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Geomaterial Properties Lab
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The lab investigates the strength and deformation behavior of soil through laboratory tests and field monitoring.
AboutAbout the lab
Confirming the properties of soil through experiments and monitoring.
The Geomaterial Properties Lab studies what properties soil and ground have and how they change with force, water, and temperature.
The lab designation is only nominal: Professor Watabe, Professor Nishimura, and Assistant Professor Fukuda each work individually while cooperating, and share laboratories and seminars.
In addition to laboratory soil tests, the lab conducts field monitoring on embankments and slopes, as well as numerical analysis.
The mechanics of frozen soil, related to ground freezing methods for underground construction, is also one of the pillars of its research.
Key terms
- Dredged sediment
- Soil and sand removed by excavating the bottoms of waters such as ports and shipping channels
- Anisotropy
- The property whereby strength and ease of deformation vary depending on the direction in which force is applied
- Ground freezing method
- A construction method in which the surrounding soil is temporarily frozen and hardened during underground excavation to prevent collapse and water inflow
ResearchResearch themes
The lab investigates the strength, deformation, and water movement of soil and ground through laboratory tests, field monitoring, and numerical analysis. Each group has its own themes, including geomaterials that make use of dredged sediment and surplus construction soil, the mechanics of frozen soil, and monitoring of embankments and slopes.
*Illustrative imageGeomaterials That Make Use of Soil and Sediment
Based on field surveys and laboratory soil tests, the lab devises ways of producing and using geomaterials that bring out more of their performance. It also researches environmentally friendly geomaterials made from dredged sediment and surplus construction soil.
*Illustrative imageStrength and Deformation of Soil
The lab investigates the strength and deformability of various soils through high-quality tests, and also develops the testing methods and equipment. It deals with anisotropy, in which properties vary with the direction of force, as well as time effects, and targets extreme soils such as peat.
*Illustrative imageFrozen Soil and the Effects of Heat
Aiming to advance ground freezing methods used to support underground construction, the lab studies the mechanics of frozen soil with support and cooperation from private companies. It also examines changes in soil volume caused by freezing and thawing, and the compression of peat caused by heating.
*Illustrative imageMonitoring of Embankments and Slopes
The lab installs monitoring instruments on embankments and slopes, observes how pore water pressure in the soil changes with heavy rain and snowmelt, and reproduces these changes through analysis. The instruments are built in-house from individual components, and the lab has also built a system that sends data to the cloud via LPWA communication.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Geomaterial Properties Lab consist of faculty and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.As of 2025
- ProfessorYoichi Watabe
- ProfessorSatoshi Nishimura
- Assistant ProfessorFumihiko Fukuda
VoicesStudent voices
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Bodenquerschnitt” de:Benutzer:MarkusHagenlocher / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Geomaterials That Make Use of Soil and Sediment: “Dragage Seine Paris” Myrabella / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Strength and Deformation of Soil: “Unchecked peat erosion - geograph.org.uk - 210165” John Illingworth / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Frozen Soil and the Effects of Heat: “Frozen ground water ( )” Weldon Kennedy from London, UK / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Monitoring of Embankments and Slopes: “Levee - Secchia detention basin, Soliera, Modena, Italy - November 22, 2017” Giorgio Galeotti / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Coastal and Ocean Engineering Lab): “Plunging breaker (Sand Beach, Mt. Desert Island, Maine, USA) 15” James St. John / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Geoenvironmental Analysis Lab): “Frost heaves on Bragg Hill Road in Norwich Vermont in March 2012--A” Stephen N. Flanders / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Urban Disaster Prevention Lab): “Liquefaction in Kiyota Ward, Sapporo, caused by the 2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake” 北海道開発局 / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (International Resource and Environment Systems Lab): “Kushiro Coal Mine 2011” Ozizo / CC0 (cropped)
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