Zhi-Hao ZHOU

Academic qualifications

  • Ph.D. in Geotechnical Engineering, Tongji University, China, 2018 – present
  • B.Sc. in Civil Engineering, Shanghai University, China, 2014 – 2018

Professional experience (University)

  • Research Assistant, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China, 08/2022 - present

Research interests

  • Soil mechanics
  • Macro-micro relations
  • DEM
  • Artificial intelligence in geotechnical engineering
  • Methane hydrate bearing sediments

Topic 1：Elastic constants obtained analytically from microscopic features for regularly arranged elliptical particle assembly

  • Contribution: proposed the relationship between microscopic parameters and macroscopic elastic constants for anisotropic granular materials.
  • Significance: The proposed expressions of the macroscopic parameters can help better understand the influence of microscopic properties and provide an alternative approach and reference to determine the microscopic parameters in DEM simulations.


  • Zhou, Z. H., Wang, H. N., Jiang, M. J.: Elastic constants obtained analytically from microscopic features for regularly arranged elliptical particle assembly. Granul. Matter 23(2), 1-13 (2021)
  • Zhou, Z. H., Wang, H. N., Jiang, M. J.: Macro and micro mechanical relationship of the anisotropic behaviour of an ellipsoidal particle assembly in the elastic stage. Acta Geotech. 3899–3921 (2021)

Topic 2：Micromechanical mechanism-based anisotropic strength criteria for regularly arranged elliptical particle assembly

  • Contribution: The macroscopic anisotropic failure criteria expressed in closed form by the microscopic parameters are derived for regularly arranged elliptical particle assemblies.
  • Significance: The proposed criterion can reveal the effect of microscopic parameters in functional form on macroscopic failure and further the failure mechanism of anisotropic granular material from a micro perspective to macro perspective.



  • Zhou, Z. H., Wang, H. N., Jiang, M. J.: Strength criteria at anisotropic principal directions expressed in closed form by interparticle parameters for elliptical particle assembly. Granul. Matter, under review (2022)
  • Zhou, Z. H., Wang, H. N., Jiang, M. J.: Micromechanical mechanism-based anisotropic strength criteria for regularly arranged elliptical particle assembly. Acta Geotech. under review (2022)

Topic 3：Macro and micro quantitative correlation of methane hydrate bearing sediments (MHBS) based on micro-mechanics method

  • Contribution: the quantitative correlation of macro and micro mechanical properties based on hydrate bearing sediments is established.
  • Significance: enriching the investigation of macro and micro relations for hydrate bearing sediments.