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.

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Direct push technology is a state-of-the-art method for

geoenvironmental subsurface sampling and characterization.

 

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Hydraulic Profiling Tool (HPT)

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Seismic Piezocone (SCPTu)

 

 

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Direct push groundwater sampler

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Direct push soil sampler

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X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer

 

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Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT)

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Photoionization Detector (PID)

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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.

·       GeoStudio 3D - Seequent

·       RocScience 2D/3D – Applied in rock and soil mechanics for slope stability, tunneling, foundation design, and underground excavation stability evaluations.

·       RS2 | 2D Geotechnical Finite Element Analysis | Rocscience 

·       PLAXIS 2D/3D – A finite element analysis tool for modeling soil-structure interaction, deep excavations, embankments, and tunneling under both static and dynamic conditions.

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·       UDEC – Specialized for analyzing blocky rock masses, fault zones, and discontinuous media behavior in underground excavations and slope stability assessments.

·       UDEC | Sweden - Itasca Consultants AB EN

·       PFC 2D/3D – A particle-based modeling software for simulating granular material behavior, rock fracturing, and micromechanical analysis of geotechnical structures.

·       Construction in PFC | France - Itasca Consultants S.A.S. EN

·       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.

·       FLAC 3D - SoilModels

·       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

 

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Dynamic Triaxial Testing Apparatus for Geomaterials

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Triaxial Testing Apparatus for Geomaterials

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Triaxial Testing Apparatus for Geomaterials

 

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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.

 

 

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Custom-built Cyclic Triaxial Testing Apparatus for Rocks and Rock Mass

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Custom-built  Large Direct Shear Testing Apparatus for Rock Joints

Custom-built True Triaxial Testing Apparatus for Rock and Rock Mass Samples

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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.

 

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Fiber Optical and Acoustic Based Early Warning Devices

 

 

 

Custom-built 3D printer for Geomaterials

 

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3D printer for Polymeric-Based Elements

 

Split Hopkinson’s Pressure Bar

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Horizontal Shock Tube

Vertical Shock Tube

 

 

 

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Cyclic Model Testing Apparatus for Slopes and Embankments

 

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Static Loading Model Testing Apparatus for Slopes and Embankment

 

 

Large Scale Model Testing Apparatus and accessories

for testing model slopes and Railway Tracks

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Flume model testing for slopes and embankments

under simulated rainfall conditions.

 

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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.

 

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Custom-built Geosynthetics Pullout Testing Apparatus

Custom-built Inclined Geosynthetics Pullout Testing Apparatus

 

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Tension and Compression Testers for Geosynthetics

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Nominal Thickness Measurement Apparatus for Geosynthetics

 

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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

Prof. G. V. Ramana

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