Dr Ruofeng Feng

Dr Ruofeng Feng

Department of Civil Engineering
Assistant Professor in Geotechnical Engineering

Contact details

Email
r.feng@bham.ac.uk
View my research portal
Address
School of Engineering
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Dr Ruofeng Feng is an Assistant Professor in Geotechnical Engineering at the University of Birmingham. He specialises in computational modelling of multiphase and multiphysics processes in granular–fluid systems (e.g., saturated and partially saturated soils, wave–seabed–structure interactions, reacting thermal flow in porous media), as well as multibody–geomaterial interactions. His research interests include computational mechanics, digital twins, and machine learning, with a focus on advancing hazard resilience and autonomy in ground engineering.

Ruofeng is open to discussing PhD and postdoctoral opportunities, as well as potential research collaborations.

Ruofeng Feng on LinkedIn

Ruofeng Feng on Google Scholar

Ruofeng Feng on ResearchGate

Qualifications

  • PhD in Civil Engineering, University of Manchester, 2023
  • MEng in Geotechnical Engineering, Shandong University, 2019
  • BEng in Hydraulic and Hydropower Engineering, Wuhan University, 2016

Biography

Ruofeng obtained his BEng in Hydraulic and Hydropower Engineering from Wuhan University, followed by an MEng in Geotechnical Engineering from Shandong University in China. He then pursued his PhD at University of Manchester, focusing on multiphase and multiphysics meshfree modelling of large deformation geomaterials failure, and contributed to the development of the leading open-source CFD solver, DualSPHysics.

Following his PhD, he worked as a Research Associate at the University of Manchester on an EPSRC-funded project developing adaptive, high-order meshfree methods for chemical reacting flows in complex geometries within Complex Fluids Group. In November 2024, he joined the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology as a Postdoctoral Fellow, working on digital twin development for climate resilience within the major RGC-funded Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS) project, HK Coastal Twins.

In September 2026, he joined the University of Birmingham as an Assistant Professor in Geotechnical Engineering. His research focuses on developing innovative computational, digital and AI solutions for ground engineering and hazard resilience.

Postgraduate supervision

Meshless method| Cascading multi-hazards| Climate resilience| Robtics in ground engineering| Email: r.feng@bham.ac.uk

Research

Ruofeng’s research focuses advancing hazard resilience and autonomy in ground engineering. His research interests include:

Fundamental methods

  • Meshless and particle-based methods, such as SPH, DEM, MPM, and PD.
  • Multiphase multiphysics modelling of granular-fluid system.
  • AI applications in digitalisation, modelling, and data assimilation.

Multi-hazards and resilience

  • Predictive analysis of cascading multi-hazards.
  • Climate impacts from global, regional, to local scale.
  • Digital twin for risk management and climate resilience.

Robotics in ground engineering

  • Digging and earthmoving automation.
  • Vehicle mobility across mud, granular, and unpaved terrain.
  • Drilling, rock fragmentation and soil-sampling mechanisms.

 

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Feng, R, Zhao, J & Chen, J 2026, 'A 3D multiphase SPH framework for modelling soil-water interaction in rainfall-landslide-tsunami cascades', Engineering Geology, vol. 361, 108495. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108495

Chen, J-Y, Zhao, J, Feng, R-F, Peng, C & Islam, MRI 2026, 'A discontinuous SPH approach for simulating blast-induced rock fracture and multi-material interaction', Computational Mechanics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00466-026-02861-z

Zhang, S, Zhao, J, Feng, R & Zhu, H 2027, 'A porosity-consistent 3D multiphysics smoothed particle hydrodynamics framework for modeling soil–water–rock–structure interactions', Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, vol. 463, no. Part A, 119401. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cma.2026.119401

Feng, R, Zhao, J, Fourtakas, G & Rogers, BD 2026, 'GeoDualSPHysics: a high-performance SPH solver for large deformation modelling of geomaterials with two-way coupling to multi-body systems', Computer Physics Communications, vol. 320, 109965. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpc.2025.109965

Chen, J-Y, Zhao, J, Feng, R-F, Ni, R-C & Peng, C 2026, 'GPU-accelerated multi-material FVM–SPH with immersed boundary method for high-fidelity modeling of shock–structure interactions', Computational Mechanics, vol. 77, no. 5, pp. 1267-1289. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00466-025-02706-1

Liu, SW, Zhang, Q & Feng, R 2026, 'Small-scale test on the response of adjacent piles caused by shield tunnel excavation in sand', Transportation Geotechnics, vol. 58, 101942. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trgeo.2026.101942

Yang, C, Zhao, J, Zhu, F & Feng, R 2025, 'A multi-horizon peridynamics for coupled fluid flow and heat transfer', Journal of Fluid Mechanics, vol. 1010, A66. https://doi.org/10.1017/jfm.2025.367

Chen, J-Y, Zhao, J, Feng, R-F, Ni, R-C & Peng, C 2025, 'Coupled FDM-SPH modeling of CFRP-reinforced concrete damage under combined blast and fragment impact', Computers and Structures, vol. 319, 107980. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruc.2025.107980

Feng, R, Fourtakas, G, Rogers, BD & Lombardi, D 2024, 'A general smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) formulation for coupled liquid flow and solid deformation in porous media', Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, vol. 419, 116581. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cma.2023.116581

Feng, R, Fourtakas, G, Rogers, BD & Lombardi, D 2024, 'Modelling internal erosion using 2D smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH)', Journal of Hydrology, vol. 639, 131558. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.131558

Feng, R, Fourtakas, G, Rogers, BD & Lombardi, D 2022, 'Two-phase fully-coupled smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) model for unsaturated soils and its application to rainfall-induced slope collapse', Computers and Geotechnics, vol. 151, 104964. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2022.104964

Liu, S, Zhang, Q, Cui, C, Feng, R & Cui, W 2021, 'A simplified approach for the response of pile groups composed of dissimilar piles', Structures, vol. 34, pp. 4548-4559. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2021.10.063

Feng, R, Fourtakas, G, Rogers, BD & Lombardi, D 2021, 'Large deformation analysis of granular materials with stabilized and noise-free stress treatment in smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH)', Computers and Geotechnics, vol. 138, 104356. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2021.104356

Liu, S, Zhang, Q & Feng, R 2021, 'Model Test Study on Bearing Capacity of Nonuniformly Arranged Pile Groups', International Journal of Geomechanics, vol. 21, no. 10, 04021200. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0002181

Zhang, QQ, Ma, B, Liu, SW & Feng, RF 2020, 'Behaviour analysis on the vertically loaded bored pile socketed into weak rocks using slip-line theory arc failure surface', Computers and Geotechnics, vol. 128, 103852. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2020.103852

View all publications in research portal