Dr Andrea Franza is Assistant Professor of Geotechnical Engineering. His research bridges geotechnical and structural engineering. For this, he employs analytical and numerical modelling along with reduced-scale physical testing and field monitoring. He holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Nottingham (UK) and had postdoctoral experience at the Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction at the University of Cambridge and the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.
Currently, he is currently Associate Editor for the journal Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology. He represents the Danish Geotechnical Society as a nominated member of ISSMGE Technical Committees TC204 (Underground Construction) and TC308 (Energy Geotechnics).
EDUCATION
Civil Engineering, PhD, University of Nottingham
2013 → 2016
Civil Engineering, Msc (cum laude), Marche Polytechnic University
2010 → 2013
Civil Engineering, BSc (cum laude), Marche Polytechnic University
2007 → 2010
Load transfer mechanisms for capped and uncapped non-displacement piles above tunnels: a centrifuge modelling study Chuanjin Tang, Andrea Franza, Jingmin Xu, Alec M. Marshall Geotechnique, 2025 This paper presents results from geotechnical centrifuge tests of tunnelling in dry dense sand beneath loaded non-displacement piles, focusing on the effect of a pile cap (representative also of a raft or grade beam) in contact with the soil surface on load transfer mechanisms. Experiments included loading tests to ascertain the foundation capacity and load–displacement response in the presence/absence of an underlying model tunnel. Individual ‘reference’ pile response is compared for cases with and without a pile cap, including pile displacements and load distributions between the head, shaft and base; the case of ‘friction’ piles with a compressible base is also considered. Results show that uncapped piles with relatively large service loads experience ‘geotechnical failure’ (i.e. large settlements or a significant increase in settlement rate with tunnel volume loss) in order to mobilise base or shaft resistance. Pile caps are shown to reduce settlements and prevent geotechnical failure of both reference and friction piles; they also improve the post-tunnelling foundation performance under loading. The paper provides evidence to enable engineers to consider the beneficial role of shallow elements in contact with the surface on the performance of pile foundations both during and subsequent to tunnelling.
Empirical prediction of horizontal movements induced by tunnelling in fine-grained soils Eugene K. L. Wong, Andrea Franza, Giulia M. B. Viggiani Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 2025 For tunnelling in fine-grained soils, available evidence indicates that the focal depth of displacement vectors along the ground surface decreases with the transverse distance from the tunnel centre-line. Based on field and centrifuge observations, this paper presents a new empirical method in which the focal depth is a function of the transverse offset and, possibly, the tunnel volume loss. The comparison with experimental data from centrifuge experiments and case histories confirms the reliability of the proposed method, in terms of both surface horizontal displacements and strains. In particular, the predicted horizontal displacement profiles, both in terms of maximum value and extent, are in better agreement with the available experimental evidence than those obtained using the empirical and analytical methods currently adopted in design. Finally, an operational way to obtain the complete horizontal displacement field at the surface, near-surface, and at depths down to the tunnel crown is suggested and the importance of carrying out field monitoring for surface and subsurface horizontal displacements is highlighted.
