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.
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
- Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi effect on the hydrological regime in vegetated soil
- Roberts-Self Eve G, Tarantino Alessandro
- Géotechnique Vol 76, pp. 973–985 (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.1680/jgeot.24.01402
- Micro-macro experimental investigation into the thermomechanical volumetric response of non-active clay
- Casarella Angela, Tarantino Alessandro, Di Donna Alice
- Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment Vol 46 (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gete.2026.100831
- Vulnerability model for cantilever retaining walls subject to scour
- Wei Lanting, Tarantino Alessandro, Tubaldi Enrico, Moghaddasi Hamed, Zonta Daniele
- Georisk (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.1080/17499518.2026.2690494
- Assessment of measurement techniques to monitor engineered barrier systems for nuclear waste repository
- De Carvalho Faria Lima Lopes Bruna, Tarantino Alessandro
- Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment Vol 47 (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gete.2026.100855
- Experimental investigation and conceptual modelling of water-limited transpiration as hydraulic boundary condition in geotechnical engineering problems
- Roberts-Self Eve, Tarantino Alessandro
- Géotechnique (2026)
- Clay anisotropy : bridging the gap between micro and macro scales
- Pagano Arianna Gea, Rollo Fabio, Magnanimo Vanessa, Tarantino Alessandro, Amorosi Angelo
- Géotechnique Vol 76, pp. 690-707 (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.1680/jgeot.25.00450
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
Projects
- URETEK - Building damage due to drought-induced foundation subsidence: analysis of the mechanisms and controlling factors
- Tarantino, Alessandro (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Jan-2025 - 30-Jan-2026
- NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION OF GEOSTRUCTURES
- Tarantino, Alessandro (Principal Investigator) Pedrotti, Matteo (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2025 - 30-Jan-2028
- KTP - Will Rudd Davidson (Glasgow) Limited - To embed advanced modelling and monitoring strategies for new and heritage masonry structures.
- Tubaldi, Enrico (Principal Investigator) De Angelis, Marco (Co-investigator) Moghaddasi Kelishomi, Hamed (Co-investigator) Patelli, Edoardo (Co-investigator) Sentenac, Phillippe (Co-investigator) Tarantino, Alessandro (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2025 - 31-Jan-2028
- 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
- Incorporating ANSYS into the Undergraduate/Postgraduate curriculum of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Strathclyde.
- Moghaddasi Kelishomi, Hamed (Principal Investigator) Tarantino, Alessandro (Co-investigator) Bylya, Olga (Co-investigator)
- The ANSYS programme will be used to enhance teaching and learning in various undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (MEng/MSc) modules in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE). The ANSYS software is comprehensive FEA/CFD package that encompasses wide spectrum of physics, multiphysics simulations and extensive material database. The incorporation of ANSYS into educational programs can have a transformative impact on both students and the broader community, aligning with Strathclyde University’s strategic plan for 2025(Strathclyde Vision 2025).
Total Funding: $20k - 01-Jan-2024 - 01-Jan-2025
- Compact portable photosynthesis system
- Pedrotti, Matteo (Principal Investigator) Tarantino, Alessandro (Co-investigator) El Mountassir, Grainne (Co-investigator)
- This equipment measures plant physiological activity by monitoring gas exchange and fluorescence emission at the leaf. This is key to analyse hydraulic interaction between plant, soil, fungi, bacteria and atmosphere, which are relevant to geotechnics (plants enhance soil strength), agriculture (soil controls water availability to plants) and soil-remediation (plants remove contaminants from the soil).
- 01-Jan-2023 - 30-Jan-2024
Contact
Professor
Alessandro
Tarantino
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Email: alessandro.tarantino@strath.ac.uk
Tel: 548 3273