Biosketch

Dr. Selvadurai is recognized for contributions to continuum mechanics, theoretical, computational and experimental geomechanics and applied mathematics for which he has received the Humboldt Senior Scientist Award, The Max Planck Prize in the Engineering Sciences, The Killam Prize, The Biot Medal, The Reissner Medal and The Desai Medal. His research includes the mechanics of elastic media undergoing large deformations, fracture mechanics, micromechanics of inclusions and defects, poroelasticity, coupled THM processes in deformable media, mechanics of inhomogeneous media, interfaces in geomechanics, fragmentation of brittle geomaterials, transport in porous media and mechanics of geosynthetics subjected to chemical exposure. He has published extensively in archival journals (http://www.mcgill.ca/civil/people/selvadurai/list-research-publications). He is the author or co-author of texts on Elastic Analysis of Soil-Foundation Interaction (Elsevier, 1979), Elasticity and Geomechanics (with R.O. Davis) (CUP, 1996), Partial Differential Equations in Mechanics Vols. 1&2 (Springer, 2000); Plasticity and Geomechanics (with R.O. Davis) (CUP, 2002), Transport in Porous Media (with Y. Ichikawa) (Springer 2012) and Thermo-Poroelasticity and Geomechanics (with A.P. Suvorov) (CUP, 2016). He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, The Canadian Academy of Engineering, The Engineering Institute of Canada, The American Academy of Mechanics, The Canadian Society for Civil Engineering and The Institute for Mathematics and its Applications (UK). He is a Chartered Engineer and a Chartered Mathematician.

Introduction of the Lecture

Geomaterials exhibit heterogenous properties at all scales and the THM characterization processes can be influenced by the heterogeneities that can influence the specification of properties at the modelling scale and at the experimental bench-scale. Heterogeneity can also be introduced by processes such as micro-mechanical damage and defect development. The lecture will discuss the estimation of key parameters such as the elasticities, the Biot coefficient, the permeability and thermal conductivity of heterogeneous limestones and granitic rocks.