Dr Elisabeth Bowman
School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering
Reader in Geomechanics
e.bowman@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 5747
+44 114 222 5747
Room C109d, Sir Frederick Mappin Building (Broad Lane Building)
Full contact details
Dr Elisabeth Bowman
School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering
Room C109d
Sir Frederick Mappin Building (Broad Lane Building)
Mappin Street
葫芦影业
S1 3JD
School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering
Room C109d
Sir Frederick Mappin Building (Broad Lane Building)
Mappin Street
葫芦影业
S1 3JD
- Profile
-
My research is aimed at understanding fundamental physical processes in geotechnical systems in order to improve the resilience of infrastructure such as embankment dams and subsurface pipe networks and to reduce the risk of geotechnical hazards such as landslides.
Dr Elisabeth (Lis) Bowman
I am a Chartered geotechnical engineer (CEng MICE) and researcher working at the interface of geotechnical engineering, geology, granular physics and fluid mechanics.I took my Bachelors degree at the University of Cambridge, then worked for four years as a civil engineer for consultants Gifford in Southampton and London before returning to study for a PhD in geotechnical engineering at Cambridge, focused on the ageing of granular soils and 鈥渟et up鈥 of displacement piles. I was subsequently awarded a Royal Academy of Engineering Postdoctoral Fellowship to study the mechanics of rapid landslides at Cambridge, then spent eight years at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand experiencing geology in real time (read: landslides and earthquakes) before returning to the UK to the University of 葫芦影业.
My research is focused on understanding, thereby mitigating, processes that destabilise soil and enhancing processes that improve soil behaviour, thereby reducing risk for subsurface and near-surface civil infrastructure. Example applications include: measuring and modelling internal erosion in embankment dams and under pipe leakage, quantifying the particulate processes that lead to rapid landslides and developing new models for complex processes such as soil creep and ageing that affect the behaviour of buried infrastructure.
Such diverse problems follow a central theme of investigating the localization of soil constitutive behaviour through material change at the fluid-particle level, informed by experiments and observation at the field scale. Investigative methods include advanced element testing and development of new equipment, physical modelling (via the geotechnical centrifuge and using 1g models) with novel imaging techniques, and field mapping. An important aspect of this approach is assembling and working in multidisciplinary technical teams to tackle problems from a diversity of perspectives 鈥 particulate, fluid and structural. My group have developed a number of experimental innovations including:
- transparent soil (refractive index matching) experimental techniques to examine internal erosion and debris flow mechanisms towards improved model outcomes
- centrifuge methods to handle high speed motion (Coriolis effects) to develop new understanding of rock avalanche and debris flow motion
- a stress path permeameter and centrifuge permeameter to examine seepage related problems under complex stress states
I currently teach the final year Meng / MSc 鈥淕eotechnical Infrastructure鈥 module 鈥 focused on putting soil mechanics into practice for design and appraisal of dams, levees and tunnels. I previously taught the second year geotechnical module, for which I received the 2022 Vice-Chancellor's Award for Teaching Practice in the Faculty of Engineering.
- Research interests
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Resilient Infrastructure
- Climate change effects on geotechnical infrastructure
- Slopes, embankment dams, flood defences etc.
- Subsurface pipe networks
- Displacement piles & anchor
Geohazards
- Debris flows
- Rock avalanches
- Sinkholes in gypsiferous soils
Experimental Techniques
- Physical modelling using geotechnical centrifuge (hypergravity) techniques
- Transparent soils (refractive index matching) and non-intrusive physical modelling
- Flume modelling and scaling for debris flows
- Rigid and flexible walls permeameter development for internal erosion
- Hole Erosion Test development
Current research:
(15th Feb 2024 to 15th Feb 2025)
- Publications
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Journal articles
- . Experimental Mechanics.
- . Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 151(2).
- . Engineering Failure Analysis, 165.
