Phone:: (023) 8059 8454
Email:: J.A.SMETHURST@soton.ac.uk

Dr Joel Smethurst BEng PhD

Lecturer

Related links

Dr Joel Smethurst is Lecturer within Engineering and the Environment at the University of Southampton.

My main technical interest is in geotechnical transport infrastructure, including the long-term performance, deterioration/aging, and failure of geotechnical structures, and their upgrade and repair.

I have been a Lecturer in Geotechnical Engineering at Southampton since 2012, and I am currently the undergraduate Admissions Tutor for Civil Engineering.

Research

Publications

Teaching

Contact

Research interests

My research on geotechnical infrastructure encompasses:

The effects of vegetation and climate on the performance of earthwork structures (cuttings and embankments)
The stabilisation of both infrastructure slopes and large landslides using discretely spaced piles
Short and long-term heave of clay beneath deep basement structures
The mechanical stabilisation of soil by plants roots
The use of terrestrial laser scanning in geotechnical engineering, and development of novel slope instrumentation approaches
The design of earth retaining structures

Much of my research is based on field measurement of the performance of real structures, often over long periods of time, with one instrumented slope site having been monitored continuously for 15 years. In many cases, field data have been used to calibrate numerical models which are used to further investigate behaviour and/or performance.

My research has been funded by EPSRC and a number of industrial partners including Cementation Skanska, Environment Agency, Highways England, London Underground, Mouchel, Mott MacDonald, Network Rail, and Rail Safety and Standards Board.

Monitoring of the effects of mature trees on the serviceability of railway earthworks — Monitoring of the effects of mature trees on the serviceability of rai

Monitoring the performance of pile stabilisation schemes

Research group

Infrastructure Group

Research project(s)

Infrastructure monitoring using passive remote imagery

Performance of Ground Energy Systems Installed in Foundations

Validation of a spatial-temporal soil water movement and plant water uptake model

Working with Network Rail to develop sensors to determine embankment stability

A project is currently underway to establish whether there is a connection between soil quality measurements made with low cost (screen printed) sensor arrays and the stability of railway embankments.

Articles

Smethurst, J., Smith, A., Uhlemann, S., Wooff, C., Chambers, J., Hughes, P., ... Hughes, D. (2017). Current and future role of instrumentation and monitoring in the performance of transport infrastructure slopes. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, 50(3), 271-286. DOI: 10.1144/qjegh2016-080

Briggs, K., Smethurst, J. A., Powrie, W., & O'Brien, A. S. (2016). The influence of tree root water uptake on the long term hydrology of a clay fill railway embankment. Transportation Geotechnics, 9, 31-48. DOI: 10.1016/j.trgeo.2016.06.001

Fan, L., Smethurst, J. A., Atkinson, P. M., & Powrie, W. (2015). Error in target-based georeferencing and registration in terrestrial laser scanning. Computers & Geosciences, 83, 54-64. DOI: 10.1016/j.cageo.2015.06.021

Smethurst, J. A., Briggs, K. M., Powrie, W., Ridley, A., & Butcher, D. J. E. (2015). Mechanical and hydrological impacts of tree removal on a clay fill railway embankment. Géotechnique, 65(11), 869-882. DOI: 10.1680/geot.14.P.010

Fan, L., Smethurst, J. A., Atkinson, P. M., & Powrie, W. (2014). Propagation of vertical and horizontal source data errors into a TIN with linear interpolation. International Journal of Geographical Information Science, 28(7), 1378-1400. DOI: 10.1080/13658816.2014.889299

Fan, L., Powrie, W., Smethurst, J. A., Atkinson, P. M., & Einstein, H. (2014). The effect of short ground vegetation on terrestrial laser scans at a local scale. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 95, 42-52. DOI: 10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2014.06.003

Heppell, J., Payvandi, S., Zygalakis, K. C., Smethurst, J. A., Fliege, J., & Roose, T. (2014). Validation of a spatial-temporal soil water movement and plant water uptake model. Géotechnique, 64(7), 526-539. DOI: 10.1680/geot.13.P.142

