大地風險工程暨尖端技術研究中心

The geological condition in Taiwan is often characterized by its complexity and high degrees of spatial variability, along with the weather impact by seismic activities and typhoons, the engineers always need to deal with challenges that are related to geotechnical engineering. Furthermore, the engineers may also need to consider the risks associated with possible variabilities in geotechnical designs and analyses. It is because that the design schemes have switched gradually from working stress design to reliability-based design over the past 20 years. With the development of high technology, big data, or artificial intelligence, the applications of different techniques in geotechnical engineering can even bring new viewpoints in designs and analyses aspects. Therefore, the GeoRisk Engineering and Advanced Technologies (GREAT) Center aims at the application of risk analysis in geotechnical engineering by considering interdisciplinary fields, including geology, engineering, risk analysis, and advanced technologies. Consequently, the research outcomes would be beneficial for societal development, academic achievement, and global sustainability.
The following tasks will be implemented to reach the goal of being a distinguished research center among similar institutes, including: (1) recruiting and nurturing promising students or young researchers, organizing an international georisk research team; (2) promoting international collaborations and communications by various academic activities. Participations in international academic organizations. (3) Societal contributions and services by introducing research outcomes to the relevant government agencies. (4) Collaborations with industries by conducting important projects and sharing key results and techniques.
In terms of research aspects, the GREAT center focuses on renewable energy, geotechnical disaster prevention, and water resource management with the application of big data, AIoT, advanced investigation, physical and numerical modeling. Recent relevant topics include (1) foundation design and monitoring of offshore wind turbines. (2) Refined liquefaction analyses. (3) Landslide and debris flow analysis and monitoring. (4) Water resource management and land subsidence. (5) Pipeline design and monitoring. In the long run, the research aspects will focus on the core topics in the national “Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program”, including Green energy, Water environments, and Railways. With the viewpoints of Georisk analysis, the GREAT center will investigate the relevant topics such as geothermal power, radioactive waste storage, carbon storage, and railway transportations. The GREAT center will continue working hard on the development/collection of local geotechnical parameter databases and key techniques and promoting the inclusion of risk analysis and advanced technologies for national design codes. 
By arranging the following activities, the GREAT center expects ourselves to be an international and distinguished research center and on a par with the distinguished organizations in terms of research achievements and contributions. The activities include: (1) hosting international collaboration activities such as conferences, and training courses, (2) recruiting promising and outstanding researchers, (3) upgrading the research achievement and project-implementation abilities with the mentoring by Yushan Scholar and distinguished researchers. (4) Engagement in international academic organizations or journals (such as NGI, PEER, DPRI, ASCE, ISRM, IAEG, LEAP, AGU, EGU, JPGU, ICL, AOGS) (5) long-term collaboration with institutes of international reputations.