A multi-sensing monitoring system to study deterioration of a railway bridge 9th International Conference on Structural Health Monitoring of Intelligent Infrastructure Transferring Research into Practice Shmii 2019 Conference Proceedings, 2019
Structural health monitoring of a masonry viaduct with Fibre Bragg Grating sensors IABSE Symposium Guimaraes 2019 Towards A Resilient Built Environment Risk and Asset Management Report, 2019
Semi-analytical prediction of ground movements due to shallow tunnels in sand Geotechnical Engineering for Infrastructure and Development Proceedings of the Xvi European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering Ecsmge 2015, 2015
Analytical investigation of soil deformation patterns above tunnels in sandy soil Geotechnical Engineering for Infrastructure and Development Proceedings of the Xvi European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering Ecsmge 2015, 2015
RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Underground energy storage using man-made CO2 hydrate geo-capsules O Lev-Yehudi, Q Ouyang, A Franza, N von Solms, A Klar Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology 168, 107203 , 2026 2026 Citations: 3
Introducing tunnel kinematic constraints into an elastic continuum formulation of tunnel–soil–pipeline interaction A Klar, A Franza, M Zhou, HW Huang Géotechnique 75 (13), 126-135 , 2025 2025 Citations: 12
Experimental study of sugar-induced sand cementation in dry conditions G Sorrentino, A Franza Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment, 100765 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Synthesis of CO2 hydrate capsules in partially water-saturated sediment as vessels for underground mechanical energy storage: promoting effect of tetrahydrofuran and cyclopentane Q Ouyang, O Lev-Yehudi, JS Pandey, A Franza, I Rocchi, A Klar, ... Fluid Phase Equilibria 595, 114428 , 2025 2025 Citations: 5
Pumped underground hydroelectric energy storage system in sand: an overview of the field trials in Foulum, Denmark A Franza, KK Sørensen, HH Stutz 3rd International Conference on Energy Geotechnics 2025 , 2025 2025
Required Research Steps Towards the Realization of CO2-Hydrate Geo-Capsules for Underground Mechanical Energy Storage A Klar, A Franza, N von Solms, OL Yehudi, AM Tang, Q Llabjani, ... 3rd International Conference on Energy Geotechnics 2025 , 2025 2025
Tunnelling-induced wall damage: An appraisal of elastoplastic constitutive models for masonry Y Yu, A Franza, B Ghiassi, LC Neves, AM Marshall Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology 156, 106240 , 2025 2025 Citations: 8
Semi-analytical model for three-dimensional tunnelling-induced movements in undrained soil A Franza, AGJ Ali, SB Ehlers ECCOMAS Thematic Conference on Computational Methods and Information Models … , 2025 2025
Ground movements induced by a deep excavation in Copenhagen: comparison of prediction methods with monitoring data A Hernandez-Guardado, F Petrella, A Franza ITA-AITES World Tunnel Congress 2025 (WTC 2025), 1460-1467 , 2025 2025
Empirical prediction of horizontal movements induced by tunnelling in fine-grained soils EKL Wong, A Franza, GMB Viggiani Canadian Geotechnical Journal 62 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
Load transfer mechanisms for capped and uncapped non-displacement piles above tunnels: a centrifuge modelling study C Tang, A Franza, J Xu, AM Marshall Géotechnique 75 (4), 550–562 , 2025 2025 Citations: 8
A study of pile row barriers close to the retaining wall of a deep excavation to protect existing tunnels: physical testing and a case history X He, A Franza, X Luo, N Jiang, Y Yin Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment 83 (10), 416 , 2024 2024 Citations: 4
Effects of relative density and dilatancy on stress and deformation arching of sand over an active trapdoor XY Liu, A Franza, R Jimenez Computers and Geotechnics 173, 106485 , 2024 2024 Citations: 15
A tz approach for the design of axially loaded piles in consolidating soil AE Detlefsen, A Franza, KK Sørensen Proceedings of the XVIII ECSMGE 2024, 448-451 , 2024 2024
Comparison of floating and end-bearing pile wall barriers for tunnelling in layered soil A Franza Proceedings of the XVIII ECSMGE 2024, 1626-1629 , 2024 2024 Citations: 2
A novel mechanical energy storage solution using underground CO2 hydrate capsules O Lev Yehudi, A Franza, N von Solms, A Klar Proceedings of the XVIII ECSMGE 2024, 3094-3099 , 2024 2024 Citations: 3
Setup and calibration of piles with FBG strain sensors in a geotechnical centrifuge C Tang, AM Marshall, CM Heron, A Franza, J Xu Proceedings of the XVIII ECSMGE 2024, 2667-2670 , 2024 2024 Citations: 1
