CIVIL ENGINEERING SEMINAR - University of Warwick

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CIVIL ENGINEERING SEMINAR. Wednesday 23rd October 4pm. A401 – School of Engineering. ABSTRACT. Polymer solutions have been used as support ...
CIVIL ENGINEERING SEMINAR Wednesday 23rd October 4pm A401 – School of Engineering The use of polymer solutions for deep excavations Dr Carlos Lam, Lecturer in Geotechnical Engineering, University of Manchester ABSTRACT Polymer solutions have been used as support fluids in diaphragm walling and bored piling for over two decades. Since their physical and chemical properties are vastly different from those of the conventional bentonite slurry, many engineers are still wary of their use despite their many environmental, technical and operational benefits compared to bentonite. Recent research and practice have provided a fuller understanding of their behaviour and shown that they must be treated as distinct materials and not managed as if they were bentonite slurries. Research also shows that the time is ripe to exploit a particular aspect of polymer fluids – the potential for better shaft resistance of piles. This talk will give a general introduction to polymer support fluids and discuss their advantages as well as pitfalls compared to bentonite.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER Dr Lam obtained his BEng (Hons) in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.. After graduation he worked for a main contractor in Hong Kong for a year. He obtained his MSc in Soil Mechanics at Imperial in 2002, and upon graduation he joined Fugro Engineering Services to work on ground investigation and consultancy projects, and later transferred to Fugro GeoConsulting Ltd to provide services for the offshore oil and gas industry. He left Fugro to conduct research on excavation-support fluids on an EPSRC studentship at the University of Oxford in 2007. He joined the University of Manchester as a Lecturer in 2012. He is registered as a European Engineer, a Chartered Civil Engineer and a Ground Engineering Specialist in the UK. He currently sits on the committee of the North West Geotechnical Group.

This seminar is open to all and refreshments are provided. For more information, contact Dr Stefano Utili by email at [email protected]