Prof Akbar Javadi FICE CEng
Professor of Geotechnical Engineering and Director
Location: Harrison 159
Telephone: 01392 723640
Extension: (Streatham) 3640
Research Interests
Akbar Javadi is a Professor of Geotechnical Engineering at the University of Exeter with over 25 years of experience in research, teaching and consultancy in different areas of Civil, Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering. He is a chartered civil engineer and a fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers. Prof. Javadi's main research interest is in different areas of Computational Geomechanics, Biomechanics, Desalination systems and Renewable energy. This includes:
Geotechnical Engineering
- Digital twins for monitoring of underground water distribution networks.
- Use of remote sensing and numerical modelling for monitoring of coastal cliffs.
- Modelling of hydraulic fracturing in unconventional oil and gas reservoirs using Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM)
- Development of a fuzzy logic risk assessment tool for groundwater contamination from well integrity failure of hydraulically fractured wells.
- Soil stabilisation and reinforced soils
- Constitutive modelling of geomaterials
- Coupled hydro-thermo-mechanical FE modelling of unsaturated soils
- Modelling of behaviour of expansive soils
- Data mining in Civil & Geotechnical engineering
Geoenvironmental Engineering
- Numerical modelling and control of seawater intrusion
- FE modelling of flow and contaminant transport in unsaturated soils
- Stochastic finite element method and application to modelling of flow and contaminant transport in soils
- Management of groundwater resources
- Decision Support System for management of contaminated land
Desalination / Renewable Energy
- Solar powered agriculture greenhouse desalination system
- Ocean-powered desalination systems.
Engineering Optimization
- Design and tailoring of microstructure of materials for prescribed material properties
- Development of integrated simulation-optimisation models
Self-learning finite element method
- A unified framework for constitutive modelling of materials in finite element analysis
Biomechanics
- Develop image-driven subject specific spine models (EP/V036602/1)
- Development of a new knee orthosis for OA patients
Current Research Grants:
- Digital Twin for Water Pipe Systems, KTP (2021-2024), Datatecnics (Co-I)
- Development of image-driven subject specific spine models (EP/V036602/1) (Co-I)
- GeoRes - Geomaterials from Waste to Resource; PI; H2020 Marie Curie Project; €886,500; with 17 partners; http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/engineering/research/computational-geomechanics/geores/
- A Novel Standalone Solar-Driven Agriculture Greenhouse Desalination System; PI; Funded by British Council Institutional Link Programme and STDF, Egypt; £300,000 (with Zagazig University and Egypt Japan University of Science and Technology in Egypt)
- Development of an Assessment Procedure for Seawater Intrusion Mitigation; PI; Funded by Royal Society; £12,000 (with National Taiwan University)
Current Researcher Staff/PhD Students and Projects
- Mahdieh Dibaj, Integrated management of flooding and groundwater resources.
- Mohammad Hassan Khanjanpour, Optimisation of the energy requirement of an ocean-powered seawater reverse osmosis (OPSWRO) desalination system.
- Davood Mahdavian, Modelling of hydraulic fracturing.
- Olivia Milton-Thompson, Assessing the risks to groundwater contamination from unconventional gas development in the UK under uncertainty.
- Reza Naseri Karimvand, Modelling of hydraulic fracturing using Extended Finite Element Method.
- Ali Nassr, Development and Applications of Self-Learning Simulation in Finite Element Analysis.
- Samia Abdelhakeem Saad Shaaban, Investigation of saltwater intrusion in heterogeneous coastal aquifers: Application to Egypt’s Nile Delta.
- Kulchamai Thienkarochanakul, Subject-specific three-dimensional finite element modelling of the human knee complex.
- Canan Turan, Experimental and numerical study of mechanical behaviour of fly ash reinforced soil.
- Yuxiao Wang, Modelling of hydraulic fracturing using Extended Finite Element Method.
- Priscila Barros Ramalho Alves, GIS-Participatory approach for an integrated management of extreme events (second supervisor).
- Matthew Ellison, The influence of footwear and training interventions on metatarsal strain during running (second supervisor).
- Megan Kenny, The role of the muscles in minimising tibial stress during running (second supervisor).
- Rodrigo Alejandro Yupanqui Araos, Optimization of water distribution system of heap leaching process for mining in Chile (second supervisor).
Teaching Interests