Effect of infill nonlinearity on frame response to tunnelling Y Yu, A Franza, L Neves, AM Marshall Geotechnical Aspects of Underground Construction in Soft Ground (IS-Macau … , 2024 2024 Citations: 2
A continuum analysis of piles affected by an advancing tunnel excavation during centrifuge tests with a miniature TBM EKL Wong, A Franza, ASN Alagha, GMB Viggiani Geotechnical Aspects of Underground Construction in Soft Ground (IS-Macau … , 2024 2024 Citations: 2
General Report–sustainability and resilience of underground infrastructure A Franza Geotechnical Aspects of Underground Construction in Soft Ground (IS-Macau … , 2024 2024
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
A simplified elastic analysis of tunnel-piled structure interaction A Franza, AM Marshall, T Haji, AO Abdelatif, S Carbonari, M Morici Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology 61, 104-121 , 2017 2017 Citations: 163
Greenfield tunnelling in sands: the effects of soil density and relative depth A Franza, AM Marshall, B Zhou Géotechnique 69 (4), 297-307 , 2019 2019 Citations: 139
Empirical and semi-analytical methods for evaluating tunnelling-induced ground movements in sands A Franza, AM Marshall Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology 88, 47-62 , 2019 2019 Citations: 89
Centrifuge Modeling Study of the Response of Piled Structures to Tunneling A Franza, AM Marshall Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering 144 (2), 04017109 , 2018 2018 Citations: 84
Elastoplastic solutions to predict tunneling-induced load redistribution and deformation of surface structures A Franza, MJ DeJong Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering 145 (4) , 2019 2019 Citations: 68
Centrifuge and real-time hybrid testing of tunnelling beneath piles and piled buildings A Franza, AM Marshall Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering 145 (3), 04018110 , 2019 2019 Citations: 61
Tunnel-framed building interaction: comparison between raft and separate footing foundations J Xu, A Franza, AM Marshall, N Losacco, D Boldini Géotechnique 71 (7), 631-644 , 2021 2021 Citations: 60
Timoshenko beam models for the coupled analysis of building response to tunnelling A Franza, S Acikgoz, MJ DeJong Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology 96, 103160 , 2020 2020 Citations: 60
Response of Framed Buildings on Raft Foundations to Tunneling J Xu, A Franza, AM Marshall Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering 146 (11), 04020120 , 2020 2020 Citations: 55
Tunnelling and its effects on piles and piled structures A Franza University of Nottingham , 2016 2016 Citations: 50
Continuum solutions for tunnel-building interaction and a modified framework for deformation prediction A Franza, S Ritter, MJ DeJong Géotechnique 70 (2), 108-122 , 2020 2020 Citations: 49
Investigation of soil–pile–structure interaction induced by vertical loads and tunnelling A Franza, C Zheng, AM Marshall, R Jimenez Computers and Geotechnics 139, 104386 , 2021 2021 Citations: 47
Building Deformation Caused by Tunneling: Centrifuge Modeling S Ritter, G Giardina, A Franza, MJ DeJong Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering 146 (5), 04020017 , 2020 2020 Citations: 44
Non-linear soil-pile interaction induced by ground settlements: pile displacements and internal forces A Franza, AM Marshall, R Jimenez Géotechnique 71 (3), 239-249 , 2021 2021 Citations: 42
Mixed empirical-numerical method for investigating tunneling effects on structures T Haji, AM Marshall, A Franza Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology 73, 92-104 , 2018 2018 Citations: 37
Numerical evaluation of scour effects on lateral behavior of pile groups in clay Z Wang, H Zhou, A Franza, H Liu Computers and Geotechnics 150, 104913 , 2022 2022 Citations: 36
Pile groups under vertical and inclined eccentric loads: Elastoplastic modelling for performance based design A Franza, B Sheil Computers and Geotechnics 135, 104092 , 2021 2021 Citations: 35
Tunneling-Induced Deformation of Bare Frame Structures on Sand: Numerical Study of Building Deformations D Boldini, N Losacco, A Franza, MJ DeJong, J Xu, AM Marshall Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering 147 (11) , 2021 2021 Citations: 30
Role of Shear Deformability on the Response of Tunnels and Pipelines to Single and Twin Tunneling A Franza, GMB Viggiani Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering 147 (12), 04021145 , 2021 2021 Citations: 25
Discussion: Greenfield tunnelling in sands: the effects of soil density and relative depth A Franza, AM Marshall, B Zhou, N Shirlaw, S Boone Géotechnique 70 (7), 639-646 , 2020 2020 Citations: 24
