Dr Ehsan Jorat

Contact info

e.jorat@abertay.ac.uk

+44 (0)1382 30 8930

Biography

I am a trained Geotechnical Engineer with over ten years’ experience of advanced geotechnical investigation of on-shore and off-shore soft sediments. I’ve held positions in both industry and academia in Malaysia, Iran and Germany.

Before joining Abertay University as a lecturer, I was a research associate in Geotechnical Engineering at Newcastle University.

I completed my PhD in Geotechnical Engineering jointly at the University of Bremen, Germany and University of Waikato, New Zealand. I also hold a MEng in Geotechnical Engineering from the University of Technology Malaysia.

My research interests are focused on applied geotechnics. I’m currently working on the SUCCESS project (Sustainable Urban Carbon Capture: Engineering Soils for Climate Change) to assess the impact of soil carbonation on flood risk and develop a system for measuring the carbonation process.

I am a co-leader at the Scottish Alliance for Geoscience, Environment & Society (SAGES) for the theme ‘Carbon & Biogeochemical Cycles: Sustaining Life’.

I’m my free time, I’m involved in professional level taekwondo and kickboxing. I also enjoy amateur kite-surfing and fishing.

Qualifications

PhD – Geotechnical Engineering [Co-operative program – University of Bremen (Germany) & University of Waikato (New Zealand), 2014].

MEng – Geotechnical Engineering [University of Technology Malaysia, 2010].

Former professional experience

2014 – 2016: Research Associate, Newcastle University, UK.

2014: Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Bremen, Germany.

2010 – 2011: Research Assistant, university of Technology Malaysia.

2006 – 2008: Geotechnical Engineer Technician, Kavoush Zamin Fars, Iran

Academic award

2015: International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) Award, London, UK.

2014: MARUM Funding Grant for Conclusion of Manuscripts, University of Bremen, Germany.

2013: LARAM Scholarship, International School on ‘Landslide Risk Assessment and Mitigation’, University of Salerno, Italy.

2011: PhD scholarship, Integrated Coastal Zone & Shelf Sea Research (INTERCOAST), University of Bremen, Germany.

2010: Best presenter of MICCE conference, Hassanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia.

2009: Invention/innovation of ECCAD, Engineering Characteristics of Coal Ash Database in Malaysia (INATEX 2009), University of Technology Malaysia, Malaysia.

Informal interests:

Full contact kick-boxing, taekwondo ITF (professionally)

CrossFit, kite-surfing, fishing (amateur)

Abertay University (2016 – present)

EEM103 – Landscape processes and surveying

EEM299 – Structures and geotechnical engineering

EEM396 – Structures

EEM397 – Geotechnical engineering and hydraulics

EEM495 – Structural design and geotechnical engineering

EEM498 – Integrating project

Newcastle University (2014 – 2016)

CEG1201 – Geotechnical properties of soil and rocks

CEG1711 – Tutorial skills for geomatics

Dr Jorat’s research interest is mainly on applied geotechnics. He is a geotechnical engineer researcher on the SUCCESS project (Sustainable Urban Carbon Capture: Engineering Soils for Climate Change) funded by EPSRC. His role involves designing and implementing field experiments to monitor geotechnical properties of the field during the carbonation process, assess the impact of soil carbonation on flood risk and determine a validation process for measuring the carbonation process. Prior to this, he worked on advanced CPTu and laboratory investigation of geotechnically critical on-shore and near-shore soft sediments in Germany and New Zealand and soft soil stabilisation of tropical clay in Malaysia.

Dr Jorat welcomes discussions with prospective PhD students interested in conducting their studies at Abertay University.

Post-graduate supervision

Abertay University

Mr Luis Tomas (PhD by research)

Mr Harry Eggo (MSc by research)

Newcastle University

Ms Cherie Lau (to be completed in 2017)

Mr Anton Bradley (completed in 2016)

Mr Neal Griffin (completed in 2016)

Ms Nur Sulaiman (completed in 2016)

Ms Sarah Broadbent (completed in 2015)

Ms Fei Wang (completed in 2015)

University of Bremen

Mr Bastian Steinborn (completed in 2014)

Research grant

2015: International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering Award, ISSMGE, London. Amount: $800

2014: Grant for conclusion of manuscripts, MARUM – Centre for Marine Envrionmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Germany. Amount: €4,500.

