Dr Angela Casarella

Research summary

My research focuses on the design and characterization of engineered clay-based geomaterials that bridge geotechnical engineering and materials science. I aim to manipulate the intrinsic structure and surface chemistry of clays to create materials with enhanced mechanical, thermal, and electrical functionalities. By combining concepts from soil mechanics, nanoscience, and electrochemistry, I explore how clays can be functionalized and repurposed for civil and non-civil applications (ranging from ground stabilization and infrastructure resilience to energy storage and environmental sustainability).

Keywords:

Geotechnical engineering; Clay; Nano- and micro- X-ray tomography; Coarse-grained molecular dynamics (CGMD); Engineered geomaterials

Links:

• https://profiles.imperial.ac.uk/a.casarella