- . Engineering Integrity 鈥 Journal of the Engineering Integrity Society, 56, 12-17.
- . Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 980.
- . Granular Matter, 26(1).
- . International Journal of Fatigue, 178.
- . The Depositional Record.
- . Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface.
- . Granular Matter, 23(4).
- . 骋茅辞迟别肠丑苍颈辩耻别.
- . Environmental and Engineering Geoscience, 27(1), 127-138.
- . International Journal of Physical Modelling in Geotechnics, 20(4), 175-176.
- . Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology.
- . European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering.
- . 骋茅辞迟别肠丑苍颈辩耻别, 68(10), 918-930.
- . Granular Matter, 19.
- . Granular Matter, 19.
- . Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 54(2), 258-269.
- . Landslides, 1-16.
- . Granular Matter, 18(3).
- . Comptes Rendus Physique, 16(1), 86-96.
- . Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 52(5), 638-655.
- . Geotechnique, 65(3), 188-200.
- . Landslides.
- Seismic testing of model-scale geosynthetic reinforced soil walls. Bulletin of the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering, 45(4).
- . International Journal of Physical Modelling in Geotechnics, 12(4), 129-142.
- . Geotechnique Letters, 2(7-9), 167-172.
- . Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 49(4), 460-476.
- . Geotechnique Letters, 2(4-6), 49-53.
- . Geotechnique Letters, 1(3), 53-57.
- . Geomorphology, 129(1-2), 49-58.
- . Italian Journal of Engineering Geology and Environment, 13(International Conference on Debris-Flow Hazards Mitigation: Mechanics, Prediction, and Assessment, Proceedings), 339-349.
- . Italian Journal of Engineering Geology and Environment, 13(International Conference on Debris-Flow Hazards Mitigation: Mechanics, Prediction, and Assessment, Proceedings), 375-384.
- . Bulletin of the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering, 43(4), 243-320.
- . Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 47(7), 742-762.
- . Engineering Geology, 109(3-4), 161-169.
- Debris flows - entrainment, deposition and travel distance. Geotechnical News, 25(4), 43-46.
- . Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 42(5), 1391-1407.
- . Soils and Foundations, 43(4), 107-117.
- . Geotechnique, 51(6), 545-554.
- . 骋茅辞迟别肠丑苍颈辩耻别, 51(6), 545-554.
- . Landslides.
- Deep Learning Assisted Particle Identification of Photoelastic Images of Granular Flows. Granular Matter.
- . Frattura ed Integrit脿 Strutturale, 8(30), 7-13.
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Chapters
- , Landslide Hazards, Risks, and Disasters (pp. 439-477). Elsevier
- , Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering (pp. 50-59). Springer International Publishing
- , Landslides and Engineered Slopes. Experience, Theory and Practice (pp. 1707-1714). CRC Press
- , Landslide Dynamics: ISDR-ICL Landslide Interactive Teaching Tools (pp. 297-314). Springer International Publishing
- , Landslide Hazards, Risks and Disasters (pp. 405-439). Elsevier
- , Landslide Hazards, Risks and Disasters (pp. ix-ix). Elsevier
- , Landslide Hazards, Risks, and Disasters (pp. 405-439).
- , Physical Modelling in Geotechnics, Two Volume Set (pp. 1303-1308). CRC Press
- In Garevski M & Ansal A (Ed.), Earthquake Engineering in Europe. Geotechnical, Geological and Earthquake Engineering (pp. 125-144). London & New York: Springer
Conference proceedings papers
- Experimental validation of a model for predicting the bending fatigue strength of corroded grey cast iron water pipes. Proceedings of the 9th Engineering Integrity Society International Conference on Durability & Fatigue, Vol. 2 (pp 482-493). Cambridge, UK, 19 July 2024 - 19 July 2024.
