Dr Guilherme Barros
Research Associate
School of Engineering
Career Summary
Biography
Dr Guilherme Barros holds a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from Fluminense Federal University (UFF), an M.Sc. in Civil Engineering from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Newcastle. His research focuses on applying machine learning techniques to predict rockfall hazards, the coupling of numerical methods for simulating seismic wave propagation in unbounded domains, and computational approaches to limit analysis and solid modelling. His work bridges data-driven and physics-based methods to improve the assessment and prediction of geotechnical and structural behaviour.
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering, University of Newcastle
- Master of Civil Engineering, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro
Keywords
- Boundary Element Method
- Computational Mechanics
- Discrete Element Method
- Finite Element Method
- Limit Analysis
- Seismic Wave Propagation
- Solid Modeling
- Structural Dynamics
- Topology Optimisation
Languages
- Portuguese (Mother)
- English (Fluent)
- Italian (Working)
Fields of Research
| Code | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 409903 | Granular mechanics | 10 |
| 460207 | Modelling and simulation | 30 |
| 401707 | Solid mechanics | 10 |
| 461103 | Deep learning | 20 |
| 401902 | Geomechanics and resources geotechnical engineering | 30 |
Professional Experience
UON Appointment
| Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|
| Research Associate | University of Newcastle School of Engineering Australia |
Awards
Award
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2025 |
AGS NSW Research Award Australian Geomechanics Society |
Teaching
| Code | Course | Role | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| CIVL3180 |
Structural Analysis 2 The University of Newcastle |
Lecturer | 19/2/2024 - 15/4/2024 |
| FNEG1003 |
Engineering Computations and Procedural Programming The University of Newcastle |
Tutor | 27/7/2021 - 29/12/2021 |
| ENGG1002 |
Introduction to Engineering Computations The University of Newcastle |
Tutor | 29/7/2020 - 29/12/2020 |
| CIVL2720 |
Transportation Engineering and Design The University of Newcastle |
Tutor | 22/2/2022 - 5/6/2022 |
| CIVL2720 |
Transportation Engineering and Design The University of Newcastle |
Tutor | 6/8/2020 - 29/12/2020 |
Publications
For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.
Chapter (1 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 |
Barros GCG, Parente E, Martha LF, 'Consideration of Structural Member Deformation Constraints Using Lagrange Multipliers', EngOpt 2018 Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Engineering Optimization, Springer International Publishing 801-814 (2019)
|
Journal article (6 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
Guccione DE, Barros G, Thoeni K, Huang Z, Giacomini A, Buzzi O, 'A New Stochastic Rockfall Fragmentation Approach for Lumped Mass Simulations', Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering (2025) [C1]
|
Open Research Newcastle | |||||||||
| 2024 |
Barros G, Pereira A, Rojek J, Carter J, Thoeni K, 'Time domain coupling of the boundary and discrete element methods for 3D problems', COMPUTATIONAL MECHANICS, 74, 779-797 (2024) [C1]
This paper presents an extension of the authors' previously developed interface coupling technique for 2D problems to 3D problems. The method combines the strength... [more] This paper presents an extension of the authors' previously developed interface coupling technique for 2D problems to 3D problems. The method combines the strengths of the Discrete Element Method (DEM), known for its adeptness in capturing discontinuities and non-linearities at the microscale, and the Boundary Element Method (BEM), known for its efficiency in modelling wave propagation within infinite domains. The 3D formulation is based on spherical discrete elements and bilinear quadrilateral boundary elements. The innovative coupling methodology overcomes a critical limitation by enabling the representation of discontinuities within infinite domains, a pivotal development for large-scale dynamic problems. The paper systematically addresses challenges, with a focus on interface compatibility, showcasing the method's accuracy through benchmark validation on a finite rod and infinite spherical cavity. Finally, a model of a column embedded into the ground illustrates the versatility of the approach in handling complex scenarios with multiple domains. This innovative coupling approach represents a significant leap in the integration of DEM and BEM for 3D problems and opens avenues for tackling complex and realistic problems in various scientific and engineering domains.
