Courses at KAIST

Numerical Methods for Civil and Environmental Engineers

This course introduces a suite of numerical methods widely used in civil and environmental engineering problems. Topics include numerical techniques for interpolation, differentiation, integration, and solution of ordinary/partial differential equations. By the end of this course, students will be able to understand the basics of the finite difference method, finite volume method, and the finite element method.

Geomechanics Modeling and Simulation

Geomechanics—the deformation and failure of geomaterials such as soils and rocks—is at the heart of many problems in civil and environmental engineering. To address geomechanical problems, it is necessary not only to understand the mechanical behavior of geomaterials, but also to formulate, implement, and apply an array of advanced constitutive models for geomaterials. This course introduces (1) basic knowledge of the mechanical behavior of geomaterials, (2) mathematical frameworks for constitutive modeling of geomechanical behavior (elastoplasticity and critical state soil mechanics), and (3) computational methods for simulating geomechanical processes (implicit algorithms for incrementally nonlinear constitutive models).

Multiphysics in Porous Media

In porous media like soils and rocks, different kinds of physical processes such as fluid flow, solid deformation, and heat transfer can occur simultaneously and interact with each other. Such multiphysics in porous media is central to various problems in civil and environmental engineering, including long-term ground settlement, rainfall-induced landslides, and the production and storage of energy in subsurface systems. This course will introduce standard engineering approaches for mathematical modeling and computational simulation of multiphysics—fluid flow, solid deformation, heat transfer, and their coupling—in porous media.