Briggs, K. M., Smethurst, J. A., Powrie, W., O'Brien, A. S., & Butcher, D. (2013). Managing the extent of tree removal from railway earthwork slopes. Ecological Engineering, 61(Part C), 690-696. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2012.12.076

Briggs, K. M., Smethurst, J. A., Powrie, W., & O'Brien, A. S. (2013). Wet winter pore pressures in railway embankments. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Geotechnical Engineering, 166(GE5), 451-465. DOI: 10.1680/geng.11.00106

Smethurst, J. A., Clarke, D., & Powrie, W. (2012). Factors controlling the seasonal variation in soil water content and pore water pressures within a lightly vegetated clay slope. Géotechnique, 62(5), 429-446. DOI: 10.1680/geot.10.p.097

Pan, D., Smethurst, J. A., & Powrie, W. (2012). Limiting pressure on a laterally loaded pile in a frictional soil. Geotechnique Letters, 2, 55-60. DOI: 10.1680/geolett.12.00007

Kanagasabai, S., Smethurst, J. A., & Powrie, W. (2011). Three dimensional numerical modelling of discrete piles used to stabilise landslides. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 48(9), 1393-1411. DOI: 10.1139/t11-046

Clarke, D., & Smethurst, J. (2010). Effects of climate change on cycles of wetting and drying in engineered clay slopes in England. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, 43(4), 473-486. DOI: 10.1144/1470-9236/08-106

Smethurst, J., & Powrie, W. (2008). Effective-stress analysis of berm-supported retaining walls. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Geotechnical Engineering, 161(1), 39-48. DOI: 10.1680/geng.2008.161.1.39

Smethurst, J. A., & Powrie, W. (2007). Monitoring and analysis of the bending behaviour of discrete piles used to stabilise a railway embankment. Géotechnique, 57(8), 663-677. DOI: 10.1680/geot.2007.57.8.663

Smethurst, J. A., Clarke, D., & Powrie, W. (2006). Seasonal changes in pore water pressure in a grass covered cut slope in London clay. Géotechnique, 56(8), 523-537. DOI: 10.1680/geot.2006.56.8.523

Book Chapters

Smethurst, J., Clarke, D., & Powrie, W. (2011). Seasonal changes in pore water pressure in a grass covered cut slope in London Clay. In R. May (Ed.), Stiff Sedimentary Clays: Genesis and Engineering Behaviour. London: ICE Publishing Ltd.. DOI: 10.1680/ssc.41080.0029

Clarke, D., & Smethurst, J. (2008). Buildings on clay - the effects of geology, climate and vegetation on heave and settlement. In The Building Conservation Directory. (pp. 56-58). Cathedral Communications Limited.

Conferences

Hughes, P. N., Hen-Jones, R., Stirling, R. A., Glendinning, S., Gunn, D. A., Chambers, J. E., ... Flesjo, K. (2016). Challenges in monitoring and managing engineered slopes in a changing climate. E-UNSAT 2016, France.DOI: 10.1051/e3sconf/20160904009

Barton, M., Redshaw, P., Smethurst, J. A., & Stuiver, C. (2015). Ancient fluvial sediments: their widespread occurrence and problems for site investigation. 2349-2354. Paper presented at Proceedings of the XVI ECSMGE Geotechnical Engineering for Infrastructure and Development, United Kingdom.DOI: 10.1680/ecsmge.60678

Powrie, W., & Smethurst, J. A. (2015). Discrete passive piles for infrastructure slope stabilization. International Conference on Soft Ground Engineering (ICSGE 2015), Singapore.

