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ProfessorRobert Zimmerman

Chair in Rock Mechanics

Department of Earth Science & Engineering - Faculty of Engineering

Orcid identifier0000-0001-6674-3403 (opens in a new tab)⁠
  • Chair in Rock Mechanics
    Department of Earth Science & Engineering - Faculty of Engineering
  • 020 7594 7412 (Work)
  • 2.38D, Royal School of Mines, South Kensington Campus, United Kingdom

RESEARCH

Prof. Zimmerman conducts research on the hydromechanical behaviour of fractured and porous rocks, petrophysics, fluid flow in porous media, rock failure and fracture, and on the relationship between microstructure and the physical properties of heterogeneous materials, with applications to petroleum engineering, underground mining, radioactive waste disposal, and subsurface carbon sequestration.

Prof. Zimmerman has obtained over £25M in external funding over his career. Some major projects, as overall PI, include:

1. GeoSafe: Towards Safe Geological Disposal of Radioactive Waste in Lower-Strength Sedimentary Rocks, NERC and Nuclear Waste Services (UK), Oct 2023-Sept 2027, £5M
2. Rock Mass Preconditioning for In Situ Extraction, BHP Billiton, Oct 2019-Sept 2021, £2M
3. HydroFrame: Hydrogeomechanical and biogeochemical processes in fractured rock masses in the vicinity of a geological disposal facility for radioactive waste, NERC UK, 2013-2017, £2.5M.
4. THERESA: Coupled thermal-hydrological-mechanical-chemical processes for application in repository safety assessment, European Commission, 2007-2011, €3M.

GRANTS

  • STANDARD - CALL
    PA6825: Towards Safe Geological Disposal of Radioactive Waste in Lower-Strength Sedimentary Rocks (GeoSafe)
    Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)1 Oct 2023 - 30 Sep 2027
    Natural Environment Research Council (NERC): PA6825: Towards Safe Geological Disposal of Radioactive Waste in Lower-Strength Sedimentary Rocks (GeoSafe) (2023-2027)
  • STANDARD - CALL
    Modelling of rock spalling in deep spent nuclear fuel repositories: Effects of glaciation and seismicity
    Svensk Karnbranslehantering AB1 Jan 2023 - 30 Jun 2023
    Svensk Karnbranslehantering AB: Modelling of rock spalling in deep spent nuclear fuel repositories: Effects of glaciation and seismicity (2023-2023)
  • GRANT
    Hydro-Mechanics of Fluid-Induced Seismicity in the Context of the Green-Energy Transition
    Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)1 Oct 2022 - 30 Sep 2027
    Natural Environment Research Council (NERC): Hydro-Mechanics of Fluid-Induced Seismicity in the Context of the Green-Energy Transition (2022-2027)
  • GRANT
    Carbonate rock failure and solids production prediction
    Petronas Research Sdn. Bhd.1 Nov 2019 - 31 Mar 2022
    Petronas Research Sdn. Bhd.: Carbonate rock failure and solids production prediction (2019-2022)
  • GRANT
    Rock Mass Preconditioning for In Situ Extraction
    BHP Billiton Group Operations Pty. Ltd25 Oct 2019 - 30 Sep 2021
    BHP Billiton Group Operations Pty. Ltd: Rock Mass Preconditioning for In Situ Extraction (2019-2021)
  • GRANT
    Modelling of rock spalling in deep spent nuclear fuel repositories (Sponsor: SKB - Swedish Nuclear Waste Management Organisation)
    Svensk Karnbranslehantering AB1 Oct 2018 - 31 Mar 2022
    Svensk Karnbranslehantering AB: Modelling of rock spalling in deep spent nuclear fuel repositories (Sponsor: SKB - Swedish Nuclear Waste Management Organisation) (2018-2022)
  • GRANT
    Sponsorship of PhD Project - "Numerical Modelling of Rock Drilling"
    NOV Downhole Eurasia Limited12 May 2014 - 11 May 2018
    NOV Downhole Eurasia Limited: Sponsorship of PhD Project - "Numerical Modelling of Rock Drilling" (2014-2018)
  • GRANT
    Challenges in Geological Storage for CCS
    Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)1 Oct 2013 - 30 Jun 2018
    Natural Environment Research Council (NERC): Challenges in Geological Storage for CCS (2013-2018)
  • GRANT
    TRUST Project - underground storage of CO2
    Commission of the European Communities1 Nov 2012 - 31 Oct 2017
    CEC: TRUST Project - underground storage of CO2 (2012-2017)
  • GRANT
    Research Studentship Funding - Terratek
    TerraTek1 May 2010 - 30 Apr 2013
    TerraTek: Research Studentship Funding - Terratek (2010-2013)
  • GRANT
    Partial Funding of a Lectureship at Imperial College in Nuclear Repository Science and Engineering
    National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL)1 Mar 2010 - 28 Feb 2015
    National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL): Partial Funding of a Lectureship at Imperial College in Nuclear Repository Science and Engineering (2010-2015)
  • GRANT
    Influence of microstructure on the transport properties of concrete
    Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)3 Dec 2007 - 2 Dec 2010
    Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC): Influence of microstructure on the transport properties of concrete (2007-2010)
  • GRANT
    EAPER/Zimmerman
    BG Energy Holdings Limited1 Oct 2004 - 31 Mar 2005
    BG Energy Holdings Limited: EAPER/Zimmerman (2004-2005)
  • GRANT
    Predictive Modelling of the Petrophysical and Fluid Flow Properties of Resevoir Rocks from Images of Pore Space.
    Shell Global Solutions International B.V1 Oct 2002 - 31 Aug 2006
    Shell Global Solutions International B.V: Predictive Modelling of the Petrophysical and Fluid Flow Properties of Resevoir Rocks from Images of Pore Space. (2002-2006)
  • GRANT
    SAIGUP
    Commission of the European Communities1 Sep 2000 - 31 Aug 2003
    CEC: SAIGUP (2000-2003)
  • STUDENTSHIP
    Janet Watson PhD studentship
    ESE Department
    PhD studentship