岩土材料的主题非常广泛，涉及石油工程学院研究的许多其他主题。我们的研究旨在从行为和特性的角度了解岩石（以及相关材料，例如混凝土，土壤，雪，纸，陶瓷和几乎所有多孔材料）。土工材料研究的一个关键概念是，土工材料的固体成分和充满流体的孔隙空间的颗粒/孔尺度纹理排列决定了它们的物理特性，同时还记录了导致其当前状态的地质历史事件和过程。为了了解这些过程如何导致纹理演化，土工材料研究不仅解释了天然岩石的实例，还进行了实验室实验，可以在受控条件下复制这些过程。
The subject of Geomaterials is very broad, and reaches into many other topics that are investigated at the Institute of GeoEnergy Engineering. Our research seeks to understand rocks and related materials such as concrete, soil, snow, paper, ceramics, and almost all porous materials in terms of behaviours and properties.<br><br>A key concept of research into Geomaterials is that the grain/pore-scale textural arrangements of the solid components and fluid-filled porespaces of Geomaterials determine their physical properties, while also recording the geohistory events and processes that led to their current state. To understand how such processes lead to textural evolution, Geomaterials research both interprets natural rock examples, and also conducts laboratory experiments where the processes can be replicated within controlled conditions.<br><br>The Geomaterials group puts a strong emphasis on integrating imaging and measurement techniques to quantify textural evolution and the related physical states. Understanding is then transferred into simulations that allow the knowledge gained to be applied in complex settings.