrained shear behaviour. My research provides more insights into the strength and stiffness of peat in undrained condition for engineering design and construction.
Role
- Funded Investigator
Institution
- UCC
Research Area
- Earth Science in Society
Expertise
- Geohazards and Geoengineering
