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I joined COFS in 2013 as a PhD student, and completed my studies in 2016 with the thesis "Predicting the foundation performance of offshore jack-up drilling rigs in intermediate soils". I previously received Bachelor's and Master's degrees in civil engineering in Italy, with a Master Thesis on the finite element implementation of a hypoplastic macroelement for spread footings.
I have been using a hypoplastic model for structured clays in association with the LDFE technique RITSS (Remesh and Interpolation Technique with Small Strains) to study the effects of consolidation on spudcan foundation installation in fine materials. More recently the model was enhanced with the intergranular strain concept to properly model the cyclic response of spudcan foundations.
I have also been investigating the installation of suction buckets in sand, a promising foundation concept for offshore wind turbines. An innovative experimental PIV visualization technique underpinned the study. The problem will also be investigated numerically in the near future.
Major publications:
- Ragni, R., Bienen, B., Wang, D., Mašín, D. and Cassidy, M. J. (2017). Numerical modelling of the effects of consolidation on the undrained spudcan capacity under combined loading in silty clay. Computers and Geotechnics, 86, 33-51.
- Ragni, R., Wang, D., Mašín, D., Bienen, B., Cassidy, M. J. and Stanier, S. A. (2016). Numerical modelling of the effects of consolidation on jack-up spudcan penetration. Computers and Geotechnics, 78, 25-37.
