PhD
Faculty of Harbor, Coastal and Offshore Engineering
Schoolof Ocean Science and Engineering
Shanghai Maritime University
Email: zmchao@shmtu.edu.cn
Zhiming Chao, born in 1991, is a Professor (Exceptional Promotion) and Doctoral Supervisor at Shanghai Maritime University, serving concurrently as Vice Dean of the School of Ocean Science and Engineering and Director of the Department of Harbor, Waterway and Coastal Engineering. He is the recipient of the Shanghai May Fourth Youth Medal and a Nominee for the Young Scientist Award of Maritime Power. Professor Chao has been selected into 5 national and provincial-level high-level talent programs, including:The 9th Young Elite Scientists Funding Program by China Association for Science and Technology (CAST, funded by CAST), Shanghai Overseas High-Level Young Talent Program (Shanghai Overseas Excellent Youth Scholar Project, funding: ¥1,000,000), The 1st Young Elite Scientists Funding Program by the Chinese Society of Navigation, Shanghai Talent Recruitment Program, Shanghai Science and Technology Commission High-Level Talent Program.He also holds multiple academic positions, such as: Director of the China Geosynthetics Association and Deputy Secretary-General of its International Cooperation Committee, Member of the Young Professionals Committee of the International Geosynthetics Society, Member of the 1st Young Expert Committee of the Chinese Society of Navigation, Member of the Youth Working Committee of the China Geosynthetics Engineering Association, Member of the Cold Region Soil Mechanics Branch of the Chinese Society for Rock Mechanics and Engineering.
Professor Chao specializes in port and marine geotechnical engineering, mechanical properties and reinforcement technology of calcareous sand, and application of artificial intelligence in marine geotechnical engineering. Over the past 5 years, he has achieved remarkable results in related fields: Published over 40 SCI-indexed papers, including more than 30 as the first or corresponding author in international top journals such as Geotextiles and Geomembranes (IF=4.7), Construction and Building Materials (IF=7.4), Ocean Engineering (IF=4.6), and Underground Space (IF=8.2). These include 6 ESI Highly Cited Papers and 23 JCR Q1 papers.Published 7 EI-indexed journal papers, all as the first author.Obtained over 10 authorized national invention patents, including 9 as the first inventor.Won multiple awards, such as the Chinese Society of Navigation Science and Technology Progress Award (Ranking first), China Port Association Youth Science and Technology Award, Shanghai Marine Youth Science and Technology Innovation Award, 2020 UK Best Student Paper Award of the International Geosynthetics Society (the only recipient in the UK), and Shanghai Municipal Education Commission Merit Award.He has presided over 16 research projects with a total research fund of over ¥5,000,000, including national, provincial, and ministerial-level projects:1 National Natural Science Foundation of China (General Program) and 1 Youth Program,1 China Postdoctoral Science Foundation Special Grant and 1 General Grant and 7 provincial-level projects (e.g., Shanghai Natural Science Foundation General Program, Shanghai Science and Technology Commission Rising-Star Program, Shanghai Science and Technology Commission Soft Science Research Program).
June 2017 ~June 2021, PhD in the major of Engineering, University of Warwick, UK
Supervisor: Dr. Gary Fowmes, former Chairman of the UK Chapter of the International Geosynthetics Society.
Juner 2014~June 2017, Master study in the major of Harbor, Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Hohai University,
Supervisor: Prof. Huanling Wang
October 2024~Present, Professor (Exceptional promotion), Vice Dean of the School of Marine Science and Engineering, Shanghai Maritime University
Team Leader: Prof. Danda Shi, Director of the University's Science and Technology Department.
December 2022-Present, Part-time Postdoctoral Fellowship, Hohai University, Supervisor: Prof. Jinhai Zheng, President of Hohai University and National Distinguished Young Scholar.