|
Open Research Newcastle | |||||||||
| 2023 |
Barros G, Sapucaia V, Hartmann P, Pereira A, Rojek J, Thoeni K, 'A novel BEM-DEM coupling in the time domain for simulating dynamic problems in continuous and discontinuous media', COMPUTER METHODS IN APPLIED MECHANICS AND ENGINEERING, 410 (2023) [C1]
This work presents a novel scheme to couple the Boundary Element Method (BEM) and the Discrete Element Method (DEM) in the time domain. The DEM captures discontinuous m... [more] This work presents a novel scheme to couple the Boundary Element Method (BEM) and the Discrete Element Method (DEM) in the time domain. The DEM captures discontinuous material behaviour, such as fractured and granular media. However, applying the method to real-life applications embedded into infinite domains is challenging. The authors propose a solution to this challenge by coupling the DEM with the BEM. The capability of the BEM to model infinite domains accurately and efficiently, without the need for numerical artifices, makes it the perfect complement to the DEM. This study proposes a direct monolithic interface-based coupling method that resolves any incompatibilities between the two methods in two dimensions. The benchmark results show that the proposed methodology consistently produces results that align with analytical solutions. The final example in the paper showcases the full potential of this innovative methodology, where the DEM models a fracturing process, and the BEM evaluates its far-field effect.
|
Open Research Newcastle | |||||||||
| 2023 |
Barros G, Pereira A, Rojek J, Carter J, Thoeni K, 'Efficient multi-scale staggered coupling of discrete and boundary element methods for dynamic problems', COMPUTER METHODS IN APPLIED MECHANICS AND ENGINEERING, 415 (2023) [C1]
|
Open Research Newcastle | |||||||||
| 2022 |
Barros G, Pereira A, Rojek J, Thoeni K, 'DEM-BEM coupling in time domain for one-dimensional wave propagation', ENGINEERING ANALYSIS WITH BOUNDARY ELEMENTS, 135, 26-37 (2022) [C1]
This work presents a novel scheme to couple the Discrete Element Method (DEM) and the Boundary Element Method (BEM) for the multi-scale modelling in the time domain. Th... [more] This work presents a novel scheme to couple the Discrete Element Method (DEM) and the Boundary Element Method (BEM) for the multi-scale modelling in the time domain. The DEM can model discontinuous material at micro scale very well, but it cannot represent infinite domains. Hence, coupling with the BEM is proposed. A formulation employing the DEM and BEM in different subdomains of the same body is presented. There is no overlap between the sub-domains, and the system of equations is derived based on strong equilibrium and compatibility conditions at the interface. The proposed coupling scheme is based on monolithic time integration. The conducted numerical experiments of one-dimensional wave propagation show excellent agreement with the analytical solution. Some spurious wave reflections are observed at the interface, but their effect is quantified and deemed not critical for infinite domains, which are of main interest. Even though the applications for one-dimensional wave propagation are of limited practical engineering interest, this work represents a significant theoretical breakthrough. This paper establishes a reference for future coupling schemes for two- and three-dimensional multi-scale analysis.
|
Open Research Newcastle | |||||||||
| 2020 |
Bruno H, Barros G, Menezes IFM, Martha LF, 'Return-mapping algorithms for associative isotropic hardening plasticity using conic optimization', Applied Mathematical Modelling, 78, 724-748 (2020) [C1]
We present a mathematical programming approach for elastoplastic constitutive initial value problems. Consideration of the associative plasticity and a linear isotropic... [more] We present a mathematical programming approach for elastoplastic constitutive initial value problems. Consideration of the associative plasticity and a linear isotropic hardening model allowed us to formulate the local discrete constitutive equations as conic programs. Specifically, we demonstrate that implicit return-mapping schemes for well-known yield criteria, such as the Rankine, von Mises, Tresca, Drucker-Prager, and Mohr¿Coulomb criteria, can be expressed as second-order and semidefinite conic programs. Additionally, we propose a novel scheme for the numerical evaluation of the consistent elastoplastic tangent operator based on a first-order parameter derivative of the optimal solutions.
