About the department
Andrea Franza
Assistant Professor (tenure track)
Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering - Structural Dynamics and Geotechnical Engineering
Inge Lehmanns Gade 10
8000 Aarhus C
Denmark
Phone: +4520989011
Dr Andrea Franza is Assistant Professor in Geotechnical Engineering.
Andrea studied Civil Engineering for his BSc and MSc at the Università Politecnica delle Marche (Italy) and has a PhD [2016] from the University of Nottingham (UK) on the effect of tunnelling on piled structures. He joined the Cambridge Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction at the University of Cambridge (UK) [2016-2018] and, then, the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain) [2018-2020] as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellow. Next, he moved to Aarhus University where he is currently a member of the Geotechnical Group AU.
His activity spans the areas of geotechnical and structural engineering. For this, he made use of reduced-scale physical testing, analytical and numerical modelling, and field monitoring.
He is currently Nominated Member fo the Technical Committee 204 Underground Construction ISSMGE on behalf of the Danish Geotechnical Society.
Main research areas
- Infrastructure geotechnics and soil-structure-interaction
- Mechanics of tunnels and pile foundations under complex loads
- Offshore geotechnical engineering
- Underground construction and energy storage
Research opportunities
Contact Andrea if you are interested in joining the Geotechnical Research Group AU
- by applying for competitive scholarships and fellowships; in particular, Andrea is experienced in supporting applicants for the Chinese Scholarship Council and the Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship;
- as visiting PhD student or Postdoc;
- as industry partner proposing MSc/PhD projects.
MSc and BSc thesis projects
Topics of interest
- Monitoring data-driven and analytical alarm system for excessive ground deformations caused by deep-excavations [in collaboration with Dr Stefan Ritter from the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute]
- Pile group and piled raft foundations subjected to negative friction effects and/or complex external loads
- The response of buildings and existing tunnels to excavations and subsidence
- Optimised design of pile and raft foundations subjected to basal heave
- Buried underground structures for energy storage
- Foundations for offshore wind turbines: deep and hybrid concepts
Teaching
Lecturer
- BSc Deep foundations, excavations and embankments
- MSc Advanced geotechnical design
Workshops and supervision
- BSc Integrated design of infrastructural structures/buildings
Analytical prediction of ground movements due to circular shaft construction in clayey soils
Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Analysis of floating and end-bearing pile foundations affected by deep-excavations
Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review
- Published
Editorial: Special issue on building and infrastructure response to ground movement: Bridging the gap between geotechnical and structural modelling of SSI
Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review
TUBEURB – Tunnelling beneath piled structures in urban areas
Project: Research
TUTSS – Urban tunnels for a safe and sustainable transport
Project: Research
16th International Conference of the International Association for Computer Methods and Advances in Geomechanics
Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in or organisation of workshop, seminar or course
Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology Journal (Journal)
Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editor of Research journal › Research
ARUP, London
Activity: Visiting an external institution types › Visiting an external academic institution
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship
Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions
EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellowship
Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions
EPSRC Doctoral Training Award
Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions
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