July 2021-October 2024, Associate Professor, College of Marine Science and Engineering, Shanghai Maritime University,
Research Projects
1. 2025.01 – 2028.12: National Natural Science Foundation of China (General Program) – "Study on the Time-Varying Evolution Effect of Macro-Mesoscopic Mechanics and Bearing Performance of Geogrid-Reinforced Calcareous Sand under the Combined Action of Temperature and Humidity" (Funding: ¥480,000)
2. 2024.01 – 2026.12: National Natural Science Foundation of China (Youth Program) – "Study on Macro-Mesoscopic Mechanical Properties of Calcareous Sand-Geogrid Interface Considering Temperature Effect" (Funding: ¥300,000)
3. 2023.12 – 2026.12: Young Elite Scientists Funding Program by CAST – "Study on Intelligent Analysis Method for Stability of Marine Soft Soil Foundation" (Funding: ¥300,000)
4. 2024.06 – 2026.06: China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Special Grant) – "Study on Macro-Mesoscopic Mechanical Properties of Geogrid-Reinforced Calcareous Sand under the Combined Action of Temperature and Humidity" (Funding: ¥180,000)
5. 2023.06 – 2025.06: China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (General Grant) – "Study on Macro-Mesoscopic Mechanical Properties of Geogrid-Reinforced Calcareous Sand Considering Temperature Effect" (Funding: ¥80,000)
6. 2022.12 – 2026.12: Shanghai Overseas High-Level Young Talent Program – "Study on the Interaction Mechanism between Marine Soil and Structures Considering Temperature Effect" (Funding: ¥1,000,000)
7. 2022.12 – 2023.12: Young Elite Scientists Funding Program by the Chinese Society of Navigation – "Stability Analysis of Port Wharf Structures under Temperature Action"
8. 2023.04 – 2026.03: Shanghai Natural Science Foundation (General Program) – "Interface Interaction and Foundation Stability Analysis of Geogrid-Reinforced Marine Soft Soil under Coupled Temperature and Dry-Wet Cycles" (Funding: ¥200,000)
9. 2022.04 – 2025.03: Shanghai Science and Technology Commission Rising-Star Cultivation (Yangfan) Program – "Study on Mechanical Properties of Soil-Reinforcement Interface of Geogrid-Reinforced Marine Soft Soil Foundation under Coupled Temperature Effect and Dry-Wet Cycles" (Funding: ¥200,000)
10. 2023.03 – 2024.02: Shanghai "Science and Technology Innovation Action Plan" Soft Science Research Program – "Study on Land Reuse Path of Closed Coastal Landfills in Shanghai under the Dual Carbon Goals" (Funding: ¥50,000)
11. 2022.03 – 2023.03: Project of Sichuan Key Laboratory of Disaster Mechanics and Engineering Disaster Prevention (Sichuan University) – "Study on Slip Instability Mechanism of Geogrid-Reinforced Expansive Soil Slope along the Soil-Reinforcement Interface under Dry-Wet Cycles"
12. 2023.01 – 2024.12: Open Project of Key Laboratory of Estuary and Coastal Traffic Industry – "Stability Analysis of Geogrid-Reinforced Sand Shallow Embankment under Wave Dynamic Load"
13. 2023.01 – 2024.12: Open Project of Key Laboratory of Coastal Disaster and Protection of the Ministry of Education (Hohai University) – "Stability Analysis of Geogrid-Reinforced Calcareous Sand Coastal Embankment under Wave Dynamic Load"
14. 2023.01 – 2025.12: High-Level Talent Introduction Program of Shanghai Maritime University – "Stability Analysis of Geogrid-Reinforced Calcareous Sand Slope under Dry-Wet Cycles" (Funding: ¥150,000)
Representative Papers
Professor Chao has published dozens of SCI-indexed papers in related fields, including over 30 papers as the first or corresponding author in internationally renowned journals such as Geotextiles and Geomembranes, Geosynthetics International, Underground Space, Ocean Engineering, and Construction and Building Materials. Additionally, Professor Chao has published nearly 10 EI-indexed papers.
