Dr. Yan-Guo Zhou, a Professor of geotechnical engineering at Zhejiang University, holds a PhD from the same institution (2007). His research spans soil dynamics and geotechnical earthquake engineering with emphasis on soil liquefaction, soil testing and foundation engineering with emphasis on soil disturbance, and hypergravity experiment by centrifuge modelling. Dr. Zhou is actively involved in some committees and boards, including ISSMGE TC104 and TC304, and board member of the Seismological Society of China. He has published widely and supervised many MSc and PhD students. Leading research programs such as the Major National Science and Technology Infrastructure Project (CHIEF) and the Liquefaction Experiments and Analysis Projects (LEAP), Dr. Zhou addresses challenges in centrifuge modelling of soil liquefaction, seismic performance of earth dam foundations and other important topics under earthquake loadings.

Brief Introduction to the Report

Soil liquefaction hazard is widely observed during strong earthquakes, but its reliable evaluation and effective mitigation for a liquefiable ground are still challenging in engineering practices. Physical modelling using centrifuge shaking table test provides the unique capability to reproduce and monitor the soil liquefaction response with the prototype stresses in well-controlled scale models. This lecture delivers the most recent advances in centrifuge facility and modelling methodology at Zhejiang University, and the contributions of centrifuge modelling in the development of the Vs-based soil liquefaction evaluation method and the exploration of liquefaction mitigation mechanism in a stone-column improved ground. Some engineering cases related soil liquefaction problems are also introduced.