Staff profile

Alexandros is an Assistant Professor of Offshore Geotechnics within the Department of Engineering at Durham University. He received his MEng (Mining) from Technical University of Athens in 2009 (Greece), his MSc in Geomechanics from TU Delft (Netherlands) in 2012 and his PhD from UC Davis in 2018 (USA). He has worked as a researcher at the finite element software company Plaxis BV (currently part of Bentley systems) and also as a postdoctoral researcher at Chalmers University (Sweden) and Imperial College (UK).

Alexandros' research interests lies in the areas of: (i) soil and metal plasticity with a specific focus on cyclic loading and ratcheting, (ii) numerical analysis of geotechnical problems (iii) soil-atmosphere interaction modelling and coupled phenomena in geotechnics (iv) non-destructive soil testing with the use of XRCT.

• Development of a mini-triaxial apparatus for testing with XRCT
• Development of a soil constitutive model for cyclic loading and ratcheting of offshore sands
• Metal plasticity for uniaxial and multiaxial ratcheting
• Numerical modelling of offshore structures

Chapter in book

• In Situ Stress Assessment Based on Width and Depth of Brittle Borehole Breakouts
  
  Gerolymatou, E., & Petalas, A. (2020). In Situ Stress Assessment Based on Width and Depth of Brittle Borehole Breakouts. In Recent Developments of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnics in Theory and Practice (pp. 297-319). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28516-6_16

Conference Paper

• Reduced Order Models for geotechnical predictions
  
  Ouyang, M., Petalas, A., Coombs, W., Augarde, C., Alagha, A., Knappett, J., & Brown, M. (2026). Reduced Order Models for geotechnical predictions. In Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. https://doi.org/10.53243/ICSMGE2026-596
• A Comparative Study of CASM, NorSand and SaniSand for Modelling Sand Dilatancy and Liquefaction
  
  Fu, C., Petalas, A., Zhang, W., & Lloret-Cabot, M. (2026, April 10). A Comparative Study of CASM, NorSand and SaniSand for Modelling Sand Dilatancy and Liquefaction. Presented at UKACM2026 Conference, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
• Data-driven reduced order models for multi-dimensional data
  
  Ouyang, M., Augarde, C., Coombs, W., Petalas, A., Knappett, J., Brown, M., & Alagha, A. (2026, April 9 – 2026, April 10). Data-driven reduced order models for multi-dimensional data [Conference paper]. Presented at UK Association for Computational Mechanics Conference (UKACM2026), Liverpool, UK.
• Developing Efficient Data-driven Predictive Tools for Geotechnics. Presented as the 18th International Conference on Computational Plasticity
  
  Ouyang, M., Petalas, A., Coombs, W., & Augarde, C. (2025, September 2). Developing Efficient Data-driven Predictive Tools for Geotechnics. Presented as the 18th International Conference on Computational Plasticity [Conference abstract]. Presented at 18th International Conference on Computational Plasticity (COMPLAS2025), Barcelona, Spain.

Conference Proceeding

• UKACM Proceedings 2024
  
  Coombs, W. M. (Ed.). (2024). UKACM Proceedings 2024. UK Association for Computational Mechanics and Durham University. https://doi.org/10.62512/conf.ukacm2024

Journal Article

• A reduced order model framework suitable for geotechnical problems
  
  Ouyang, M., Augarde, C., Coombs, W., Petalas, A., Knappett, J., Brown, M., & Alagha, A. (2026). A reduced order model framework suitable for geotechnical problems. Acta Geotechnica. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-026-03221-0
• Finite Element Bayesian Inference Using Dual Ensemble Kalman Filters for Uncertainty Reduction in Geotechnical Models
  
  Augarde, C., Ouyang, M., Coombs, W., Petalas, A., & Alagha, A. (2026). Finite Element Bayesian Inference Using Dual Ensemble Kalman Filters for Uncertainty Reduction in Geotechnical Models. Geotechnical and Geological Engineering, 44, Article 332. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-026-03831-1
• Memory of Stress History in Single and Two Surface Plasticity for Granular Soils
  
