Rock Mechanics Lab at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is focused on studying the mechanical behavior of rock-like geomaterials. Along with the traditional characterization of rock properties for various applications, we are interested in coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical behavior and fracturing of fluid-saturated rock.  Novel experimental techniques, such as high pressure/high temperature testing, multi-phase fluid injection, acoustic emission, digital image correlation, and others, are utilized for characterization of rock behavior  with applications to geoenergy projects. We are working on carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and nuclear waste storage, hydraulic fracturing, and enhanced geothermal energy production trying to explain short- and long-term deformation, fluid transfer, induced seismicity, and failure of rock. We are also contributing to the development of highly efficient numerical codes simulating the coupled process in the underground formations and we use neural networks to enhance the laboratory and field data. On this website you can find information about our research, facilities, current events, publications, group members, undergraduate and graduate coursework descriptions, and our sustainability and recycling efforts on campus and beyond. We also have a YouTube channel called “Geomechanics & Sustainability” that contains some educational videos.