|
||||||||||
| Show 3 more journal articles | |||||||||||
Other (1 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 |
Barros G, Pereira A, Rojek J, Carter J, Thoeni K, 'Correction to: Time domain coupling of the boundary and discrete element methods for 3D problems', Computational Mechanics, 74, 799-803 (2024)
|
|||||||
Research Supervision
Number of supervisions
Past Supervision
| Year | Level of Study | Research Title | Program | Supervisor Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Masters |
The Influence of Material Layers on the Prediction of Rockfall Hazards for Highwalls <span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:medium;">Understanding rockfall occurrences is crucial for the operation in open-pit mines, as it can compromise the safety of workers and machinery. The design of most appropriate mitigation measures depends on the energy and position at first impact and total run-out. To estimate these rockfall hazard indicators, engineers rely on rockfall numerical analyses which require, as input, highly uncertain material parameters. To model the variability of such parameters, stochastic simulations are generally employed to estimate statistical distributions of the sought indicators. However, the description of the input parameters remains a bottleneck in this process. To overcome this hurdle, researchers have proposed ML data-driven predictions based on synthetic generated open pit 3D profiles obtained from Point Cloud models of several highwalls (Senanayake, et al. 2024). However, in their work, only a single material with representative average and standard deviation has been considered to capture the variability of the parameters for several sedimentary rocks usually observed in mine sites. In this work, a large amount of highwalls from NSW and QLD have been meticulously characterised to analyse the effect of their material layers into rockfall simulations and ML predictions. Results clearly evidence that the inclusion of material layers into the simulations substantially alter the rockfall indicators when compared to the ones obtained with the existing ML model. Hence, it is concluded that material layers must be considered for more advanced ML prediction models.</span> |
Environmental Engineering, The University of Parma | Co-Supervisor |
| 2024 | Masters |
Use of Machine Learning in Geotechnical Engineering: Rockfall Analysis <span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:medium;">This study investigates the effectiveness of implementing various Machine Learning (ML) techniques to analyse Rockfall hazards using simulated data extracted from high-resolution 3D photogrammetric models of 15 highwalls. In this study, two data calibration methods: Profile-Based Calibration (PBC) and Wall-Based Calibration (WBC), are incorporated with multiple ML regression models, including Multi-Linear Regression (MLR), Multi-Non-Linear Regression (MNLR), K-nearest neighbours (KNN), and Random Forest (RF). The seeder height, average slope angle, and slope local roughness are used as input variables, whereas total energy at first impact, initial impact position and final runout positions from the toe of walls are used as target variables. Various performance metrics including Mean Squared Error (MSE), Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), Normalized Root Mean Squared Error (NRMSE), and Coefficient of Determination (R2) were calculated and compared for all ML models. Our findings indicated that the PBC method outperformed the WBC method, and the RF model provided better predictions across all the target variables followed by the KNN, MNLR, and MLR models. The result outlines that the proposed methods provide reliable and fast predictions of rockfall trajectories.</span> |
Civil Engineering, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
Research Collaborations
The map is a representation of a researchers co-authorship with collaborators across the globe. The map displays the number of publications against a country, where there is at least one co-author based in that country. Data is sourced from the University of Newcastle research publication management system (NURO) and may not fully represent the authors complete body of work.
| Country | Count of Publications | |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 6 | |
| Australia | 5 | |
| Poland | 5 |
Dr Guilherme Barros
Position
Research Associate
Centre for Geotechnical Science and Engineering
School of Engineering
College of Engineering, Science and Environment
Contact Details
| guilherme.barros@newcastle.edu.au | |
| Mobile | 0413605080 |
Office
| Room | EA204 |
|---|---|
| Building | Engineering A |
| Location | Callaghan Campus University Drive Callaghan, NSW 2308 Australia |
