Biography
Mark is a geotechnical engineer with a particular interest in geotechnics and renewable energy. He holds a first class Bachelor's degree in civil engineering and a Master's degree with distinction in geotechnical engineering from the University of Cape Town. Upon completion of his MSc, he worked as a graduate geotechnical engineer at Meinhardt Consulting, based in Shenzhen China. Mark is part of the REMS CDT programme and is funded by the EPSRC and Ørsted.
Research Interests
Offshore wind turbines (OWT) are subjected to millions of complex cyclic loads over their lifetime. This includes loads induced by wind, waves and turbine operation. Considering the interaction of the structure and the soil, which the OWT is founded on, understanding the behaviour of soil is fundamental in geotechnical design. Several studies have investigated unidirectional cyclic loading of OWT foundations at high amplitudes, but this is not representative of the type of loads experienced by an OWT, which are generally random and multidirectional. In this study, a novel variable direction dynamic cyclic simple shear (VDDCSS) apparatus is used to investigate the effects of complex cyclic loading at element scale. The tests are focused on Cowden till, a stiff low plasticity till commonly encountered in the UK North Sea Sector.
Research Projects
Soil mechanics and geotechnical engineering
