Expertise
Geotechnical/Civil Engineering, Experimental and Computational Geomechanics, Emerging Geomechanics for Energy and Environment, Constitutive and Numerical Modeling in Geotechnics, Finite Element Analyses, Computer Aided Design (CAD)
Research Interests
Computer Methods in Geotechnical and Civil Engineering; Experimental and Computational Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment; Finite Element Modeling; Multiphase Fluid Flow and Geomechanics; Coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC) Processes in Geological Media; Reservoir and Petroleum Geomechanics
Biosketch
Raj Gondle, Ph.D. is an associate teaching professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
Prior to joining the UMass Lowell, Gondle worked as a research engineer at West Virginia University Research Corporation on several research projects and taught civil engineering courses at West Virginia University (WVU). He received an Outstanding Classroom Teaching Award for his excellence in teaching.
In 2010, Gondle earned his Ph.D. degree in Civil Engineering with a focus on Geomechanics from WVU. His doctoral research work involved coupled multiphase fluid flow and geomechanical modeling of carbon dioxide (CO2) injection in an unmineable coal seam at a field sequestration site, and field monitoring of ground surface deformations by using high-precision tiltmeters and GPS units. The title of his dissertation work was ‘Numerical Modeling and Field Monitoring of Overburden Response during Geologic Sequestration’. Gondle received a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering, also from WVU in 2006. He graduated in 2003 with Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technology University, Hyderabad, India.
Gondle’s professional experience also includes Engineer III and Engineer IV positions at EG&G Technical Services (a division of URS) located at U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Morgantown, West Virginia. Gondle’s research focus is on experimental and computational geomechanics for energy and the environment. Additionally, his work involves use of computational methods in geotechnical/civil engineering work including, but not limited to, reinforced geologic media, soil-structure interaction, slope stability, soil/rock strength, consolidation of soils, and flow through porous media. In recent work, his emphasis has been to study multiphase fluid flow and geomechanical aspects related to carbon sequestration, hydraulic fracturing, geothermal recovery, enhanced oil and gas recovery, fault stability, waste disposal, and injection-induced/triggered seismicity. Gondle has participated in multiple national and international conferences in his field, and his research contributions are published in several peer-reviewed scholarly journal articles and conference proceedings. He serves as a technical reviewer for several international journals and conferences/technical symposiums. He also served on a number of M.S. thesis and Ph.D. dissertation committees. He is currently an active member in several professional societies including American Society of Civil Engineers, American Rock Mechanics Association, and United States Universities Council on Geotechnical Engineering Research.
Selected Publications
- Siriwardane, H.J., Gondle, R.K., Varre, S.B., Bromhal, G.S., Wilson, T.H. (2016). Full Length Article: Geomechanical response of overburden caused by CO2 injection into a depleted oil reservoir. Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, 8 860 - 872.