1. Chao Z, Shi D, Fowmes G, et al. Artificial intelligence algorithms for predicting peak shear strength of clayey soil-geomembrane interfaces and experimental validation[J]. Geotextiles and Geomembranes, 2023. (SCI, IF=4.7, JCR Q1, ESI Highly Cited Paper)
2. Chao Z, Shi D, Zheng J. Experimental research on temperature-dependent dynamic interface interaction between marine coral sand and polymer layer[J]. Ocean Engineering, 2024, 297: 117100. (SCI, IF=4.6, JCR Q1, ESI Highly Cited Paper)
3. Chao Z, Dang Y, Pan Y, et al. Prediction of the shale gas permeability: A data mining approach[J]. Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment, 2023, 33: 100435. (SCI, IF=3.3, JCR Q1, ESI Highly Cited Paper)
4. Chao Z, Fowmes G, Mousa A, et al. A new large-scale shear apparatus for testing geosynthetics-soil interfaces incorporating thermal condition[J]. Geotextiles and Geomembranes, 2024, 52(5): 999-1010. (SCI, IF=4.7, JCR Q1, ESI Highly Cited Paper)
5. Chao Z, Zhou J, Shi D, Zheng J. Particle size effect on the mechanical behavior of coral sand – geogrid interfaces[J]. Geosynthetics International, 2025, 1-17. (SCI, IF=4.5, JCR Q1, ESI Highly Cited Paper)
6. Chao Z, Li Z, Dong Y, et al. Estimating compressive strength of coral sand aggregate concrete in marine environment by combining physical experiments and machine learning-based techniques[J]. Ocean Engineering, 2024, 308: 118320. (SCI, IF=4.6, JCR Q1, ESI Highly Cited Paper)
7. Chao Z, Wang H, Hu S, et al. Permeability and porosity of light-weight concrete with plastic waste aggregate: Experimental study and machine learning modelling[J]. Construction and Building Materials, 2024, 411: 134465. (SCI, IF=7.4, JCR Q1)
8. Chao Z, Ma G, Xiewen H, et al. Experimental research on stress-dependent permeability and porosity of compact sandstone with different moisture saturations[J]. Journal of Natural Gas Science & Engineering, 2020, 84: 103639. (SCI, IF=4.9, JCR Q1)
9. Chao Z, Ma G, Xiewen H, et al. Research on anisotropic permeability and porosity of columnar jointed rock masses during cyclic loading and unloading based on physical model experiments[J]. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment, 2020, 79(10): 5433-5454. (SCI, IF=3.7, JCR Q1)
10. Chao Z, Wang H, et al. Experimental study on permeability of columnar jointed rock masses[J]. Chinese Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, 2016, 38(8): 1407-1416. (EI)
Professor Chao has obtained 9 national invention patents as the first inventor:
1. July 2018: Method for determining the sensitivity of permeability and porosity to effective stress in fractured rock masses. Patent No. ZL201610064446.X, National Invention Patent (First Inventor)
2. June 2018: Method for preparing fractured rock mass samples with through-going fractures based on 3D printing technology. Patent No. ZL201511018137.0, National Invention Patent (First Inventor)
3. June 2018: Method for preparing columnar jointed rock mass samples with non-filled hidden joints. Patent No. ZL201511016772.5, National Invention Patent (First Inventor)
4. June 2018: Method for preparing columnar jointed rock mass samples with filled hidden joints. Patent No. ZL201511023783.6, National Invention Patent (First Inventor)
5. June 2018: Method for preparing fractured rock mass samples with non-through fractures based on 3D printing technology. Patent No. ZL201511019619.8, National Invention Patent (First Inventor)
6. May 2018: Method for quantitatively determining the permeability anisotropy of fractured rock masses. Patent No. ZL201610065036.7, National Invention Patent (First Inventor)
7. February 2018: Method for determining the sensitivity of permeability in different directions of fractured rock masses to porosity. Patent No. ZL201610064275.0, National Invention Patent (First Inventor)
8. December 2017: Method for rapidly preparing samples with different water saturation levels. Patent No. ZL201510364803.X, National Invention Patent (First Inventor)
9. November 2017: Method for determining the volume of representative elementary rock mass units. Patent No. ZL201511022607.0, National Invention Patent (First Inventor)
1. 2024: Shanghai May Fourth Youth Medal
2. 2024: Nominee for the Young Scientist Award of Maritime Power
3. 2025: Chinese Society of Navigation Science and Technology Progress Award (Ranking first)
4. 2025: China Port Association Youth Science and Technology Award
5. 2025: Shanghai Marine Youth Science and Technology Innovation Award
6. 2020: UK Best Student Paper Award of the International Geosynthetics Society (Only 1 recipient in the UK)
7. 2018: Excellent Master's Thesis of Jiangsu Province
8. 2024: Shanghai Municipal Education Commission Merit Award
Teaching Courses
Graduate Program: Marine Geotechnical Engineering
Bachelor Program: Soil Mechanics, Soil Mechanics Laboratory, Construction Law
Awards of Supervised Students
2023: Supervised master's student Yabin Dang, who received the Graduate National Scholarship
2024: Supervised master's student Zhikang Li, who received the Graduate National Scholarship
2024: Supervised master's student Hui Liu, who received the Graduate National Scholarship
(Resume information as of 2025.9)