Pathways to Mitigate Warming of Climate and Sustainable Development: Role of Multiphysics Processes

Abstract

Warming of the climate poses serious risks to human civilization and natural ecosystems worldwide. Multiphysics phenomenon can be an essential tool supporting the three major endeavors necessary to deal with climate change: mitigation, prediction, and adaptation. In this presentation specific approaches in geotechnical engineering that involve multiphysics processes - especially coupled heat transfer, water flow, and mechanical deformation-- can assist each of these endeavors, are demonstrated.

The first part of the presentation focuses on investigation of operational performance evaluation of energy foundations. A thermo-poroelastic model based on continuum approached is developed to estimate thermally induced deformations, axial stresses, and change in shaft resistance in energy foundations installed to support new HydroSystems laboratory building on the Urbana-Champaign campus of University of Illinois. The model is first validated against an analytical solution and field data from the literature, then used to investigate coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical response of the energy foundation under different boundary conditions. The results show that the evolution of pore water pressure is sensitive to the rate of heating and the hydraulic conductivity of the surrounding soil. Higher pressures are generated in soils having low hydraulic conductivity and under increased rates of heating. Prior to the dissipation of excess pore pressures, the change in shaft resistance is variable and caused by the combined thermal deformation of the soil and foundation and the generation and dissipation of pore pressures.

The second part discusses role of multiphysics processes in thawing permafrost and implications in cold regions. Special attention is given to the evolution of hydraulic properties of partially saturated soils subjected to cyclic thermal loads in the shallow subsurface. The theoretical and empirical relationships between the soil water retention and soil freezing curves, as well as processes for developing soil freezing curves for partially frozen soils, are discussed.

Finally, the presentation considers adaptation strategies to warming of the climate that is crucial for cold regions.

Bio: Dr. Tugce Baser is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, specializing in Geotechnical Engineering. Her research interests include unsaturated soil mechanics, energy geotechnics, climate change related geotechnics. Over the past six years, Dr. Baser has been awarded honors by international institutions and invited as a keynote speaker. She is one of the recipients of ISSMGE Bright Spark Lecturer Award in 2019. She received her PhD degree in Geotechnical Engineering from University of California San Diego in 2017. Dr. Baser is a member of ISSMGE, ASCE, and CGS where she is actively engaged with the student, professional, and diversity development.