About

Dr.-Ing. Hem Bahadur Motra is a researcher and academic specializing in geomechanics, rock physics, and geotechnical engineering at the University of Kiel, Germany. His work advances the understanding of subsurface processes through innovative experimental and computational approaches.

He holds advanced degrees in civil and structural engineering and has completed extensive postdoctoral research in geotechnics, rock mechanics, and subsurface physics. As a research associate and head of the Geomechanics and Rock Mechanics Experimental Laboratory at Kiel University, he studies mechanical, thermal, and acoustic behavior of geomaterials under complex in situ conditions, bridging geosciences, civil engineering, and energy technologies.

He has authored 47 scientific documents with 920 citations and an h-index of 16, and has published in leading journals such as the International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, Applied Energy, and Geotechnical and Geological Engineering. He has led and collaborated on national and international projects funded by the DFG, DAAD, and the EU, and serves as an editorial board member and special issue editor for several journals.

Education and Qualification

PhD (Civil Engineering) · 2011-09 to 2014-10
Bauhaus-University Weimar, Germany
MS.C. (Civil Engineering) · 2008-08 to 2010-10
University of Hannover, Germany
Bachelor (Civil Engineering) · 2002-07 to 2006-11
Tribhuvan University Institute of Engineering, Nepal

Employment

Lecturer and Researcher (Geology) · 2014-10 to Present
Kiel University, Germany
Research Assistant (Civil Engineering) · 2011-01 to 2014-10
Bauhaus-University Weimar, Germany

Teaching

Geomechanics
Deep Excavation
Rock Mechanics
Fracture Mechanics
Geotechnical Engineering

Research Topics

Experimental rock mechanics/physics and geomechanics from micro to macro scale
Influence of fractures on the hydro-mechanical behavior of rockmasses
Flow and transport in fractured porous media
Geo-energy applications: CO2 and H2 storage, nuclear waste disposal, gas shales, geothermal energy
Rock-fluid interaction: poroelasticity, poroviscoelasticity, plasticity, permeability, porosity waves
Multi-scale data integration and upscaling issues
Research samples and laboratory data

Fellowships & Scholarships

SEA-EU Travel Cost Scholarship
Erasmus Teaching Grant
DAAD Scholarship (2008-2010)
Mahatma Gandhi Scholarship Scheme
Golden Jubilee Scholarship Scheme
EGU Higher Education Teaching Resources Grant 2025

Academic Memberships and Activities

Technical Committee Member, American Rock Mechanics Association (Hydraulic Fracturing, Tunneling, Underground Storage and Utilization, Induced Seismicity)
Technical Committee Member, International Association for Structural Safety and Reliability (IASSAR) Structural Safety and Reliability
Technical Committee Member, International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (Laboratory Stress-Strain Strength Testing of Geomaterials)
Expert section, Working Group Member German Geotechnical Society
Technical Committee, Commission 32, Internationl Association for Engineering Geology and the Environement (IAEG) (Engineering Geology and Rural Infrastructures)
Member of International Association of Rock Physicists
Alumnus of Future Ocean Excellence Cluster and Integrated Marine Postdoc Network
Member of European Geosciences Union (EGU),
Member of Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG),

Journal Editor and Reviewer Roles

Editorial Board Member, Discover Geoscience (Springer Nature)
Special Issue Editor “Reliability, Risk, and Hazard Assessment of Marine Structures” (Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, MDPI)
Topical Advisory Panel Member, Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (MDPI)
Special Issue Editor “Advances in Marine Geotechnical Engineering – 2nd Edition” (Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, MDPI)
Special Issue Editor “Advances in Marine Geotechnical Engineering” (Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, MDPI)
Special Issue Editor “Applications of AI Tools in Petroleum Industry from Geosciences to Engineering” (Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, MDPI)
Editorial Board Member, International Journal of Petroleum Technology (Avanti)
Editorial Board Member, SCIREA Journal of Geoscience; SCIREA Journal of Civil Engineering and Building Construction (ISSN: 2995-6889)
Associate Editor, Current Trends in Civil & Structural Engineering (CTCSE) and Insights in Mining Science & Technology; reviewer for Scientific Reports, Journal of Applied Geophysics, Energy Geoscience, ACS Omega, and ACS Applied Nano Materials

Selected Publications

Sethi, C., Hazra, B., Ostadhassan, M., Motra, H.B., Dutta, A., Panday, J.K., Kumar, S. (2024)
Depositional environmental controls on mechanical stratigraphy of Barakar Shales in Rajmahal Basin, India. International Journal of Coal Geology.
Wang, C., Liu, B., Mohammadi, M-R., Fu, L., Fattahi, E., Motra, H.B., et al. (2024)
Integrating experimental study and intelligent modeling of pore evolution in the Bakken during simulated thermal progression for CO2 storage goals
Sadeghpour, F., Darkhal, A., Gao, Y., Motra, H.B., et al. (2024)
Comparison of geomechanical upscaling methods for prediction of elastic modulus of heterogeneous media
Punturo, R., Mineo, S., Motra, H.B., et al. (2024)
Greenstone of Calabria: A multi-analytical characterization of heritage metabasite from Southern Italy
Hailemariam, H., Blume, N., Motra, H.B., Wuttke, F. (2023)
Static and dynamic behavior of cemented heat storage materials
Liu, B., Mohammadi, M.R., Ma, Z., Bai, L., et al. (2023)
Experimental investigation and intelligent modeling of pore structure changes in type III kerogen-rich shale artificially matured by hydrous and anhydrous pyrolysis

Contact

Email: hbmotra@gmail.com

Email: hem.motra@ifg.uni-kiel.de

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