Dr Brian Sheil - University of Cambridge

Research Fellowships 2017

Dr Sheil’s research involves the development and deployment of digital engineering tools and techniques to make underground construction operations more productive and more sustainable. To do this he has developed patented sensing technologies, machine learning, live site monitoring, numerical and laboratory modelling, and digital twinning. Part of this work involved the development of a new more sophisticated generation of force and pressure sensors which fuse optical sensing with machine learning to achieve a step-change in simplicity, cost, and robustness.

Key research questions he explores include time-dependent stability of underground fluid-supported cavities, optimal boring machine control, soil–lubricant–structure mechanics, and potential trade-offs between geotechnical performance and structural integrity. Recent output from his group has included the development of new design methods and instrumentation and monitoring systems to initiate a step-change in the construction of large diameter shafts. The monitoring systems have now been deployed on nine projects in the UK and Ireland, most recently to guide construction works as part of the £4.2 billion Thames Tideway Tunnel project.

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