Pouya Zahedi

Pouya completed his Master of Science degree in Geotechnical Engineering at Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, Iran, in 2020. His research during his master's program was dedicated to the exploration of behavior of Screw/Helical piles and soil nails. His primary objective was to assess the potential of use of Screw soil nails in controlling the displacements of excavation walls. Additionally, he gained valuable experience in axial behavior of Screw/Helical piles and their load carry mechanisms.

In March 2023, Pouya embarked on a new academic journey by joining Trinity College Dublin to pursue his Ph.D. in the Department of Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering. His research at Trinity College centers on the axial performance of driven piles in clay and silt.

At present, Pouya is actively engaged in setting up a test pile as part of his ongoing project. Its overarching goal is to study the factors affecting shaft friction and pile bearing capacity in clay and silt.

Present day methods for estimating the axial capacity of driven piles relate shaft friction via an empirical factor to an arbitrary laboratory or in-situ test parameter. These methods consequently have poor reliability and hence lead to expensive foundation designs. This research will predominantly study the shaft friction of the driven piles during installation and post-installation phases of their life-time and aim to contribute to the development of a new methodology which will account for all of the important pile installation and soil parameters in a scientifically rigorous manner that is consistent with experimental findings in a wide variety of clays and silts.

This project is funded by the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI)

Supervisor:  Dr David Igoe