David M G Taborda

Dr David M G Taborda serves as a Reader (equivalent to Associate Professor) in the Geotechnics section of Imperial College London's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering within the Faculty of Engineering. His research focuses on energy geotechnics, numerical modeling of soil behavior, and offshore wind turbine foundation design, with significant contributions to thermo-active infrastructure systems.

• Civil Engineering, University of Coimbra, Portugal (2004)
• PhD in Numerical Modelling of Dynamic Soil Behaviour and Liquefaction, Imperial College London (2010)

Dr Taborda's research program spans energy geotechnics, where he pioneered experimental techniques and numerical methods for thermo-active foundations including piles, retaining walls, and tunnels. His work integrates constitutive modeling of soils with applications in offshore wind turbine foundations through the PISA project, developing advanced design methodologies for monopiles in challenging soil conditions. Current investigations address soil liquefaction mechanisms, thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling in granular materials, and machine learning applications for foundation analysis. His research bridges experimental validation with computational innovation to solve complex geotechnical challenges in sustainable energy infrastructure.

Analysis of Dr Taborda's 41 publications (2017-2025) reveals three dominant research trajectories: (1) thermo-active infrastructure optimization with increasing focus on thermal interference and machine learning applications; (2) cyclic behavior of offshore foundations using high-cycle accumulation frameworks; and (3) multi-physics modeling of liquefaction and soil-structure interaction. Recent work demonstrates a strong trend toward data-driven approaches and surrogate modeling for complex geotechnical systems, particularly in energy geostructures and offshore wind applications.

Dr Taborda actively supports prospective PhD students through Imperial College's President's Scholarships and College funding schemes, and encourages applications for Imperial College Research Fellowships. His research has been advanced through significant industry-academic collaborations including the PISA project for offshore wind foundations, though specific grant details are not provided in the source material. He maintains strong connections with the Geotechnical Consulting Group where he previously worked, facilitating industry-relevant research translation.

Affiliated with Imperial's Energy Futures Lab, Dr Taborda collaborates within the Geotechnics section on experimental and computational research. His team develops specialized equipment for thermo-hydro-mechanical testing and contributes to the department's leadership in energy geostructures research, with applications spanning urban infrastructure, renewable energy systems, and offshore engineering projects.