• Biography

    Dr. Mu is a full professor in the School of Engineering Geology and Geomatics at Chang'an University, China. He earned his PhD degree at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 2017. His areas of expertise include unsaturated soil mechanics, plant-soil-rock-water interaction in mountainous environments, and mitigation of shallow and deep geological hazards. He serves as the Principle Investigator on two research projects funded by the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China. His research contributions have been recognised through the publication of over 30 SCI papers in prestigious geotechnical engineering journals such as Géotechnique, Can Geotech J, Int J Numer Anal Met, Comput Geotech, Water Resour Res and Eng Geol. These research findings have been successfully implemented in many high-profile engineering projects, including China's largest-scale loess embankment in Yan'an New District. He has received several accolades, including recognition as a "Top Reviewer" by the editorial board of Bull Eng Geol Environ (2018-2022), the "Second-Class Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress" from the China Rock Mechanics and Engineering Association (2023), and the award for "Top Cited Article" from WILEY (2022-2023).

     

  • Title of Presentation

    Experimental study and constitutive modelling of the hydro-mechanical behaviour of unsaturated loess

  • Presentation Abstract

    Loess is widely recognised as a "problematic soil", prevalent in regions such as China, France, and Iran. Its metastable structure makes it highly susceptible to external loading and wetting, resulting in various geotechnical challenges. For example, the catastrophic failures of loess slopes in northwestern China have garnered significant attention from geotechnical and geological researchers worldwide. Additionally, the collapse of loess has caused considerable ground subsidence along the high-speed rail line connecting Paris, Brussels, and London. A thorough understanding of the hydro-mechanical behaviour of unsaturated loess is essential for addressing these geotechnical challenges. In this lecture, I will present the experimental and theoretical research conducted by my group on the hydro-mechanical behaviour of unsaturated loess, which includes: (i) an overview of laboratory experimental results and the underlying micro-mechanisms; (ii) the development of a constitutive model that incorporates unsaturation and structural effects; and (iii) a novel technique for efficiently evaluating the collapsibility of loess by integrating the constitutive model with time domain reflectometry technique. These research findings are expected to enhance infrastructure construction in loess regions.

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