People
We are always looking for students with strong physics and mechanics background to join my multidisciplinary research group. Students can choose to study either in the Geotechnical Engineering and Geomechanics track or the Engineering Science track in the CEAE department. The former focus more on applying geomechanics to geotechnical and energy geotech problems. The Engineering Science track focus more on the physics of porous and granular materials with the goal of advancing fundamental science. Alternatively, students can be enrolled through the Geophysics and Materials Science and Engineering programs. Those interested can send their detailed resume to Yida.Zhang@Colorado.edu. The email should include a brief description of research background and interests. The deadline for graduate student applications is typically in early December. More information on the graduate student application process can be found on the Department website.
GAANN fellowship (starting 2025): The CEAE department is just awarded a Department of Education GAANN project. This project supports around 10 GAANN fellowships who pursue a PhD degree in the department of civil engineering. Please refer to the project website https://www.colorado.edu/gaann-infrastructure/ for eligibility, how to apply, and project details. If you are eligible and interested, please reach out to Prof. Zhang (Yida.Zhang@Colorado.edu) for further details.
NSF GRFP: PhD applicants are encouraged apply for external fellowships, such as those available from the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program.
Principal Investigator
Associate Professor, Geotechnical Engineering and Geomechanics
Material Science and Engineering Program
Geophysics Program
Email: yida.zhang@colorado.edu Tel: +1 303-492-0962
Current graduate students
Yazeed Kokash
Doctoral student, July. 2022 - Current
Thermo-mechanical testing of plastic-bonded granular materials
Breakage mechanics modeling of plastic-bonded granular materials
Hooman Dadras
Doctoral student, Jan. 2023 - Current
Surface-force based fracture theory for calcite cracking and healing
Chemomechanical instability of carbonate rocks
Mohammadali Behboodi
Doctoral student, Aug. 2023 - Current
Unsaturated surface poromechanics theory considering capillary condensation
Adsorption-induced damage and plasticity of nanoporous materials
Past group members
Wanqi Yu
Master student, May. 2022 - Dec. 2023
DEM investigation of cyclic ratcheting of granular soils
Image analysis of post-creep tailings sand
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Jan. 2022 - Dec. 2022
Ph.D., June. 2019 - Dec. 2021.
Mechanics of adsorption-deformation coupling in microporous solids;
Role of surface forces in subcritical fracture propagation
Yuxuan Wen
Doctoral student, Aug. 2018 - Dec. 2022
Critical fabric theory for the quasi-static mechanical behavior of granular materials
Critical fabric surface in pre- and post- liquefaction regime of granular soils
Andrea Tyrrell
M.S., Jan. 2021 - July 2022
Thermo-triaxial testing on Mancos Shale
Damage mechanics modeling of the stress-strain behavior of Mancos Shale
Mitul Sisodiya
Ph.D., Aug. 2017 - Dec. 2021
Caisson drilling fluid interaction with clay-bearing bedrocks
Directional microcrack damage theory for brittle rocks under THMC loading
Xiang Zhou
Ph.D., Aug. 2016 - June. 2021
Effect of grain breakage on the hydromechanical performance of rockfill dams
THMC modeling of underground nuclear waste repositories
Finite element implementation of adsorption-deformation coupling in fractured coals
Yao Wang
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Feb. 2020 - Sept. 2021
Thermo-triaxial testing on Mancos Shale
Relative humidity-controlled creep tests on rock salt
Shubjot Singh
M.S., Sept. 2018 - Aug. 2020
Grain crushing and permeability reduction of tailing underflow materials
Numerical simulation of wetting-induced reduction of caisson capacity
Andrew Joseph Philpott
M.S., Jan. 2017 - June 2018
Design of a one-dimensional soil column device for gas-water flow under blast loading
Joon Soo Park
M.S., Jan. 2017 - April 2018
Grain size evolution of coarse sand under high-pressure isotropic compression
Rebecca Scheetz
M.S., Jan. 2017 - July 2017
Numerical Simulations of Two-Phase Flow in Rigid Porous Media
Undergraduate researchers
Cesar Lopez, May 2024 - July 2024.
Tao Wang, Jan. 2018 – May 2018.
Trinity Payne, Jan. 2019 – May 2019.
Noah Traynor, Jan. 2019 – May 2019.
Visiting scholars
Zheng Hu
Visiting student, Zhejiang University, China (9. 2017-9. 2018)
Now Assistant Professor at Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Micromechanics of suffusion in gap-graded soils and its mechanical consequences