Title: Subsurface Drilling: The Past, Present, and Future
Abstract: Drilling plays a significant role in the history of human civilization and modern infrastructure construction. Exploring greater depths, extreme environments, or hazardous areas demands novel drilling technologies with reduced cost and improved safety. This talk will review the history of and the state-of-the-art drilling technologies, present the mechanisms of a diverse group of biological drilling, and discuss the opportunities in renovating modern drilling techniques using nature as a source of inspiration.
Biography: Sheng Dai, Ph.D., P.E., is an Associate Professor and Group Coordinator in Geosystems Engineering, and holds the inaugural Georgia Mining Association Early Career Professorship in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech. He leads the Subsurface Processes Laboratory (SPL), and his group addresses the resilience and sustainability of energy and the environment through studying energy geotechnics and nature inspired engineering. His research, teaching, and service have been recognized by the USUCGER Early Career Researcher Award, NSF CAREER Award, and the Jim Pope CREATE-X Faculty Fellowship, among many others.
To join virtually: Zoom
Contact: sdai6@gatech.edu
Faculty Website: https://ce.gatech.edu/directory/person/sheng-c-dai
Recording: Zoom Recording (will be available within a week after the seminar)