Professor Alessandro Tarantino

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Personal statement

I joined the University of Strathclyde in 2010 as Professor of Experimental Geomechanics to establish a research group in geomechanics and geohydraulics specialised in laboratory and field investigation of multiphase geomaterials.

The common denominator of my research is the presence of at least two fluid phases (liquid and gas) in the medium pore space. Under these conditions, different physical processes with high level of coupling (liquid flow, vapour flow, heat transfer, and solid matrix deformation) control the hydraulic and mechanical behaviour of the porous medium, which is therefore relatively complex to investigate and model.

In Civil and Environmental Engineering, multiphase (unsaturated) porous media are typically encountered in the upper portion of the soil profile, between the ground surface and the ground water table/phreatic surface. Processes occurring in this zone are therefore the focus of my research, and includes rainwater infiltration, groundwater recharge, pollutant transport, soil shrinkage and heave, surface cracking, soil subsidence, and subsurface water flow and runoff (i.e. flood formation), and shallow landslides. Most of these processes have an interaction with the atmosphere and are therefore strongly affected by climate changes.

Multiphase (unsaturated) porous media are also encountered in several geo-infrastructures, including road, railway and flood embankments, dams, and tunnels where mechanical and hydraulic response (stability, deformation, hydraulic conductivity) is controlled by the interaction of the ground with the atmosphere.

Expertise

Back to staff profile

Qualifications

I hold an MEng degree in Civil Engineering from the Università di Napoli Federico II in Italy (1993) and a PhD in Geotecnical Engineering from the Politecnico di Torino in Italy (1998).

I was awarded the title of Professional Engineer in Italy in 1993.

Publications

Back to staff profile

Publications

Discrete element method and thermodynamics with internal variables : two complementary approaches to link micro- and macro-scale modelling of anisotropic clays: Pagano A G, Rollo F, Magnanimo V, Tarantino A, Amorosi A; IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science Vol 1480 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1480/1/012047
Measurement-based model for water content estimation in sustainable granular materials using an IoT custom device: Papini Nicola, Scorzoni Andrea, Placidi Pisana, Cecconi Manuela, Villani Delle Vergini Carmine, Tarantino Alessandro; IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement Vol 74, pp. 1-9 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1109/TIM.2025.3541656
Effects of Wooden Embers Cover on thermo-hydrological response of silty volcanic cover and implications to post-wildfire slope stability: Coppola Lucia, Reder Alfredo, Rianna Guido, Tarantino Alessandro, Pagano Luca; Engineering Geology Vol 341 (2024); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2024.107724
A micro-mechanical insight into the thermo-mechanical behaviour of clays: Di Donna Alice, Casarella Angela, Tarantino Alessandro; Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment Vol 38 (2024); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gete.2024.100549
Effect of physical properties of granular sustainable-porous materials on water content measurements by using a low-cost sensor: Papini Nicola, Cecconi Manuela, Placidi Pisana, Scorzoni Andrea, Tarantino Alessandro; 2024 IEEE International Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference (I2MTC) IEEE International Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference (I2MTC) 2024 IEEE International Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference Vol 2024, pp. 1-6 (2024); https://doi.org/10.1109/i2mtc60896.2024.10561193
Establishing computer-based engineering analysis tools in existing civil engineering curriculum: a case study: Moghaddasi Kelishomi Hamed, Tarantino Alessandro, Bylja Olga, Krishnamurthy Bhaskaran, Bridget Bridget, Shirsath Ravindra; UK and Ireland Engineering Education Research
Network Annual Symposium (2024)

More publications

Research

Back to staff profile

Professional Activities

Geotechnical and Geological Engineering (Journal): Guest editor; 2008
Géotechnique (Journal): Editorial board member; 1/2011
Geotechnique (Journal): Editorial board member; 2009
Bringing vegetation-based solutions into geotechnical engineering design: how do we make it happen?: Speaker; 5/3/2024
Department of Agricultural Sciences - University of Naples Federico II: Visiting researcher; 5/2022
External Examiner of PhD Dissertation at Université Grenoble Alpes: Examiner; 28/1/2022

More professional activities

Projects

Reduction of Uncertainties in risk assessment of structures and infrastructures against Natural hazards (REUN): Tubaldi, Enrico (Principal Investigator) De Angelis, Marco (Co-investigator) Pytharouli, Stella (Co-investigator) Tarantino, Alessandro (Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2025 - 31-Jan-2027
DTP 2224 University of Strathclyde | Nagy, Benedek: El Mountassir, Grainne (Principal Investigator) Tarantino, Alessandro (Co-investigator) Nagy, Benedek (Research Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2023 - 01-Jan-2027
Foundations - improving risk assessment and prioritisation processes for management of scour at structures”: Tubaldi, Enrico (Principal Investigator) Tarantino, Alessandro (Principal Investigator); Funder: National Highways
Total Funding: £166,200; 01-Jan-2023 - 31-Jan-2024
Mechanisms of stress transfer in clayey materials at the scale of the clay particle: Pedrotti, Matteo (Principal Investigator) Tarantino, Alessandro (Co-investigator) Migliorelli, Maria Giulia (Academic); Xray Compute Tomography of mechanisms of stress transfer in clayey materials on beamline I13-2 at Diamond Light Source. Project Proposal No MG31709. Equivalent funding value of £60k.; 01-Jan-2022 - 30-Jan-2023
EPSRC IAA: PE/ citizen science additional allocation: Tarantino, Alessandro (Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2022 - 31-Jan-2025
Plants: climate-smart and carbon-efficient nature based solution to mitigate ‘diffuse’ climate-induced landslide hazard: Tarantino, Alessandro (Principal Investigator) Pedrotti, Matteo (Co-investigator); 14-Jan-2021 - 13-Jan-2023