Chauchat Julien

My research focuses on understanding and modelling sediment transport processes, bridging fundamental physical mechanisms at the particle scale and practical engineering challenges at the river-reach scale. My work addresses a broad range of processes, from particle–particle and turbulence–particle interactions to complex morphodynamic phenomena such as local scour around hydraulic structures.

My approach combines laboratory experiments, theoretical developments and advanced numerical modelling to improve our understanding of the underlying physical processes and enhance the predictive capabilities of sediment transport and morphodynamic models. This research relies on close collaborations with leading national and international research institutions, including the University of Delaware, Penn State University, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, the University of Manchester, TUW (Vienna, Austria), Aix-Marseille University, the University of Rennes, IMFT (Toulouse) and LEGI Grenoble.

A major outcome of these collaborative efforts is the development of [sedFOAM](https://sedfoam.github.io/), an open-source computational framework for sediment transport modelling. By providing advanced numerical tools to the scientific community, sedFOAM aims to foster collaborative research and accelerate progress in the physical understanding and numerical prediction of sediment dynamics.

Strengthening the connection between fundamental research and engineering applications is another key dimension of my activities. In this context, the international engineering consulting company ARTELIA funded the OXALIA Industrial Chair (2021–), which I led, to promote the development of innovative modelling approaches addressing practical challenges in hydraulic and environmental engineering.

Looking ahead, my main ambition is to bridge scales and applications : from fine-scale physical processes to river-reach-scale morphodynamics, and from fundamental scientific advances to operational engineering tools. Through the development of multiscale modelling approaches and close partnerships with socio-economic actors such as ARTELIA, I aim to translate improved physical understanding into more reliable and predictive models for river engineering and environmental management.