- The Rosetta Stone Project 鈥 Integrating experimental results on debris flow mechanics across the scales: first results. 13th International Symposium on Landslides
- The Rosetta Stone Project 鈥 Integrating experimental results on debris flow mechanics across the scales: first results. 13th Landslides and Engineered Slopes. Experience, Theory and Practice, ISL
- Interpretation of internal erosion susceptibility in a New Zealand canal embankment. ANCOLD Website 2019 Proceedings. https://www.ancold.org.au/?product=2019-interpretation-of-internal-erosion-susceptibility-in-a-new-z, 9 October 2019 - 12 October 2019.
- Small scale impact on rigid barrier using transparent debris-flow models. Debris-Flow Hazards Mitigation: Mechanics, Monitoring, Modeling, and Assessment - Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Debris-Flow Hazards Mitigation (pp 1035-1042)
- . 17th European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, ECSMGE 2019 - Proceedings, Vol. 2019-September
- . proceedings of the 26th Annual Meeting of the European Working Group on Internal Erosion (EWG鈥怚E), Vol. 1(1) (pp 91-97), 10 September 2018 - 13 September 2018.
- . EPJ Web of Conferences, Vol. 140 (pp 14006-14006)
- . EPJ Web of Conferences, Vol. 140 (pp 12017-12017)
- General report: Slope stability in engineering practice. ICSMGE 2017 - 19th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Vol. 2017-September (pp 2083-2086)
- (pp 1707-1714)
- . DEFORMATION CHARACTERISTICS OF GEOMATERIALS, Vol. 6 (pp 647-654)
- The influence of surcharging on deformation of 1g models of GRS walls under seismic excitation. Proceedings of 6th International Conference on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering, 1 November 2015 - 4 November 2015.
- Visualisation of internal erosion of a granular material via a new transparent soil permeameter. Geotechnical Engineering for Infrastructure and Development - Proceedings of the XVI European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, ECSMGE 2015, Vol. 4 (pp 1965-1970)
- . IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, Vol. 26(1)
- (pp 1553-1558)
- . Procedia Materials Science, Vol. 3 (pp 562-567)
- Looking inside a debris flow. Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol. 16 (pp EGU2014-12056). Vienna, 28 April 2014 - 2 May 2014.
- Mechanisms of large rock avalanche propagation. Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol. 16 (pp EGU2014-12282). Vienna, 28 April 2014 - 2 May 2014.
- A comparison of internal and external flow behaviour of laboratory-scale debris flows. Physical Modelling in Geotechnics - Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics 2014, ICPMG 2014, Vol. 2 (pp 1171-1177). Perth, 14 January 2014 - 17 January 2014.
- . 18th Southeast Asia Geotechnical Conference (18SEAGC) 鈥淐hallenges in Sustainable Geotechnical Infras. Singapore, 29 May 2013 - 31 May 2013.
- General report of TC 208: Slope stability in engineering practice. 18th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering: Challenges and Innovations in Geotechnics, ICSMGE 2013, Vol. 3 (pp 2137-2144)
- . AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1542 (pp 293-296)
- Modelling the shearing behaviour of sturzstrom. Landslides and Engineered Slopes: Protecting Society through Improved Understanding - Proceedings of the 11th International and 2nd North American Symposium on Landslides and Engineered Slopes, 2012 (pp 883-888)
- . Geotechnical Special Publication(228 GSP) (pp 471-482)
- Two dimensional numerical modelling of landslide stabilizing deep soil mixed columns. Landslides and Engineered Slopes: Protecting Society through Improved Understanding - Proceedings of the 11th International and 2nd North American Symposium on Landslides and Engineered Slopes, 2012, Vol. 2 (pp 1653-1758)
- . Geotechnical Engineering for Disaster Mitigation and Rehabilitation and Highway Engineering 2011
- Removing the Coriolis effect from centrifuge model data of high-speed rock avalanche spreading. Computer Methods for Geomechanics: Frontiers and New Applications, Vol. 1 (pp 483-488)
- Field investigation of small debris flow events in New Zealand mountain catchments. Auckland: CRC Press.. Geologically Active: Proceedings of the 11th IAEG Congress. Auckland, New Zealand, 5 September 2010 - 10 September 2010.
