IT Sligo PhD student Cathal Colreavy has secured a prestigious scholarship from the Irish Research Council for Science Engineering and Technology (IRCSET) which will help fund ongoing research aimed at improving how soil is analysed both onshore and offshore, for major construction projects. Out of 630 eligible applicants nationwide, just 90 were successful in the 2011 round of scholarships under IRCSET’s Embark Initiative.
Cathal, a native of Thornhill, Sligo, who obtained an honours degree in civil engineering in 2008, has secured a €24,000 grant which will help fund field trips, research equipment, and attendance at conferences.
The 25 year old is working on a research project which aims to improve how site investigation is carried out in advance of major construction projects such as roads, bridges or housing developments, where it crucial to know the soil characteristics such as how soft it is and how well it will consolidate or settle once the work is done.
The recent push for offshore renewable energy also requires devices to gauge soil characteristics in deep water sites. Oil and gas exploration has been moving into deeper waters which exacerbates the difficulty of effective soil testing.
“Accurate and precise assessment of the soil conditions is critical for the design and performance of these structures,” explained Colreavy. He pointed out that analysis of the soil on site, removes the reliance on laboratory tests which require undisturbed soil samples. “Retrieval of these samples is obviously a very expensive option in the case of off-shore exploration,” the researcher pointed out.
Given the focus on improving Ireland’s road network, and the growing interest in renewable energy projects his research will be watched closely by many involved in these sectors. “Obviously it is important to know the characteristics of soil – its strength and ability to hold up structures such as roads, bridges or renewable energy devices,” explained Colreavy.
Traditionally, engineers analysed soil by using a cone penetration test which involved pushing a cone shaped probe into the ground at a constant rate. The strength of the soil was calculated from the force required to push the cone in. But this test had a number of drawbacks, and was not considered accurate in soft soil.
In the early 90s a new and more accurate method of testing soil was developed which involved the use of full-flow penetrometers where the cone probe was replaced with a spherical ball or cylindrical T-bar.
“The mechanisms involved in the test are still not fully understood and that has prevented these full-flow devices from being widely used in industry”, explained the IT Sligo POST GRAD student. He hopes that his research will help advance and improve understanding of the technology giving industry the confidence to use it as a standard site investigation test in soft soil.
Colreavy belongs to the Geotechnical Research Group at IT Sligo, one of four recognised research centres at IT Sligo. His research is being supervised by Dr. Conleth O’Loughlin and is particularly relevant to the Group’s interests in offshore anchoring systems, as the soils where these anchors would be used are usually soft.
President of IT Sligo, Professor Terri Scott, said that the funding marks the Institute’s first success under the IRCSET postgraduate award scheme; “This Prestigious award recognises the high calibre and innovation of Cathal’s work as part of the Geotechnic Group at IT Sligo.
“We have a growing research community at IT Sligo and this type of national recognition for the work in progress here underpins the relevance and value of our research activity.”
Colreavy is working closely with colleagues at University College Dublin and at the University of Western Australia where the full-flow devices were first devised. The industry partner in the research project is UK company, In Situ Site Investigation Ltd, which carries out the field testing.
He has been focusing on three sites in the field – one beside Belfast city airport, one in Athlone close to the Shannon and one on Lough Erne which involves working from a pontoon in the middle of the lake. His research in the college is helped by the fact that IT Sligo is home to the only geotechnical centrifuge in the country, a facility which permit him to simulate field tests.
Image Caption: Sligo student Cathal Colreavy has secured significant funding from the Irish Research Council for Science Engineering and Technology