Unsaturated Soils Mechanics for Engineering Practice (UnsatPractice)

该合作项目包括英国达勒姆大学与南非五所大学（比勒陀利亚大学、中央理工大学、自由州大学、夸祖鲁-纳塔尔大学、开普敦大学和斯泰伦博斯大学）在一个名为“非饱和土壤力学工程实践（UnsatPractice）”的项目上的合作。在英国和南非，土壤的非饱和特性引起了许多岩土工程问题，包括由于承载力不足而导致的基础倒塌，由于过度的地面隆起而导致的结构破坏，天坑的形成，天然边坡和人工堤防的边坡失稳，以及公路和铁路的地层破坏。该网络由13名学术人员组成，将培养20名博士生。网络内的研究活动分为三个方面：非饱和土壤的实验室和现场测试，数值模型的发展和工程问题的应用。网络合作伙伴将通过向国家和国际研究委员会和机构寻求新的研究资金，产生重要的后续项目，并将在奖励期结束前建立正式的长期三明治博士课程。

This partnership programme involves collaboration between Durham University UK and five universities in South Africa (the University of Pretoria, the Central University of Technology, Free State, the University of Kwazulu Natal, the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University) on a project entitled "Unsaturated Soils Mechanics for Engineering Practice (UnsatPractice)". The unsaturated characteristics of soils give rise to many geotechnical problems in the UK and in South Africa including collapse of foundations due to inadequate bearing capacity, structural damage due to excessive ground heave, sinkhole formation, slope instability both in terms of natural slopes and man-made embankments, as well as road and railway formation failure. The network comprises 13 academic staff and will train 20 PhD students. The research activities within the network are divided into three strands: laboratory and in-situ testing of unsaturated soils, development of numerical models and applications to engineering problems. The network partners will generate significant follow-on projects by seeking new research funding from national and international research councils and agencies and will establishing formal long-term sandwich PhD programmes before the end the award period.