Section: Overview
Overview
Key publications
Research funding
Supervising & teaching
Career

Key details

Areas of expertise

  • Geotechnical engineering and Rock Mechanics
  • Hydraulic fracturing and induced seismicity
  • Reactive soils
  • Tunneling

Available to supervise research students

Available for media queries

About Wasantha Liyanage

Wasantha is a lecturer in Geotechnical Engineering in the College of Sport, Health and Engineering.

Wasantha has an internationally recognised research track record in geotechnical engineering and rock mechanics and has won a number of awards including, Humboldt early career researcher award, Mollie Holman doctoral medal, Ken Hunt award for the best PhD thesis.

Before joining Victoria University, Wasantha held research positions at various institutions including Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg (Germany) in 2015-2016, University of Oxford, (United Kingdom) in 2016-2017, and Monash University (Australia) in 2013-2015.

Wasantha’s current research interests include modelling hydraulic fracture propagation and induced seismicity, ground deformation due to tunnelling in soft and hard rocks, shear behaviour of rock joints, effect of soil reactivity on light-weight structures, and the use of ANN in geotechnical engineering.

Qualifications

  • PhD in Geomechanics - Monash University in Australia, 2014
  • BSc in Civil and Environmental Engineering - University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka, 2010
  • Graduate Certificate in Tertiery Education - Victoria University, 2019

Key publications

Year Citation
2024 Joseph, K., Shetty, J., Sharma, A. K., van, Staden., Wasantha, P. LP., Small, S., & Bennett, N. (240701). Leak and Burst Detection in Water Distribution Network Using Logic- and Machine Learning-Based Approaches. Water (Switzerland), 16(14),

doi: 10.3390/w16141935

2024 Pallewala, Liyanage., Black, K., & Fragomeni, S. (240312). Developmental Changes of the Responses to Peer Assessment of Group Projects: A Case Study of Civil Engineering Undergraduates. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 21(1),

doi: 10.53761/98v13y53

2024 Xu, B., Xu, T., Xue, Y., Heap, M. J., Wasantha, P. LP., & Li, Z. (240308). Phase field modeling of mixed-mode crack in rocks incorporating heterogeneity and frictional damage. Engineering Fracture Mechanics, 298

doi: 10.1016/j.engfracmech.2024.109936

2024 Zhao, L., Li, Z., Liu, Y., Xu, Y., Wasantha, P. LP., Zheng, X., & Xu, T. (240101). Stability Analysis of Open-Pit Bench Slope under Repeated Heavy Vehicle Loading Based on Stress-Corrosion Model. Archives of Mining Sciences, 69(2), (211-230).

doi: 10.24425/ams.2024.150342

2024 Ghorbani, B., Yaghoubi, E., Wasantha, P. LP., van, Staden., Guerrieri, M., & Fragomeni, S. (240101). Machine learning-based prediction of resilient modulus for blends of tire-derived aggregates and demolition wastes. Road Materials and Pavement Design, 25(4), (694-715).

doi: 10.1080/14680629.2023.2222176

2023 Teodosio, B., Wasantha, P. LP., Yaghoubi, E., Guerrieri, M., Fragomeni, S., & van, Staden. (231201). Environmental, economic, and serviceability attributes of residential foundation slabs: A comparison between waffle and stiffened rafts using multi-output deep learning. Journal of Building Engineering, 80

doi: 10.1016/j.jobe.2023.107983

2023 Wasantha, P. LP., Heng, Z., & Xu, T. (231201). Numerical analysis of the effects of vesicle distribution characteristics on the engineering properties of volcanic rocks. Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, 15(12), (3094-3104).

doi: 10.1016/j.jrmge.2023.07.005

2023 Noura, S., Yaghoubi, E., Fragomeni, S., Wasantha, P. LP., & Van, Staden. (230901). Fatigue and stiffness characteristics of asphalt mixtures made of recycled aggregates. International Journal of Fatigue, 174

doi: 10.1016/j.ijfatigue.2023.107714

2023 Yu, X. Y., Xu, T., Heap, M. J., Heng, Z., Ranjith, P. G., Su, B., Wasantha, P. LP., & Sun, G. (230901). Time-dependent virtual crack model of rock with application to slope stability. Engineering Analysis with Boundary Elements, 154 (172-185).

