Geotechnical Engineering Research and
Teaching Facilities
Department of Civil Engineering, IIT
Delhi
At IIT Delhi, we utilize state-of-the-art geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering equipment for cutting-edge research and teaching. Our facilities enable us to study critical geotechnical and geoenvironmental challenges of national importance, such as infrastructure resilience, landslide mitigation, earthquake-resistant designs, underground construction, and environmental sustainability. Through hands-on training, students gain exposure to the latest testing methods, equipping them with essential skills for geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering practice.
1) Geoenvironmental Engineering Laboratory
Our laboratory is equipped with state-of-the-art technologies for geotechnical and geoenvironmental investigations, enabling high-resolution subsurface characterization, contamination assessment, and infrastructure evaluation. These advanced tools provide critical insights into soil behavior, groundwater quality, contaminant transport, and environmental hazards. By integrating geophysical, geotechnical, and analytical techniques, we address nationally important challenges such as groundwater pollution, land degradation, landfill gas emissions, and site remediation. Our expertise in direct push technology, soil and groundwater sampling, in-situ permeability testing, and elemental analysis supports sustainable development, environmental protection, and resilient infrastructure planning.
Direct push technology is a state-of-the-art method for
geoenvironmental subsurface sampling and characterization.
Hydraulic Profiling Tool (HPT)
Seismic Piezocone (SCPTu)
Direct push groundwater sampler
Direct push soil sampler
X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer
Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT)
Photoionization Detector (PID)
Landfill Gas Analyzer
2)
Geotechnical Engineering
Computational Facilities
As part of our
teaching and research, we use the following advanced geotechnical software to
analyze and solve complex geotechnical challenges:
· GEOStudio 2D/3D – Used for slope
stability analysis, groundwater flow modeling, and soil-structure interaction,
aiding in embankment stability assessment, seepage analysis, and consolidation
settlement studies.
· 
· RocScience 2D/3D – Applied in rock
and soil mechanics for slope stability, tunneling, foundation design, and
underground excavation stability evaluations.
· 
· PLAXIS 2D/3D – A finite element
analysis tool for modeling soil-structure interaction, deep excavations,
embankments, and tunneling under both static and dynamic conditions.
· 
· UDEC – Specialized for
analyzing blocky rock masses, fault zones, and discontinuous media behavior in
underground excavations and slope stability assessments.
· 
· PFC 2D/3D – A particle-based
modeling software for simulating granular material behavior, rock fracturing,
and micromechanical analysis of geotechnical structures.
· 
· FLAC 2D/3D – Used for
nonlinear analysis of soil and rock behavior under static and dynamic loading,
essential for seismic studies, foundation design, and ground support systems.
· 
· These tools support reliable and efficient design solutions for slopes, foundations, tunnels, and retaining structures, helping address critical geotechnical infrastructure development and environmental sustainability challenges
Particle Scale and
Elemental Scale Testing Equipment
· Soil Mechanics
Laboratory
· Custom-built
Micromechanical and Advanced Macromechanical Interface Direct Shear Testing
Apparatus – Used to study soil-structure interaction and particulate-continuum
material behavior for foundation and infrastructure stability.
· Dynamic and Static
Triaxial Testing Apparatus – Enables assessment of geomaterial response under varying loads,
crucial for earthquake-resistant foundation design and embankment stability
analysis.
· Consolidometer
Apparatus – Evaluates compression and settlement characteristics of soils to aid
in infrastructure planning and land reclamation projects.
Custom-built Micromechanical Interface
Direct Shear Testing Apparatus for geomaterial contacts
Custom-built Advanced Macromechanical Interface
Direct Shear Testing Apparatus for particulate and continuum materials
Dynamic Triaxial Testing Apparatus for Geomaterials
Triaxial Testing Apparatus for Geomaterials
Triaxial Testing Apparatus for Geomaterials
Consolidometer Apparatus for compression testing of geomaterials.
·
Rock Engineering and Underground Structures
· Split Hopkinson
Pressure Bar (SHPB) & Shock Tubes (Vertical & Horizontal) – Used to analyze
blast and impact effects on geological and granular materials, aiding in the
design of resilient defense structures and critical infrastructure.
· Custom-built Cyclic
and True Triaxial Testing Apparatus for Rock and Rock Mass – Helps understand
rock mass behavior under stress conditions, supporting tunneling, deep
excavation, and mining projects.
· Automated
Stress-Path Triaxial Testing Apparatus – Essential for advanced rock
mechanics studies related to underground infrastructure and energy storage
projects.
· Large Direct Shear
Testing Apparatus for Rock Joints – Facilitates stability assessment of rock slopes,
tunnels, and dam foundations.