2014: Coring, instrumentation and in-situ logging measurements at Omokoroa Landslide, New Zealand. Amount: €24,300.

a) International peer-reviewed journal papers

- Kluger, M.O., Moon, V., Kreiter, S., Lowe, D.J., Churchman, G.J., Hepp, D.A., Siebel, D., Jorat, M.E., Mörz, T. “A new attraction-detachment model for explaining landsliding in clay-rich tephras”. Geology (Accepted).

- Jorat, M.E., Moon, V., Hepp, D., Kreiter, S., de Lange, W., Feldmann, S. & Mörz, T. “Characterisation of sub-surface materials capable of creating turbidity issues during capital dredging: An example from the Port of Tauranga, New Zealand”. Journal of Coastal Research 2016 (In-press).

- Kolosz, B.W., Goddard, M.A., Jorat, M.E., Aumonier, J., Sohi, S.P. & Manning, D.A.C. “A Sustainability Framework for Engineering Carbon Capture Soil in Transport Infrastructure”. International Journal of Transport Development and integration 2017, 1, 74-83 (In-press).

- Jorat, M.E., Mörz, T., Moon, V., Kreiter, S. & de Lange, W. (2015). “Utilizing piezovibrocone in marine soils”. Journal of Geomechanics and Engineering, 9(1): 1-14.

- Jorat, M.E., Kreiter, S., Mörz, T., Moon, V. & de Lange, W. (2014). “Utilizing Cone Penetration Tests for Landslide Evaluation”. Submarine Mass Movements and Their Consequences, Advances in Natural and Technological Hazards Research, 34: 55-71.

- Jorat, M.E., Kreiter, S., Mörz, T., Moon, V. & de Lange, W. (2013). “Strength and Compressibility Characteristics of Peat Stabilized with Sand Columns”, Journal of Geomechanics and Engineering, 5(6): 575-594.

- Jorat, M.E., Marto, A., Namazi, E. & M. Amin, M.F. (2011). “Engineering Characteristics of Kaolin Mixed with Various Percentages of Bottom Ash”, Electronic Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, 16(H): 841-850.

- Namazi, E., Mohammad, H., Jorat, M.E. & Hajihassani, M. (2011). “Investigation on The Effect of Twin Tunnel Excavations Beneath a Road Under path”, Electronic Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, 16(A): 441-450.

(b) International peer-reviewed conference proceedings

- Kolosz, B.W., Manning, P., Goddard, M.A., Jorat, M.E., Sohi, S.P. & Manning, D.A.C. “A Multifunctional Soil Inorganic Carbon Prediction Model”. In: 8^th International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software. 2016, Toulouse France (In-press).

- Kolosz, B.W., Goddard, M.A., Jorat, M.E., Aumonier, J., Sohi, S. & Manning, D.A.C. “A Sustainability Framework for Engineering Carbon Capture Soil in Transport Infrastructure”. In: Volume 164 of WIT Transactions on the built Environment (22^nd International Conference on Urban Transport and the Environment). 2016, Crete, Greece: Wessex Institute (In-press).

- Jorat, M.E., Goddard, M.A., Kolosz, B.W., Sohi, S. & Manning, D.A.C. (2015). “Sustainable Urban Carbon Capture: Engineering Soils for Climate Change (SUCCESS)”. In: 16^th European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (XVI ECSMGE 2015), 2015, Edinburgh, 2559 – 2564.

- Jorat, M.E., Kolosz, B.W., Sohi, S., Lopez-Capel E. & Manning, D.A.C. (2015). “Changes in geotechnical properties of urban soils during carbonation”. In: 15^th Pan-American Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering – From Fundamentals to Applications in Geotechnics, 2015, Buenos Ares, Argentina, 912 – 918.

- Moon, V.G., Lowe, W.J., Cunningham, M.J., Wyatt, J.B., de Lange, W.P., Churchman. J.G.J., Mörz, T., Kreiter, S., Kluger, Kluger, M.O. & Jorat, M.E. (2015). “Sensitive pyroclastic-derived halloysitic soils in northern New Zealand: interplay of microstructure, minerals, and geomechanics”. In: International Workshop on Volcanic Rocks and Soils (pp. 1-20). Italy: Associazione Geotecnica Italiana (AGI), International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM), and International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE).

