Elli-Maria Christodoulos Charalampidou

Research interests

I lead the Earth Materials and Processes for Sustainable Development (EM-π) research group at IGE. My team's mission is to develop knowledge on the experimental and computational mechanics of earth materials (Hard Soils and Soft Rocks, Rocks) as well artificial materials inspired by nature in order to achieve the NET ZERO Goals (green energy storage, sustainable cities, zero waste and circular economy) and mitigate the risks of climate change. The research group has a keen interest in community engagement via informal science learning and interaction with community groups, as well as policy.

My team is working on: 

• New materials in civil engineering. 
• Understadning of the mechanics (thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling) in geomaterials and in particular hard soils, soft rocks, rocks. 
• Soil-plant root interactions and links to neture-based solutions.
• Discrete Element Methods and Finite Element Methods to tackle energy applications. 
• Single and two-phase flow within naturally and lab-induced deformed rocks.
• Conditions for fault creation and fault re-activation. Critical stress state. Instability/sliding phenomena. Frictional behaviour (focus on stable sliding and stick-slip sliding modes). Fractures and faults interactions.
• Laboratory versus Field: Understanding induced seismicity due to fluid and gas flows. Understanding the role of pore pressure, fluid/gas flow and temperature variations on the creation and/or re-activation of micro-faults at the laboratory scale.
• Localised deformation in rocks and sediments. Nucleation and evolution of deformation bands, such as dilation bands, dilatant and compactant shear bands and shear-enhanced and compaction bands at the laboratory scale.  Transition from brittle to ductile behaviour.
• Application of a range of experimental methods with different resolution and sensitivity such as: a) X-ray Computed Tomography (static and time-resolved), b) Neutron Radiography and Tomography (static and time-resolved), c) 4D Digital Volume Correlation, d) Passive wave monitoring (e.g. Ultrasonic Tomography), e) Active wave monitoring (e.g. Acoustic Emission monitoring), f) Source Mechanisms and Moment Tensor Analysis, g) Microstructural analysis based on optical and scanning electron microscopy.
• Pore-scale characterisation, pore network extraction and fluid flow front propagation and fluid flow simulations.
• Shear experiments on 2D (analogue) granular materials. Investigation of the impact of different shape of grains on the mechanical behaviour of a granular material. Comparison of experimental results with numerical simulations using Discrete Element Method (Molecular Dynamics). 

I'm an affiliated member of the Gamification & System Thinking Lab (Edinburgh University):  People | GST Lab (ed.ac.uk) , where I contribute towards communities and policy understanding in civil and energy engineering climate change challenges. Additionally, I’m also a member of the Developmental Interest Group (SoSS, HWU), where I contribute towards sustainability and children development research.