Custom-built Cyclic Triaxial Testing Apparatus for Rocks and Rock Mass
Custom-built Large Direct Shear Testing Apparatus for Rock Joints
Custom-built True Triaxial Testing Apparatus for Rock and Rock Mass Samples
Automated Stress-Path Triaxial Testing Apparatus for Rock and Rock
mass
·
Modeling, Monitoring, and Mitigation Laboratory Facilities
o Fiber Optical and
Acoustic-Based Early Warning Devices – Used for real-time monitoring of
slope failures and ground movements to enhance disaster preparedness and
infrastructure safety.
o Custom-built 3D
Printer for Geomaterials & Polymeric-Based Elements – Supports the
development of innovative construction materials and bio-inspired surface
patterns for geotechnical applications.
o Large Scale Model
Testing Apparatus – Enables physical modeling of slopes and railway tracks, aiding in the
design of safer transportation infrastructure.
Fiber Optical and Acoustic Based Early Warning Devices
Custom-built 3D printer for Geomaterials
3D printer for Polymeric-Based Elements
Split Hopkinson’s Pressure Bar
Horizontal Shock Tube
Vertical Shock Tube
Cyclic Model Testing Apparatus for Slopes and Embankments
Static Loading Model Testing Apparatus for Slopes and Embankment
|
|
|
Large
Scale Model Testing Apparatus and accessories
for
testing model slopes and Railway Tracks
Flume
model testing for slopes and embankments
under
simulated rainfall conditions.
PPK-based
survey drone with payloads of digital camera &
multispectral sensors. Alongside with DGPS
· Geosynthetic Testing
Laboratory – Equipped with facilities for pullout tests, puncture strength, tear
strength, tensile strength, and permeability assessments, crucial for
sustainable ground improvement and environmental protection.
Custom-built
Geosynthetics Pullout Testing Apparatus
Custom-built
Inclined Geosynthetics Pullout Testing Apparatus
Tension
and Compression Testers for Geosynthetics
Nominal
Thickness Measurement Apparatus for Geosynthetics
Cone
Drop Testing for Geosynthetics
These advanced facilities help address geotechnical
challenges in transportation, urban development, disaster mitigation, and
environmental sustainability, ensuring our students and researchers contribute
effectively to solving national and global infrastructure problems.
Faculty Members(10)
|
Prof. Bappaditya Manna |
Areas of Interest: Dynamic Soil-Pile
Interaction, Pile Foundation, Machine Foundation, Stability of Reinforced
Slopes E-mail: bmanna[at]civil.iitd.ac.in |
|
|
Areas of Interest: Geoenvironmental
Engineering, Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering, Waste Mechanics, Ground
Improvement E-mail: ramana[at]civil.iitd.ac.in |
|
Prof. J. T. Shahu |
Areas
of Interest: Geotechnology for Roads and Railway Tracks, Numerical Modelling of
Soil Behaviour, Ground Improvement, Soil Dynamics, Geosynthetics E-mail: shahu[at]civil.iitd.ac.in |
|
Prof. R. Ayhothiraman |
Areas of Interest: Soil Dynamics and Earthquake
Engineering, Pile Foundations, Deep Excavations in Urban Areas, Problematic
Soils and Ground Improvement E-mail: araman[at]civil.iitd.ac.in |
|
Prof. T. Chakraborty |
Areas of Interest: Foundation Engineering,
Blast Loading in Soil, Soil Plasticity and Constitutive Modeling,
Soil-Structure Interaction and Underground Construction in Soil and Rock E-mail: tanusree[at]civil.iitd.ac.in |
|
Prof. Manoj Datta |
Areas of Interest: Geotechnical Engineering,
Soil Mechanics, Foundations, Geoenvironment, Landfills, Ash Ponds, Tailings,
Ground Improvement, Slope Stability, Dams, Offshore Geotechnology E-mail: mdatta[at]civil.iitd.ac.in |
|
Prof. Prashanth Vangla |
Areas of Interest: Interface Behavior of
Particulate and Continuum Interfaces; Morphological Characterization of Soils
Based on Digital Image Processing; 3D Printing in Geosynthetics and Granular
Materials; Bio-inspired Geotechnics; Characterization and Quantification of
the Pore Structures of Granular Materials; Site Characterization and
Monitoring E-mail: pvangla05[at]civil.iitd.ac.in |
|
Prof. D. Bhattacharya |
Areas of Interest: Constitutive modelling of
frictional materials, Experimental and computational geomechanics,
Instability and bifurcation in soils, Image processing and instrumentation,
Mechanics of porous media, Numerical modelling of geotechnical structures E-mail: debayanb[at]civil.iitd.ac.in |
|
Prof. D. Shirole |
Areas of Interest: Geotechnics, rock
mechanics, rock physics, civil build materials, non-destructive evaluation,
ultrasonics and acoustical techniques, imaging procedures, electrokinetic
material mediation, damage analysis and healing E-mail: dshirole[at]civil.iitd.ac.in |
|
Prof. S. K. Sinha |
Areas of Interest: Geotechnical Earthquake
Engineering, Soil-Anchor Systems, Sensing Technologies, Numerical Modeling,
Energy Geotechnics, Soil and Granular Mechanics E-mail: sksinha[at]civil.iitd.ac.in |
