Site Visit at the Soil-Foundation-Structure-Interaction Lab (University of Bristol)

*Update: change of date*

Due to the planned rail strikes across the UK, the organizing committees have decided to postpone the site visit for Monday 12 September.

The decision was made based on the number of participants who plan to travel to Bristol from other UK cities for the site visit and the high chances that their journey is disrupted on the day.

The attendees who have already registered for the event should have received a relevant email. Please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you haven’t received the email or if you have any questions.

Synopsis

The SECED Young Members’ Subcommittee in collaboration with the ICE Bristol City Club and the ICE GSA South West Committee are delighted to invite you to a jointly organized site visit at the Soil-Foundation-Structure-Interaction Laboratory at the Langford Campus of the University of Bristol.

The UKCRIC Soil-Foundation-Structure Interaction (SoFSI) Laboratory, which officially opened in February 2022, is a state-of-the-art facility designed to enable research into the structural-geotechnical boundary, supporting the UKCRIC mission to underpin the renewal, sustainment and improvement of infrastructure and cities in the UK and elsewhere.

Event Programme

The site visit consists of an one-hour tour at the SoFSI facilities followed by one hour’s discussion and Q&A. After lunch break and networking, PhD students from the University of Bristol will present their research to visitors. The event will close with a social gathering at a local pub.

• 10:00 Meeting at Bristol Temple Meads Train Station
• 10:00 – 10:40 Commute to SoFSI
• 10:50 – 12:50 2h lab visit (1h walk over + 1h presentation/discussion)
• 13:00 – 14:30 Lunch break & networking
• 14:30 – 16:30 PhD presentations (see details below)
• 16:40 – 17:20 Commute from SoFSI to Bristol Train Station
• 17:20 – 19:00 Pub time (optional)

PhD Presentations

• Ziliang Zhang - Seismic Performance of Dynamically Interactive Infrastructure 
• Manar Othman - Quito Metropolitan Area Geodatabase: a tool for understanding statistical variability of soil characteristics
• Jorge Paredes Estacio - Non-ergodic ground motion models for South America
• Mingnan Li - Small Strain Stiffness under multi-axial stress conditions
• Yichen Zhang - An innovative sliding key on inclined deflecting cantilever (SKID device)
• Xianyang Cheng - Assessment of stress path around large diameter loaded piles under lateral cyclic loading

About the Hosts

• Anastasios Sextos: Professor of Earthquake Engineering, Head of Earthquake and Geotechnical Engineering Research Group
• Flavia De Luca: CAME School PGR Director, Senior Lecturer in Structural and Earthquake Engineering

Registration

The event is free to attend, but registration is required. Please email Tina Marinatou at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to register your interest. Only limited places are available, and these will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. A confirmation email will be sent to those securing a place.

Further information

• Commuting to SoFSI: a minibus will be provided for commuting from/to the Bristol Train Station to/from the SoFSI facilities. Details will be sent through email to those registering their interest.
• Lunch break: The Civil Engineering Department at the University of Bristol will kindly provide small nibbles during a lunch break. Attendees are welcome to bring their own lunch if they have special dietary requirements or allergies.