Jommi, C.

Summary

Cristina Jommi is professor of Dykes and Embankments at the TUDelft since July 2013, when she moved from the Politecnico di Milano where she had been Assistant and Associate Professor in Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering.

Her main present research interests are focussed on advancing the comprehension of the behaviour of earth structures in deltaic areas under natural and anthropogenic actions, including bio-chemical processes, interaction with the atmosphere, time dependent loads. Special attention is dedicated to improve current assessment rules for dykes, and to provide innovative, cost effective and sustainable monitoring, early warning systems and strengthening techniques for earth structures.

Research

• Multiphase processes and bio-chemo- hydro-mechanical behaviour of soils.
• Experimental study and theoretical modelling of organic soils.
• Time dependent loads on earth structures and durability of earth constructions.
• Multiphysics monitoring and strengthening techniques for earth structures.

Projects

LEENDERT DE BOERSPOLDER

Cristina Jommi is the scientific coordinator of the Leendert de Boerspolder stress test, a real scale experiment on an existing dyke, promoted by a research initiative of STOWA. An historical clay dyke on peat has to be failed in October 2015 in order to inundate the polder. Before failure, the dyke is stressed by excavating at the toe and modifying the pore water pressure distribution. Results from the test site are used in the research to improve and validate existing models and assumptions made in design and maintenance, and to assist in addressing open technical questions from a number of Water Boards and Provinces which are supporting the research effort. The main research questions tackled with this initiative are: (i) How accurately can failure of an embankment be predicted with the present models? (ii) What is the effect of water pressure on the strength of a dyke and how can we include dynamic hydraulic boundary conditions? (iii) How can we properly incorporate the strength information obtained from field and laboratory tests into calculation models? (iv) How does uncertainty and heterogeneity influence the safety assessment of dykes, and can we include this influence in the assessment procedures effectively?

MAGIC

Monitoring Systems to Assess Geotechnical Infrastructure Subjected to Climatic Hazards - MAGIC- is an Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways (IAPP) project funded by EU from the 7th Framework Programme. The aim of the project is to develop novel monitoring systems for earth structures exposed to climatic hazard. This collaborative effort between four European industries and three Academic partners is expected to result in new commercial instruments and data management systems that will lead to a major reduction of uncertainties in the design and maintenance of geotechnical infrastructure, such as road and railway embankments, levees, natural slopes and foundations, particularly in light of the changing climate.

GAS IN PEATS

The study aims to understand the role played by biogenic gas from organic matter decomposition on the hydro-mechanical performance of earth structures. The pore pressure response and the influence of gas on the pre-failure and at failure behaviour of peats are investigated. The study has been funded by Deltares in the framework of the Dijken op Veen II research project.

www.deltares.nl/en/projects/dikes-peat/

Dr. Hongfen Zhao – Organic soils: time dependent behaviour and multiphysics behaviour.

MSc. Stefano Muraro – Pre-failure shear response of peats: experimental study and theoretical modelling.

MSc. Roderick Tollenaar –Cracking in drying soils (co-promoter: Leon van Paassen).

MSc. Nor Md Zain –The role of oxidation on the compression behaviour of organic soils (co-promoter: Leon van Paassen);