  Petalas, A. L. (2026). Memory of Stress History in Single and Two Surface Plasticity for Granular Soils. International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics, 50(2), 597-612. https://doi.org/10.1002/nag.70080
• Engineering soil barriers to minimise annual shrinkage/swelling in plastic clays
  
  Tsiampousi, A., Day, C., & Petalas, A. (2024). Engineering soil barriers to minimise annual shrinkage/swelling in plastic clays. Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment, 38, Article 100540. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gete.2024.100540
• DONISIS: Design of Offshore moNopiles Including Seismic Interaction with Soil
  
  Pisanò, F., Panagoulias, S., Anastasopoulos, I., Kaynia, A., Petalas, A., Brasile, S., Page, A., Kementzetzidis, E., & V. Metrikine, A. (2024). DONISIS: Design of Offshore moNopiles Including Seismic Interaction with Soil. Japanese Geotechnical Society Special Publication, 10(36), 1383-1388. https://doi.org/10.3208/jgssp.v10.os-25-05
• Fabric anisotropy effects on static liquefaction under constant shear drained loading
  
  Bokkisa, S. V., Macedo, J., & Petalas, A. L. (2023). Fabric anisotropy effects on static liquefaction under constant shear drained loading. Computers and Geotechnics, 163, Article 105724. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2023.105724
• Bounding surface plasticity model modification for ratcheting of metals
  
  Dafalias, Y. F., Petalas, A. L., & Feigenbaum, H. (2023). Bounding surface plasticity model modification for ratcheting of metals. International Journal of Solids and Structures, 281, Article 112412. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsolstr.2023.112412
• Assessing static liquefaction triggering considering fabric anisotropy effects under the ACST framework
  
  Bokkisa, S. V., Macedo, J., Petalas, A. L., & Arson, C. (2022). Assessing static liquefaction triggering considering fabric anisotropy effects under the ACST framework. Computers and Geotechnics, 148, Article 104796. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2022.104796
• Numerical investigation of the performance of engineered barriers in controlling stormwater runoff
  
  Petalas, A. L., Tsiampousi, A., Zdravkovic, L., & Potts, D. M. (2022). Numerical investigation of the performance of engineered barriers in controlling stormwater runoff. Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment, 32, Article 100401. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gete.2022.100401
• SANISAND-F: Sand constitutive model with evolving fabric anisotropy
  
  Petalas, A. L., Dafalias, Y. F., & Papadimitriou, A. G. (2020). SANISAND-F: Sand constitutive model with evolving fabric anisotropy. International Journal of Solids and Structures, 188-189, 12-31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsolstr.2019.09.005
• Implicit integration of incrementally non-linear, zero- elastic range, bounding surface plasticity
  
  Petalas, A. L., & Dafalias, Y. F. (2019). Implicit integration of incrementally non-linear, zero- elastic range, bounding surface plasticity. Computers and Geotechnics, 112, 386-402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2019.04.009
• SANISAND‐FN: An evolving fabric‐based sand model accounting for stress principal axes rotation
  
  Petalas, A. L., Dafalias, Y. F., & Papadimitriou, A. G. (2019). SANISAND‐FN: An evolving fabric‐based sand model accounting for stress principal axes rotation. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, 43(1), 97-123. https://doi.org/10.1002/nag.2855
• Finite element modelling of seismic liquefaction in soils
  
  Galavi, V., Petalas, A., & Brinkgreve, R. (2013). Finite element modelling of seismic liquefaction in soils. Geotechnical Engineering Journal of the SEAGS & AGSSEA, 44(3).

Presentation

• Improved Inference of Soil Behaviour and Model Parameters In Geotechnics Using Bayesian Methods
  
  Ouyang, M., Augarde, C., Coombs, W., Petalas, A., Knappett, J., Brown, M. J., & Alagha, A. (2025, April 23 – 2025, April 25). Improved Inference of Soil Behaviour and Model Parameters In Geotechnics Using Bayesian Methods. Presented at UK Association for Computational Mechanics Conference (UKACM2025), London, UK.