Claudio Tamagnini

My interest in geomechanics research developed after obtaining my MSc degree in Mining Engineering, upon entering the PhD program in Geotechnical Engineering at the University of Rome "La Sapienza" in 1991. In 1997, after a Post-Doc in Stanford working with Ronaldo Borja, I obtained a permanent position at the University of Perugia, where I'm currently Full Professor of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Over the past years, I have been I've been offered a few visiting fellow or professor positions at Stanford University, USA; Université Grenoble Alpes (formerly Université Joseph Fourier) of Grenoble, France; Max Planck Institute for Mechanics in the Sciences in Leipzig, Germany, and Weierstrass Institute for Applied Analysis and Stochastics in Berlin, Germany.

Research Topics

My research activities are focused on constitutive modeling and computational geomechanics, including: mathematical theories of plasticity and hypoplasticity, with special reference to numerical implementation aspects; modeling of non-mechanical degradation processes (chemical degradation, weathering, thermal softening) in the framework of the theory of plasticity; development of finite-deformation models for coupled consolidation theories; application of non-local continuum theories to the analysis of strain localization in soils and weak rocks; analysis of soil-structure interaction problems in shallow and deep excavations; development of macroelement models for the analysis of soil-structure interaction problems in foundation engineering, under static and dynamic loading conditions; analysis of rainfall- and earthquake-induced landslide hazard by means of physically-based model at both regional and single slope scales; modeling of electrokinetic processes in fine-grained soils, their FE implementation and study of potential fields of application in geotechnical engineering. I've served in various National and International Research Boards, including the Technical Committee TC103 “Numerical Methods in Geomechanics” of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. My expertise has been called upon by the Italian Ministries for University and Research (MIUR) and Infrastructures and Transportation (MIT). I'm currently member of the Board of Directors of the European Association ALERT Geomaterials.

Why Open Geomechanics

One of the points which I found interesting in this project is the possibility of creating something which would not be in competition with traditional scientific journals - I have served in the Editorial Board of a few highly-ranked scientific journals such as Computers and Geotechnics and Acta Geotechnica, and I will happily continue to do so - but rather provide a complementary forum to the scientific community which, being sufficiently free from publishing houses marketing constraints, could allow the publication of contributions which otherwise would not be easily published. Such contributions - e.g., comprehensive SoA reviews on emerging research topics - could still be very interesting and worth the largest diffusion possible to the scientific community. With respect to this last point, the "open" character of Open Geomechanics is the choice that guarantees the largest possible freedom and the widest diffusion possible.

Statement of interests

As a full-time academic researcher in Italy, I have no current or past industry involvement. Most of my research to date has been funded by national and international funding agencies.