Doctor Benjamin Cerfontaine

Dr Benjamin Cerfontaine

Associate Professor

Research interests

  • Offshore renewable energy - wind, tidal and wave
  • Numerical and Physical Modelling of infrastructure for renewable energy
  • Constitutive modelling of geomaterials for cyclic loading

More research

Accepting applications from PhD students.

About

My research work focuses on geotechnical solutions to support renewable energy development. The bulk of my work so far has been on sustainable foundations for offshore wind turbines, either floating or bottom-fixed, such as screw piles, suction piles, or clusters of jacked piles. I am continuing in this direction at the University of Southampton, with several projects on anchors for floating wind, such as shared anchors.

My research rationale has always been to uncover the fundamental physical mechanisms that drive the macroscopic behaviour of a foundation or geo-structure. To achieve this goal, I have used a combination of advanced numerical and/or physical modelling techniques such as finite elements, advanced constitutive models, DEM, and centrifuge modelling.

I love hillwalking, particularly in Scotland, reading non-scientific books, and playing badminton. I am active on LinkedIn, so please feel free to connect with me for updates