Dr Shangtong Yang
Reader
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Personal statement
My research is focused on the mechanics and engineering of subsurface energy development and energy storage, with the overarching goal of advancing sustainable energy utilization and supporting global carbon neutrality. My work integrates fundamental rock mechanics with emerging geoenergy technologies to address key scientific and engineering challenges associated with the underground energy transition.
At the fundamental level, I investigate the fatigue behaviour of rocks under cyclic mechanical and hydraulic loading, seeking to establish new theoretical frameworks for rock fatigue and fatigue-induced fracture. My research combines laboratory experiments, high-resolution X-ray computed tomography, digital volume correlation and advanced numerical modelling to reveal the microstructural mechanisms governing damage accumulation, strain localization and fracture evolution in geomaterials.
Building upon these fundamental insights, I develop novel hydraulic pulse stimulation technologies for enhancing the permeability of low-permeability rock formations while minimizing the environmental impact such as induced seismicity. This research provides new solutions for efficient geothermal energy extraction and other subsurface engineering applications.
A major component of my research is devoted to subsurface energy storage, including underground hydrogen storage, compressed air energy storage (CAES), underground thermal energy storage (UTES), etc. I investigate the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes governing the long-term integrity, safety and performance of these systems, aiming to establish predictive methodologies for their design, optimization and operation.
Prize And Awards
- Visiting Professor
- Recipient
- 2019
- Outstanding Reviewer for Engineering Structures
- Recipient
- 9/2018
- Outstanding Reviewer for Cement and Concrete Research
- Recipient
- 8/2018
- Outstanding Reviewer for Engineering Fracture Mechanics
- Recipient
- 5/2017
- Best Staff Poster - International Travel Award
- Recipient
- 7/6/2012
- UKCCSC Travel Grant
- Recipient
- 2/4/2012
Publications
- Lifetime techno-economic modelling of underground mineshaft thermal storage for district heating
- Flett Graeme, Tuohy Paul, Dassow Jessica, Burnside Neil, Ewe Win Eng, Flude Stephanie, Molnar Ian, Mukherjee Indrani, Wang Huachuan, Yang Shangtong, Shipton Zoe
- Journal of Energy Storage Vol 162 (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2026.121544
- Modelling heat and fluid flow during heating of a water filled mine shaft
- Dassow Jessica, Molnar Ian, Flett Graeme, Attili Antonio, Burnside Neil, Ewe Win Eng, Flude Stephanie, Mukherjee Indrani, Tuohy Paul, Wang Huachuan, Yang Shangtong, Shipton Zoe
- Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology Vol 59 (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.1144/qjegh2025-121
- Performance evolution of fire damaged grouting sleeves with horizontal defects under cyclic loads
- Li Qingtao, Yang Shangtong, Yi Mei, Li Chun-Qing
- Journal of Building Engineering Vol 124 (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2026.116008
- Development, challenges and potentials of underground energy storage systems
- Wang Huachuan, Yang Shangtong, Flude Stephanie, Zhang Ketong, Shipton Zoe K
- Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology Vol 170 (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2025.107360
- Mine shaft water for thermal energy storage : A move toward net-zero
- Mukherjee Indrani, Burnside Neil M, Flude Stephanie, Whittington Daniel J, Dassow Jessica, Wang Huachuan, Ewe Win Eng, Yang Shangtong, Molnar Ian L, Tuohy Paul, Flett Graeme, Shipton Zoe
- Water Security, Management, and Energy Nexus 1st International Conference on Sustainable Water Management, and Resource Adaptation, SWMRA 2024 Advances in Science, Technology and Innovation, pp. 331-342 (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-06709-8_33
- Thermal‐induced fracture evolution and acoustic signature of Beishan granite : insights into tensile strength of barrier system for high‐level radioactive waste disposal
- Zeng Wei, Li Shijie, Li Xiaozhao, Huang Zhen, Yang Shangtong, Xu Wentao, Wang Biao, Wu Yun
- Deep Underground Science and Engineering (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.1002/dug2.70089
Professional Activities
- ASCE Engineering Mechanics Institute International Conference
- Keynote/plenary speaker
- 22/3/2021
- American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) (External organisation)
- Member
- 2020
- AIChE 2nd Sustainable Waste Management Conference
- Member of programme committee
- 2020
- UK-China Workshop in Reutilizing Mining Wastes as Construction Materials
- Chair
- 20/5/2019
- Higher Education Academy (FHEA) (External organisation)
- Advisor
- 2016
- Invited seminar to School of Civil, Environmenal and Chemical Engineering
- Invited speaker
- 16/8/2013
Projects
- International collaboration on rock fatigue mechanics and hydraulic fracturing
- Yang, Shangtong (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Jan-2024 - 31-Jan-2027
- Understanding the rock fatigue mechanisms in underground hydrogen storage FUSE (Global Partnerships Seedcorn Fund)
- Yang, Shangtong (Principal Investigator) Lunn, Rebecca (Co-investigator) Shipton, Zoe (Co-investigator)
- 02-Jan-2023 - 01-Jan-2025
- Discovering the Corrosion Mechanisms of Reinforced Low-Carbon Concrete Infrastructure
- Yang, Shangtong (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Jan-2022 - 31-Jan-2023
- GigaWattHour Subsurface Thermal Energy storAge: Engineered structures and legacy Mine shafts: STEaM
- Shipton, Zoe (Principal Investigator) Burnside, Neil (Co-investigator) Tuohy, Paul Gerard (Co-investigator) Yang, Shangtong (Co-investigator) Johnson, Gareth (Research Co-investigator)
- 13-Jan-2022 - 23-Jan-2026
- Novel Utilization of Mining Wastes in Construction Materials
- Yang, Shangtong (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Jan-2019 - 31-Jan-2019
- Smart pumping for Subsurface Engineering (Prosperity Partnership)
- Shipton, Zoe (Principal Investigator) Corney, Jonathan (Co-investigator) Dempster, William (Co-investigator) Perry, Marcus (Co-investigator) Pytharouli, Stella (Co-investigator) Stankovic, Lina (Co-investigator) Stankovic, Vladimir (Co-investigator) Yang, Shangtong (Co-investigator) Fan, Ding (Researcher) Parastatidis, Emmanouil (Researcher) Rizzuto, Francesco (Researcher) Xi, Xun (Researcher)
- Prosperity Partnership: Predictive pumping
- 01-Jan-2018 - 31-Jan-2024
Contact
Dr
Shangtong
Yang
Reader
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Email: shangtong.yang@strath.ac.uk
Tel: Unlisted