Riaz Bhanbhro
Understanding the ground beneath our infrastructure — from Swedish tailings dams to the canals of Sindh. Currently researching tailings dam safety
Studied, worked & collaborated with
Research in Sweden, leadership in Pakistan.
Civil and geotechnical engineer, researcher and academic leader working where laboratory soil mechanics meets real infrastructure.
Dr. Riaz Bhanbhro is a civil and geotechnical engineer with more than 20 years of experience across research in Sweden, academic leadership in Pakistan and international consultancy. He earned his PhD and Licentiate at Luleå University of Technology, Sweden, carrying out advanced laboratory research on Swedish tailings dams under the supervision of Professor Sven Knutsson.
His research covers tailings dam safety, soil mechanics, foundation engineering, slope stability, ground improvement, sustainable geomaterials and canal embankment stabilisation, together with geotechnical risk assessment for urban and mining infrastructure. He has secured PKR 24.2 million in competitive research funding as Principal Investigator and publishes in ASCE, Springer and other international journals.
He serves as Professor and Head of the Geotechnical Laboratory at Quaid-e-Awam University of Engineering, Science & Technology (QUEST), Nawabshah. He also holds an MBA in Industrial Economics and Management from Blekinge Institute of Technology, Sweden, and received the World Bank PforR Award (2023) for geotechnical project management.
Research strata
Read it like a borehole log. Each layer is a research theme — select one to see what lies beneath, and the papers that came out of it.
From Nawabshah to Luleå and back.
Academic positions and degrees — a path through Swedish research labs and Pakistani lecture halls.
Grants that moved the ground.
Competitive funding secured as Principal Investigator, and recognitions along the way.
Awards & honours
- 2023World Bank PforR AwardBest performance in geotechnical project management
- 2015J. Gust Richert GrantSWECO Sweden — tailings dam research excellence
- 2011HEC Pakistan PhD ScholarshipFull scholarship for doctoral studies in Sweden
- 2007Vice-Chancellor's Best Graduate AwardQuaid-e-Awam University, Nawabshah
Papers & books
Search, filter by type or theme, or click a year on the chart. Full citation list on ResearchGate.
Research-led, problem-based.
Courses taught with full responsibility — design, delivery and examination — with case studies drawn from live geotechnical projects. Pedagogy in Higher Education, Luleå University of Technology.
Doctoral supervision
- Sustainable geomaterials for embankment construction — successfully defended
- Canal embankment stabilisation with sustainable binders
- Recycled aggregates and waste materials in geotechnical applications
- Numerical modelling of ground improvement for infrastructure
- Geotechnical properties and stabilisation of dredged sediments
Conferences & talks
- 2024Organiser & session moderator, TechXchange 2024 International Conference — 150+ participants, 12 countries
- 2023Organiser, 5th National Conference on Energy, Geotechnical & Environmental Engineering
- 2021Programme Committee, 6th Civil Engineering International World Conference
- 2019Speaker, ECSMGE-2019, Reykjavik, Iceland
- 2015Speaker, Pan-American Conference on Soil Mechanics, Buenos Aires
In their words
Students and colleagues on learning and working together.
Lab, field & classroom
Moments from laboratory work, field investigations, conferences and teaching.
Notes from the field & the classroom.
Essays on geotechnics, research funding and academic life — plus slides, notes and recordings for students.
Latest posts
All posts →Latest lectures
All lectures →Let's build on solid ground.
Open to research collaboration, PhD supervision, consultancy on tailings and embankment projects, and invited talks.