doi: 10.1016/j.enganabound.2023.05.043

2023 Al-Taie, A., Yaghoubi, E., Wasantha, P. LP., Van, Staden., Guerrieri, M., & Fragomeni, S. (230701). Swelling and collapse behavior of unsaturated expansive subgrades stabilized with recycled glass. Transportation Geotechnics, 41

doi: 10.1016/j.trgeo.2023.101039

Research funding for the past 5 years

Please note:

  • Funding is ordered by the year the project commenced and may continue over several years.
  • Funding amounts for contact research are not disclosed to maintain commercial confidentiality.
  • The order of investigators is not indicative of the role they played in the research project.

Blends of 100% recycled materials for construction of sustainable slab and pavement systems suitable for the West of Melbourne.
From: Victorian Higher Education Strategic Investment Fund
Other investigators: Prof Salvatore Fragomeni, Dr Ehsan Yaghoubi, Prof Maurice Guerrieri, Dr Rudi Van staden
For period: 2021-2022
$1,837,000

Supervision of research students at VU

Available to supervise research students

Available for media queries

Currently supervised research students at VU

No. of students Study level Role
1 PhD Associate supervisor
2 PhD Principal supervisor

Currently supervised research students at VU

Students & level Role
PhD (1) Associate supervisor
PhD (2) Principal supervisor

Completed supervision of research students at VU

No. of students Study level Role
1 Master of Research Associate supervisor

Completed supervision of research students at VU

Students & level Role
Master of Research (1) Associate supervisor

Teaching activities & experience

Wasantha is the lecturer and unit coordinator for following units at Victoria University.

  1. NEC2202 - Geomechanics
  2. NEC3102 - Geotechnical Engineering 
  3. NEF4206 - Advanced Enigeering Design 

Wasantha has also invovled in teaching various Civil Engineering units at Monash University, Australia, during 2010-2015.

Key academic roles

Dates Role Department / Organisation
Mar 2017 - Present
Lecturer in Civil Engineering
Victoria University
Aug 2016 - Mar 2017
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
The University of Oxford, United Kingdom
Mar 2015 - Jul 2016
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany
Sep 2013 - Feb 2015
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Monash University, Australia
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Dates Role & Department/Organisation
Mar 2017 -
Present
Lecturer in Civil Engineering
Victoria University
Aug 2016 -
Mar 2017
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
The University of Oxford, United Kingdom
Mar 2015 -
Jul 2016
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany
Sep 2013 -
Feb 2015
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Monash University, Australia
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Key industry, community & government roles

Dates Role Department/Organisation
Feb 2014 - Feb 2015
Geotechnical Engineer
Intrax Consulting Engineers Pty Ltd.
Dates Role & Department/Organisation
Feb 2014 - Feb 2015
Geotechnical Engineer
Intrax Consulting Engineers Pty Ltd.

Awards

Year Award
2016

Europe-stay research fellowship - Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany

2016

Runners up award for the best young scientist - Young Scientists’ Forum, St. Petersburg, Russia

2015

Humboldt Early Career Researcher Award - Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany

2014

Mollie Holman Medal and Award for Doctoral Excellence - Monash University, Australia

2014

Kenneth Hunt Medal and Award for the best PhD thesis - Monash University, Australia

2014

Award for the Best PhD thesis in Civil Engineering - Monash University, Australia

2013

Postgraduate Publication Award - Monash University, Australia

2013

Best Postgraduate Publication Award in the field of Geomechanics - Monash University, Australia

2010

Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) scholarship - Monash University, Australia

2010

Late Engineer Nimal Chandrasena Award - Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka

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Professional memberships

  • General member, International Society for Rock Mechanics
  • General member, Australian Geomechanics Society