Shane Donohue

Dr. Shane Donohue is a Lecturer in the UCD School of Civil Engineering at University College Dublin. His research focuses on the application of seismic wave-based technology to assess the internal stability of earthwork infrastructure, including railways, roads, and flood defenses. He collaborates with major infrastructure managers like Network Rail, Environment Agency, and international institutions such as Chang’an University in China.

Research Interests

Dr. Donohue’s work addresses the aging and climate-stressed earthworks that underpin critical infrastructure. He specializes in non-invasive geophysical methods to detect internal soil moisture and pore pressure changes, enabling early intervention. His research spans geotechnical engineering, climate change adaptation, and transport network resilience, with applications in flood defense systems and earthwork stability monitoring.

The seismic wave technology he developed allows rapid, large-scale assessment of geotechnical assets, reducing risks of catastrophic failures and associated costs. His projects are funded by EPSRC and NERC in the UK.

Scientific Awards

• European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE) 'Best of Near Surface 2014'
• 2017 Telford Premium Prize for best paper in the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) journal, Forensic Engineering

Dr. Donohue’s research has been applied to real-world challenges, such as the 2015 River Douglas levee breach in the UK, where traditional surface-based methods failed to predict internal instability.