Dr Alessandro Leonardi

Department of Civil and Structural Engineering

Lecturer in Geomechanics

Image of Dr. Alessandro Leonardi
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a.leonardi@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 5782

Full contact details

Dr Alessandro Leonardi
Department of Civil and Structural Engineering
Room E103a
Sir Frederick Mappin Building (Broad Lane Building)
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD
Profile

My research uses advanced methods and technology to improve prediction and preparation for natural disasters caused by climate change, making communities safer and more resilient

Dr Alessandro Leonardi


Dr Alessandro Leonardi (he/him) is a scholar in the field of geohazard research, with a PhD from ETH Zurich in Switzerland, which was supported by the prestigious Marie Curie fellowship. His pioneering work is focused on the complex numerical simulation of debris flows, a phenomenon that the conventional separation of geotechnical and hydraulic engineering.
After honing his skills as a consultant in CFD, Alessandro spent four years as a postdoctoral fellow at Politecnico di Torino in Italy, where he led the development of software for assessing hazards in mountainous terrains. His expertise in geohazards, such as landslides, debris flows, and rockfall, has earned him a reputation as one of the foremost experts in his field. In 2021, Alessandro joined our department, where he is leveraging his vast knowledge and experience to improve the reliability of numerical models for geohazards. His ground-breaking research is centred on the development of in-house codes, back-analysis of past events, and the creation of digital twins for monitored sites, using a unique methodology that combines the use of continuum and discrete approaches.
Geohazards are natural events that can pose a significant threat to human life and infrastructure. Unfortunately, the frequency and severity of geohazards are increasing worldwide, and this trend is largely attributed to climate change. With the rise in global temperatures, the UK has been experiencing extreme rainfall events, which can trigger landslides, floods, and other hazardous phenomena. These trends are problematic for the UK as they can cause significant damage to infrastructure, disrupt transportation networks, and lead to loss of life. Dr Leonardi is dedicated to confronting these challenges head-on by working towards mitigating the adverse effects of climate change and increasing the resilience of our communities

Research interests
  •  Rainfall-induced slope instabilities
  •  Runout of landslides, mudflows and debris flows
  • Collapse of tailing dams
  • Centrifuge modelling of granular flows
  • Design and standardisation of debris-flow barriers
  • Development of multiphase models for particle-fluid mixtures
  • Tsunami waves generated by landslides
  • Mechanical behaviour of frozen soils
  • Sediment transport across scales
Publications

Show: Featured publications All publications

Journal articles

All publications

Books

Journal articles

Conference proceedings papers

  • Pirulli M, Leonardi A & Vagnon F (2023) Preface. E3S Web of Conferences, Vol. 415 RIS download Bibtex download
  • Mauro F, Leonardi A, Lervolino M & Pirulli M (2022) A Comparative Assessment of Rheological Laws for Mud Flows. Proceedings of the IAHR World Congress (pp 6843-6847) RIS download Bibtex download
  • La Porta G, Leonardi A, Pirulli M, Castelli F & Lentini V (2021) Rainfall-triggered debris flows : triggering-propagation modelling and application to an event in Southern Italy. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, Vol. 833(1). Turin, Italy, 20 September 2021 - 25 September 2021. View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
  • Pasqua A, Leonardi A & Pirulli M (2021) Comparison of depth-averaged and 3D models for dense granular flows. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, Vol. 833(1). Turin, Italy, 20 September 2021 - 25 September 2021. View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
  • Bello A, Pokrajac D & Leonardi A (2020) Spatial averaging over a variable volume and its implications for simulation of open channel flows over permeable beds. River Flow 2020 - Proceedings of the 10th Conference on Fluvial Hydraulics (pp 13-21) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Leonardi A, Calcagno E & Pirulli M (2019) Impact load estimation on retention structures with the discrete element method. Debris-Flow Hazards Mitigation: Mechanics, Monitoring, Modeling, and Assessment - Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Debris-Flow Hazards Mitigation (pp 354-360) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Poudyal S, Choi CE, Song D, Zhou GGD, Yune CY, Cui Y, Leonardi A, Busslinger M, Wendeler C, Piton G , Moase E et al (2019) Review of the mechanisms of debris-flow impact against barriers. Debris-Flow Hazards Mitigation: Mechanics, Monitoring, Modeling, and Assessment - Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Debris-Flow Hazards Mitigation (pp 1027-1034) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Pirulli M, Manassero M, Terrioti C, Leonardi A & Porta GL (2019) Numerical study of debris flows in presence of obstacles and retaining structures: A case study in the Italian Alps. Debris-Flow Hazards Mitigation: Mechanics, Monitoring, Modeling, and Assessment - Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Debris-Flow Hazards Mitigation (pp 1012-1018) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Pirulli M, Leonardi A, Manassero M & Scavia C (2019) From depth-averaging to fully three-dimensional modelling of debris-flow dynamics. 17th European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, ECSMGE 2019 - Proceedings RIS download Bibtex download
  • Marchelli M, Leonardi A & Pirulli M (2017) Numerical analysis of debris-flow interaction with open barriers. 5th International Conference on Particle-Based Methods - Fundamentals and Applications, PARTICLES 2017 (pp 837-848) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Kyrousi F, Leonardi A, Zanello F & Armenio V (2017) Coupling of large eddy simulations with the level-set method for flow with moving boundaries. RIVER SEDIMENTATION (pp 267-267) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Kyrousi F, Leonardi A, Zanello F & Armenio V (2016) Coupling of large eddy simulations with the level-set method for flow with moving boundaries (pp 1315-1321) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Kyrousi F, Leonardi A, Zanello F & Armenio V (2016) Efficient coupling between a turbulent flow and mobile bed by means of the level-set method and immersed boundaries. Proceedings of the International Offshore and Polar Engineering Conference, Vol. 2016-January (pp 1261-1266) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Leonardi A, Wittel FK, Mendoza M & Herrmann HJ (2013) Multiphase debris flow simulations with the discrete element method coupled with a lattice-boltzmann fluid. Particle-Based Methods III: Fundamentals and Applications - Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Particle-based MethodsFundamentals and Applications, Particles 2013 (pp 276-287) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Pasqua A, Leonardi A & Pirulli M () Multi-scale numerical modelling of debris flow: coupling 2D and 3D simulation strategies RIS download Bibtex download

Preprints

  • Webb W, Turnbull B & Leonardi A (2024) DEM-LBM insights into unsteady grain-fluid collapses on a geotechnical centrifuge, Research Square Platform LLC. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Leonardi A, Wittel FK, Mendoza M & Herrmann HJ (2015) Lattice-Boltzmann Method for Geophysical Plastic Flows, arXiv. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Leonardi A, Cabrera M, Wittel FK, Kaitna R, Mendoza M, Wu W & Herrmann HJ (2015) Granular front formation in free-surface flow of concentrated suspensions, arXiv. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Leonardi A, Wittel FK, Mendoza M, Vetter R & Herrmann HJ (2014) Particle-fluid-structure interaction for debris flow impact on flexible barriers, arXiv. RIS download Bibtex download
Research group

Geotechnical Engineering

Geotechnical centrifuges

Grants

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Potential PhD offerings

If you're interested in a PhD project, please contact Alessandro at the above email. Current PhD opportunities in the department can be viewed here.