Please join us on Wednesday, November 19, 2025 for the Pierce Seminar at 4 PM in Room 1-131 with Prof. Yida Zhang. 

Abstract Title: Chemomechanics At Interfaces: New Insights Into Environment-Driven Deformation And Degradation Of Materials And Geostructures

Abstract: 

Wolfgang Pauli once remarked, “God made the bulk; the surface was invented by the devil,” highlighting the complex nature of the interface between a solid and its surroundings. Following Pauli’s analogy, porous materials are creations from the In-Between — they behave like bulk solids but can contain surface area as vast as a football field per gram. Yet, poromechanics theories have seldom acknowledged the dynamic evolution of internal surface area and its properties under mechanical and environmental stimuli. 

In this talk, I will demonstrate how a diverse range of porous material behaviors, from the hygromorphs of plants to the permeability evolution of coals during methane production, can be systematically explained by bridging surface science with poromechanics. I will also explore how the same interfacial processes can accelerate the failure of brittle materials, from subcritical cracking of glass to the environment-enhanced degradation of large dams. Finally, I will highlight how this research theme paves the way for engineering innovations in civil infrastructure and materials.

Bio:

Yida Zhang is an Associate Professor in the Geotechnical Engineering and Geomechanics group within the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. He obtained his PhD degree from Northwestern University in 2016, MS degree from Louisiana State University in 2012, and BS degree from Zhejiang University in 2010, all in Civil Engineering. His research focuses on the physical-chemical-mechanical processes occurring at the molecular, pore, grain, and meso scales to better understand the emergent macro-scale behavior of geomaterials. He is a 2023 recipient of the NSF CAREER award.