Dr Jonathan A. Black

Lecturer in Geotechnical Engineering

Address:
Department of Civil and Structural Engineering
Sir Frederick Mappin Building
Mappin Street, Sheffield, S1 3JD

Telephone: +44 (0) 114 222 5110
Fax: +44 (0) 114 222 5700
Email: j.a.black@sheffield.ac.uk

Qualifications

BEng (Hons), PhD, PGCert

Profile

Jonathan Black graduated from Queen's University Belfast with a BEng (Hons) degree in 2003. He then joined the Queen's Geotechnical Research Group and completed a PhD in 2007. During his doctorate studies he was appointed as a Lecturing Assistant in the School of Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering for two years and was responsible for delivering modules in Geotechnics and Structures. Following a brief period as a lecturer at the University of Plymouth he then moved to the University of Sheffield in 2008 to take up his current position of Lecturer in Geotechnical Engineering.

Dr Black currently heads the group's research physical modelling activities and continues to develop non-intrusive modelling technique using transparent soil in conjunction with PIV. This technique is currently being employed to evaluate group interaction mechanics of vibrated stone column foundation and has previously been used to investigate soil displacement around driven/augured piles and helical screw piles.

Dr Black has a wide research interests in the areas of:

• Physical modelling of geotechnical problems
• Transparent soils and non-intrusive physical modelling
• Foundation engineering
• Soft ground remediation
• Soil structure interaction
• Partical Image Velocimetry (PIV) in physical modelling
• Development of advance testing systems

As Chair of Geotechnical Teaching for the Geotechnical Group he is responsible for the development of innovative teaching materials to enhance the student learning experience within geotechnical engineering. He is currently leading an internally funding project to redevelop learning and teaching of physical modelling by establishing a Soil Interaction Learning & Teaching Suite "SILTS". As an extension of this work he has also secured funding to support the refurbishment of the undergraduate teaching laboratory. Click for further information.

Current PhD Students

• Sam Stanier - Physical and Numerical Modelling of Deep Helical Screw Pile Foundations.
• Safuan Rashid - Behavior of Deep Mixing Method (DMM) as a Foundation.
• Nor Azizi Yusoff - Effect of Rate of Shearing on Resistance in Fine Grained Soil.
• Peter Kelly – Group Mechanics of Vibrated Stone Columns.

Activities and Distinctions

• Member of the Yorkshire Geotechnical Group Committee, Publicity Secretary. www.ygg.org.uk
• Chair of Geotechnical Teaching
• Laboratory Manager for Geotechnical Laboratories
• Journal Reviewer: Géotechnique; ICE Ground Engineering, ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering; Canadian Geotechnical Journal and ASTM Geotechnical Testing Journal.
• Recipient of a Geotechnical Trust Fund Award from the Geotechnical Society of Ireland 2003, 2004 and 2006
• Member for the Departmental Teaching Committee
• Member of the Industrial Liaison Committee
• Year 4 tutor to Taught Undergraduate Programmes

Selected Publications

• Sivakumar V, Boyd JL, Black JA and McNeil JA (2010) Effects of granular columns in compacted fills. Proceedings of the ICE - Geotechnical Engineering, 163 (4), August, pp 189-196. ISSN 1353-2618. DOI 10.1680/geng.2010.163.4.189
• Black JA, Sivakumar V and Bell A (2010) Development of an innovative large scale dual load triaxial cell apparatus. In 7th International conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics, Zurich, pp 217-222.
• Black JA, Sivakumar V and Bell A (2010) Performance and observations of model stone column foundations. In 7th International conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics, Zurich, pp 1315-1320.
• Sivakumar V, Glynn D, Cairns P and Black JA (2009) A new method of measuring plastic limit of fine materials. Geotechnique, 59 (10), pp 813-823. ISSN 0016-8505. DOI 10.1680/geot.2009.59.10.813
• Black JA, Sivakumar V and McKinley JD (2007) Performance of clay samples reinforced with vertical granular columns. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 44 (1), January, pp 89-95. ISSN 1208-6010. DOI 10.1139/T06-081
• Black JA, Sivakumar V, Madhav MR and Hamill GA (2007) Reinforced Stone Columns in Weak Deposits: Laboratory Model Study. ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 133 (9), September, pp 1154-1161. ISSN 1090-0241. DOI 10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2007)133:9(1154)

Grants

• 2010 – 2011: "Evaluation of ground displacements during press-in piling through non-intrusive physical modelling using transparent soil in conjunction with Particle Image Velocimetry". Funded by the International Press-in Association through the 3rd IPA Research Grant Award Scheme. Project Value $10,000.
• 2010: "Refurbishment of the Geotechnical Teaching Laboratory". Funding by University of Sheffield, Department of Civil & Structural Engineering. Project Value £22,500.
• 2009 – 2010: "SILTS – Soil Interaction Learning and Teaching Suite". Funding by University of Sheffield Alumni Fund. Project Value: £10,400. Link for further information.
• 2009 – 2012: "Group Mechanics of Vibrated Stone Column Foundations". Funded by EPSRC First Grant Scheme. Investigators: J.A. Black, in conjunction with Keller Ground Engineering (Dr. A.L. Bell) Project Value: £205,649. EPSRC grant number EP/G067260/1.
• 2009 - 2010: "Creep Settlement of Foundations Stabilised Using Vibrated Stone Columns". Funded by the University of Sheffield Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), Office of Corporate Partnerships, KT Project Fund. Investigators: J.A. Black, in conjunction with Keller Ground Engineering (Dr. A.L. Bell) Project Value: £9,846.

Teaching

• Staff Member Responsible (SMR) for CIV122 Civil Engineering Design and Drawing
• SMR for CIV251 Geotechnics 3
• SMR for CIV455 Deep Foundations Design Project
• SMR for CIV300 Third Year Project
• SMR for CIV405 Individual Dissertation