Research

Failure of a thermal-sensitive slope

Thermo-hydro-mechanical coupled MPM for saturated porous media

Stabilized and efficient material point method (MPM) algorithms for modelling the thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) response of saturated porous media in large deformation.

Four-variable u-v-p-T formulation for non-isothermal saturated porous media
Semi-implicit solution scheme based on the fractional step method
Handles both incompressible and weakly compressible pore fluids

Key paper: CMAME 2024

Strip footing on unthawed (left) vs. thawing (right) ground

Coupled MPM for freezing and thawing of porous media

A three-phase THM-coupled MPM that captures phase change between ice and water and the large deformation that follows, for permafrost thaw and related geohazards.

Ice treated as part of the solid skeleton, with ice-saturation-dependent strength
Captures conduction- and convection-dominated thermal regimes
Applied to rapid footing penetration and thaw-induced failure

Key paper: IJNAMG 2024

THM response of saturated porous media during freeze-thaw cycles

Multiscale modeling of granular media under freeze-thaw cycles

A hierarchical MPM-DEM framework that links grain-scale ice bonding and melting to the macroscopic coupled THM behavior of frozen granular soils.

DEM representative volume element embedded at each material point
Reveals how ice bonding strengthens soil and how melting reduces bearing capacity

Key paper: Comput. Geotech. 2024

Waves from thermal expansion at the left and bottom boundaries

THM modeling of porous media with compressible fluid

An improved fractional step MPM that accounts for pore-fluid compressibility and thermal effects, capturing pressure shock waves under mechanical or thermal loading.

Node-based implicit scheme for the intermediate variables
Extends naturally to three-phase porous media

Key paper: CMAME 2025