Dr. Sérgio D.N. LOURENÇO

Associate Professor (Geotechnical Engineering)
Dr. Sérgio D.N. LOURENÇO

Licenciatura, New University of Lisbon, Portugal
MSc, Kyoto University, Japan
PhD, Durham University, U.K.

 

 

Office: HW 6-21
Phone: +852 3917 2672
Fax: +852 2559 5337
E-mail: lourenco@hku.hk
Homepage: https://www.civil.hku.hk/sergio/

 

Teaching Activities
  • CIVL2006 Soil mechanics
  • CIVL3008 Foundations engineering
  • CIVL6079 Slope engineering
  • CIVL6083 Practical design and construction of tunnels in Hong Kong
  • CIVL7010 Advanced engineering geology

 

Research Interests
  • Soil particle wettability (fundamentals and new materials for ground applications)
  • Landslides (rainfall and earthquake-induced, submarine)
  • Unsaturated soils (lab and field measurements)

 

Representative Research / Consultancy Projects
  • Hydrologic optimum of water repellent soils for slope protection (PI, GRF-HK)
  • Measurement of water menisci contact angles in bulk soil samples (PI, EPSRC-UK)
  • The impact of water repellency on soil mechanics (PI, EPSRC-UK)
  • A new instrument to measure positive and negative water pressure below cavitation in soils (PI, Royal Society - UK)
  • Flume tests for improved forecasting of post-wildfire debris flows (funding Kyoto University)

 

10 Selected Representative Publications
  • Qi R, Chen K, Lin H, Lourenço SDN, Kanellopoulos, 2024, Controllable hydrophobization of sands with polymeric microcapsules, Acta Geotechnica, 10.1007/s11440-024-02294-z
  • Qi R, Chen K, Liu D, Kaneloupolos A, Leung A, Lourenço SDN, 2024, Shear strength recovery of sand with self-healing polymeric capsules, Acta Geotechnica, 10.1007/s11440-024-02270-7
  • Xing X, Lourenço SDN, 2024, The wetting behavior of a nonionic surfactant on hydrophobized quartz sand, Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2023.133109
  • Xing X, Saulick Y, Lourenço SDN, 2022, Synergistic effects of density, gradation, particle size, and particle shape on the water entry pressure of hydrophobized sands, Canadian Geotechnical Journal 10.1139/cgj-2021-0585
  • Yao T, Yang H, Lourenço SDN, BA Baudet, CY Kwok, 2022, Multi-scale particle morphology evolution in rotating drum tests: role of particle shape and pore fluid, Engineering Geology 10.1016/j.enggeo.2022.106669
  • Lin H, Li FY, Lourenço SDN, Schwantes G, Trumpf S, Holohan D, Beckett CTS, 2021, Stabilization of an earthen material with Tung oil: compaction, strength and hydrophobic enhancement, Construction and Building Materials 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.123213 310
  • Yao T, Baudet BA, Lourenço SDN, 2021, Evolution of surface roughness of single sand grains with normal loading, Géotechnique 10.1680/jgeot.20.P.310
  • Liu D, Lourenço SDN, 2020, Stress-dilatancy behaviour of a polymer-coated sand, Acta Geotechnica 10.1007/s11440-020-01022-7
  • Yang H, Lourenço SDN, Baudet BA, 2020, 3D fractal analysis of multi–scale morphology of sand particles with μCT and interferometer, Géotechnique 10.1680/jgeot.19.P.120
  • Liu D, Lourenço SDN, Yang J, 2018, Critical state of polymer-coated sands, Géotechnique, 10.1680/jgeot.18.P.015

 

For more information of Dr. S.D.N. Lourenço, please visit his personal homepage and HKU Scholars Hub.