- Kolosz, B.W., Goddard, M.A., Jorat, M.E., Sohi, S. & Manning, D.A.C. (2015). Developing Lifecycle Inventory Indices for Estimating the Carbon Sequestration of Artificially Engineered Soils and Plants”. In: 5^th Asian conference on Sustainability, Energy, and the Environment, 93-112.

- Moon, V.G., de Lange, W.P., Garae, C.P., Mörz, T., Jorat, M.E. & Kreiter, S. (2015). “Monitoring the landslide at Bramley Drive, Tauranga, NZ”. In: 12^th Australia New Zealand Conference on Geomechanics (ANZ 2015). 2015, Wellington, New Zealand: The New Zealand Geotechnical Society and the Australian Geomechanics Society.

- Jorat, M.E., Mörz, T., Schunn, W., Kreiter, S., Moon, V. & de Lange, W. (2014). “Geotechnical Offshore Seabed Tool (GOST): A new cone penetrometer”, 3^rd International Symposium on Cone Penetration testing, Las Vegas, Nevada, 207 – 215.

- Jorat, M.E., Mörz, T., Schunn, W., Kreiter, S., Moon, V. & de Lange, W. (2014). “Geotechnical Offshore Seabed Tool (GOST): CPTu measurements and operations in New Zealand”, 3^rd International Symposium on Cone Penetration testing, Las Vegas, Nevada, 217 – 223.

- Moon, V, Cunningham, M., Wyatt, J., Low, D., Mörz, T. & Jorat, M.E. (2013) “Landslides in sensitive soils, Tauranga, New Zealand”, Proceedings of 19^th NZGS Geotechnical Symposium, Ed. CY Chin, Queenstown. Hanging by a Thread. Queenstown, New Zealand (2013). ISSN 0111-9532, 38(1(GM)),
537-544.

- Farshchi, I., Jorat, M.E. & Marto, A. (2010) “Steel Frame with Concrete Panel : An Innovation in the Construction of Retaining Wall”, Proceedings of International Conference on Engineering and Technology Education, World Engineering Congress 2010 (WEC 2010), Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, 532-537.

- Farshchi, I., Nazri A. & Jorat, M.E. (2010) “Mechanical and Hydraulical Effects of a Tree on Slope Stabilization”, Proceedings of International Conference on Geotechnical and Transportation Engineering, GEOTROPIKA 2010, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, numerical Modeling Section, 43-46.

- Jorat, M.E., Farshchi, I., Marto, A. & Kasim, F. (2010) “Finite Element Simulation Analysis of Steel Frame with Concrete Panel Retaining Wall”, Proceedings of International Conference on Geotechnical and Transportation Engineering, GEOTROPIKA 2010, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, numerical Modeling Section, 52-55.

- Jorat, M.E., Marto, A. & Farshchi, I. (2010) “Strength Characteristics of Kaolin mixed with Bottom Ash”, Proceedings of International Conference on Geotechnical and Transportation Engineering, GEOTROPIKA 2010, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, ground Stabilization Section, 21-26.

- Jorat, M.E. & Farshchi, I. (2010) “Geotechnical Properties of Kaolin Mixed With Bottom Ash”, Proceedings of International Conference on Civil Engineering, MICCE 2010, Makassar, Indonesia, 1387-1397.

- Farshchi, I., Nazri A. & Jorat, M.E. (2010) “Soil-Root Interaction and Effect on Slope Stabilization”, Proceedings of International Conference on Civil Engineering, MICCE 2010, Makassar, Indonesia, 767-773.

(c) Industry reports

- Moon, V., Mörz, T., Jorat, M.E., & Kreiter, S. (2013). “Vibrocone CPTu testing as a tool for enhanced definition of liquefaction-prone soil layers: New Zealand”, Geomechanics News, 86 : 105-107.

- Moon, V., de Lange, W., Jorat, M.E., Christophers, A. & Mörz, T. (2013). “Sub-surface stratigraphy of Stella Passage, Tauranga Harbour”. Environmental Research Institute Report No 28. Client report prepared for Port of Tauranga. Environmental Research Institute, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Waikato, Hamilton, 23pp.

- Jorat, M.E., Moon, V. & Mörz, T. (2012). “Geotechnical Investigation on the Occurrence of Hard Patch in the Tauranga Harbor Entrance – Cone Penetration Testing Report”, Report prepared for Port of Tauranga, 12pp.

- Jorat, M.E., Moon, V. & Mörz, T. (2012). “Geotechnical Investigation on the Omokoroa Landslide – Cone Penetration Testing Re