Glendinning, S., Helm, P. R., Rouainia, M., Stirling, R. A., Asquith, J. D., Hughes, P. N., ... Muddle, D. (2015). Research-informed design, management and maintenance of infrastructure slopes: development of a multi-scalar approach. International Symposium on Geohazards and Geomechanics (ISGG2015), United Kingdom.DOI: 10.1088/1755-1315/26/1/012005

Taylor, G., Tan, R., O'Brien, A. S., Smethurst, J. A., Watson, G. V. R., Lane, J. S., & Evans, E. (2015). The use of laboratory testing in the characterisation of embankment clay fill from the UK rail network.. 527-532. Paper presented at Proceedings of the XVI ECSMGE Geotechnical Engineering for Infrastructure and Development, United Kingdom.DOI: 10.1680/ecsmge.60678

Briggs, K. M., Smethurst, J. A., & Powrie, W. (2014). Modelling the influence of tree removal on embankment slope hydrology. In Landslide Science for a Safer Geoenvironment. (pp. 241-246). Springer.

Clarke, D., & Smethurst, J. A. (2014). Projections of climate change on the behaviour of clays in the UK. In Unsaturated Soils: Research & Applications. (pp. 191-196). CRC Press, Taylor and Francis.

Fan, L., Smethurst, J. A., Powrie, W., & Sellaiya, A. (2014). Seasonal slope surface deformation measured with terrestrial laser scanning. Paper presented at Proceedings of the 35th International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment (ISRSE), China.DOI: 10.1088/1755-1315/17/1/012264

Glendinning, S., Hughes, P. N., Hughes, D. A. B., Clarke, D., Smethurst, J., Powrie, W., ... Mendes, J. (2008). Biological and engineering impacts of climate on slopes: learning from full scale. 1553-1558. Paper presented at 10th International Symposium on Landslides and Engineered Slopes, .

Dixon, N., Dijkstra, T. A., Glendinning, S., Hughes, P. N., Hughes, D. A. B., Clarke, D., ... Mendes, A. C. (2008). Climate change and slope stability - improving our forecasting capabilities. Paper presented at 61st Canadian Geotechnical Conference and 9th Joint CGS/IAH-CNC Groundwater Conference, .

Dixon, N., Dijkstra, T. A., Smethurst, J., Hughes, P. N., Clarke, D., Glendinning, S., ... Toll, D. G. (2008). Climate change and slope stability forcasting in the UK - an overview of research needs. 179-182. Paper presented at First World Landslide Forum, .

Clarke, D., & Smethurst, J. (2008). Expected impacts of climate change on vegetation and the stability of engineered clay slopes in the UK. Paper presented at 2nd International on ground bio- and eco- engineering: The use of vegetation to improve slope stability, .

Hughes, P. N., Glendinning, S., Dixon, N., Dijkstra, T. A., Clarke, D., Smethurst, J., ... Hughes, D. A. B. (2008). Field testing and modelling the effects of climate on geotechnical infrastructure - a collaborative approach. Paper presented at 1st ISSMGE International Conference on Transportation Geotechnics, United Kingdom.

Smethurst, J., & Clarke, D. (2007). Climate Change Impact on Soil Drying in Clay Slopes. 165-172. Paper presented at Expert Symposium on Climate Change - Modelling, Impacts and Adaptations, .

Clarke, D., & Smethurst, J. A. (2007). Embankment and cut slope monitoring and analysis. Paper presented at 3rd Climate Impact Forecasting For Slopes (CLIFFS) Workshop, .

Clarke, D., & Smethurst, J. (2007). Implications of climate change on infrastructure slopes. Paper presented at CLIFFs workshop final meeting, .

Smethurst, J. (2002). Discrete piles for infrastructure slope stabilisation: instrumentation of piles at Hildenborough. 15th European Young Geotechnical Engineers Conference, .

Code	Title	Role
CENV3015	DESIGN PROJECT	Coordinator
CENV3020	GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING	Coordinator
CENV6122	ADVANCED FOUNDATION ENGINEERING	Lecturer

Dr Joel Smethurst
Engineering and the Environment University of Southampton Highfield Southampton SO17 1BJ

Room Number:7/5057

Telephone:(023) 8059 8454
Email:J.A.SMETHURST@soton.ac.uk

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