- Physical modelling of natural hazards. PHYSICAL MODELLING IN GEOTECHNICS, VOLS. 1 AND 2 (pp 3-22)
- Optical investigation through a flowing saturated granular material. PHYSICAL MODELLING IN GEOTECHNICS, VOLS 1 AND 2 (pp 1277-1282)
- . Physical Modelling in Geotechnics - Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics 2010, ICPMG 2010, Vol. 1 (pp 3-22)
- Dynamic fragmentation in rock avalanches: A numerical model of micromechanical behaviour. Numerical Methods in Geotechnical Engineering - Proceedings of the 7th European Conference on Numerical Methods in Geotechnical Engineering (pp 435-440)
- . Physical Modelling in Geotechnics - Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics 2010, ICPMG 2010, Vol. 2 (pp 1279-1284)
- . Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering: The Academia and Practice of Geotechnical Engineering, Vol. 1 (pp 470-473)
- The recognition and identification of debris flow hazards for proposed development sites in New Zealand. Proceedings of the 18 NZGS Geotechnical Symposium on Soil-Structure Interaction. Auckland, 4 September 2008 - 6 September 2008.
- Geotechnical centrifuge modelling of debris flows. International Conference on Debris-Flow Hazards Mitigation: Mechanics, Prediction, and Assessment, Proceedings (pp 229-239)
- Debris flows in a geotechnical centrifuge. Physical Modelling in Geotechnics, 6th ICPMG'06 - Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics, Vol. 1-2 (pp 311-316)
- A note on the micromechanics of long runout rock avalanches. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Geomechanics and Geotechnics of Particulate Media - Geomechanics and Geotechnics of Particulate Media (pp 409-414)
- Factors influencing granular debris flow behaviour: An experimental investigation. Physical Modelling in Geotechnics, 6th ICPMG'06 - Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics, Vol. 1-2 (pp 379-384)
- The influence of particle shape on the stress-strain and creep response of a fine silica sand. Powders and Grains 2005 - Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Micromechanics of Granular Media, Vol. 2 (pp 1325-1328)
- Time effects in creep of sands. Constitutive and Centrifuge Modelling: Two Extremes (pp 259-265)
- The observation of soil microstructure under load. Powders and Grains 2001 (pp 69-72)
- . The 3rd International Joint Conference on Water Distribution Systems Analysis & Computing and Control for the Water Industry (WDSA/CCWI 2024), Vol. 128鈥129 (pp 20-20)
- . Proceedings - 2nd International Join Conference on Water Distribution System Analysis (WDSA)& Computing and Control in the Water Industry (CCWI), 18 July 2022 - 22 July 2022.
- . Proceedings Of The 16th Multidisciplinary Conference On Sinkholes And The Engineering And Environmental Impacts Of Karst, 12 April 2021 - 16 April 2021.
- (pp 1075-1080)
- (pp 377-382)
Other
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Preprints
- , Wiley.
- , Wiley.
- . Experimental Mechanics.
- Research group
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Earthquake Engineering Group
- Grants
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Past Grants
Particle-Scale Investigation of Seepage Induced Geotechnical Instablility
Awareness is growing that seepage forces imparted on individual particles can preferentially erode the smaller particles in sandy soils. There can be significant internal erosion of the soil under scenarios that are considered safe according to the classical continuum calculations used in engineering practice; this phenomenon is called internal instability.
The Rosetta Stone Network: Physical testing towards a common unstanding of debris flow
This project aims to create a 鈥淩osetta Stone鈥 of communication between the disciplines through physical tests undertaken with common material characteristics, informed by monitored field events, leading to improved numerical models.
- PhD opportunities
If you're interested a PhD project, please contact Lis at the above email. Current PhD opportunities in the department can be viewed here.