VJ Tech Limited is pleased to announce a new collaboration with Geoquip Marine and the University of Bristol, bringing together industry expertise and academic research to advance understanding in offshore geotechnics.
The partnership began in November 2025 and centres on the use of a Dynamic Simple Shear with Confining Pressure (DSS-C) system supplied by VJ Tech. The equipment has been provided on a loan basis and installed at the University of Bristol through their existing collaborative agreement with Geoquip Marine, where it will support ongoing research into soil behaviour under cyclic loading conditions relevant to offshore and nuclear engineering projects.
The collaboration was established to create a valuable learning and research resource for the University of Bristol, as well as to build a relationship between the University and VJ Tech. A key objective of the partnership is to bring together practical industry experience and academic research capability to improve the understanding of complex geotechnical behaviour of geomaterials in challenging operational environments.
Dr. Tingfa Liu, Senior Lecturer of the University of Bristol and academic lead of the partnership, said:
“We are thrilled to launch this collaboration and grateful for the all-around support VJ Tech has offered. The partnership reflects our shared values and vision in advanced geotechnical equipment development, offshore site investigation and laboratory testing, and integrate seamlessly with University of Bristol’s research priorities in offshore and nuclear engineering to support the development of key infrastructure projects. Intensive testing programmes with the DSS-C system are underway on several challenging offshore materials, and we look forward to sharing the research experience, findings and innovations with our industrial partners and the wider geotechnical community.”
The DSS-C system is being used by researchers and students to investigate soil response under cyclic loading with controlled confining pressure. This type of testing is increasingly important for offshore wind, subsea infrastructure, and nuclear projects where accurate characterisation of soil behaviour is essential for design reliability, long-term performance and safety.
Niall Bonner – recipient of the inaugural Geotechnical Design prize funded by Geoquip Marine for top-performing Civil Engineering students in the University of Bristol – introduced further details of his ongoing research project with the equipment:
“I investigated the monotonic and cyclic simple shear behaviour of glauconite sand – a material increasingly encountered in offshore site investigations. The DSS-C apparatus was central to this research, enabling verified specimen saturation and direct pore water pressure measurement. These are key advantages over conventional DSS testing and also allowed investigation into test results obtained from different types of simple shear apparatuses. The support received from VJ Tech has been invaluable, beginning with the initial apparatus training and continuing throughout the testing programme. The findings contribute new experimental data on glauconitic sand behaviour under stress paths relevant to offshore foundation loading, with direct implications for the design of offshore wind turbine foundations – an important area as the renewable sector continues to expand nationally and globally.”
In addition to supporting academic research, the collaboration provides an opportunity for VJ Tech to gain valuable insight into how the system performs in a research environment. Feedback from the University of Bristol will contribute directly to ongoing product development and continuous improvement of the equipment, which in turn will enable higher quality and more complex research and better commercial testing for future projects.
The collaboration has been designed as a mutually beneficial partnership. For the University of Bristol, the DSS-C system provides access to advanced testing capability that will support both current research and future student projects. For Geoquip Marine and VJ Tech, the partnership creates an opportunity to contribute directly to academic research while gaining deeper insight into real-world testing requirements and emerging industry challenges.
Dr. Mingnan Li, Research and Development Engineer of Geoquip Marine, has facilitated the collaboration and contributed significantly from the perspective of commercial laboratory testing. Mingnan commented:
“The collaboration with both our academic and supplier partners will always enable us to drive innovation in testing technologies and reinforce our position in offshore geotechnical testing”.
VJ Tech looks forward to working closely with Geoquip Marine and the University of Bristol throughout the project and to sharing further updates as the research progresses.
