Understanding mechanical behaviour of different soil types is key to successful and economic construction. The UK has pioneered tunnelling achievement and is a world-leader in the area, as there is a wealth of knowledge on saturated soils. However, large parts of the world where natural soil is partially saturated, less is known about the behaviour of unsaturated soils, which restricts economic growth. The construction of infrastructure on this type of ground can be challenging and prohibitively expensive.
WindAfrica, a new and collaborative research project, aims to make a significant contribution to this understanding. Funded by EPSRC as part of the RCUK Global Challenges Research Fund, this three-year project, led by Durham University, benefits from academic expertise from the Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction (CSIC) and the Laing O'Rourke Centre for Construction Engineering and Technology at the University of Cambridge and the University of Pretoria in South Africa.
Dr Mohammed Elshafie (co-investigator, Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction, University of Cambridge) will be leading the field-testing in Sudan for WindAfrica.
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