Sustainability in Geotechnical Engineering.26795531
Transcript of Sustainability in Geotechnical Engineering.26795531
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Sustainability in Geotechnical Engineering:Current and future trends in Research, Education & Professional Practice
Louisiana Civil Engineering Conference and Show 2012Pontchartrain Center
Kenner, Louisiana
September 20, 2012
Malay Ghose Hajra, Ph.D., P.E.
Assistant Professor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
The University of New Orleans
2000 Lakeshore DriveNew Orleans, Louisiana 70148
504-280-7062 (office)
[email protected](email)
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Outline of todays discussion -
1. Importance of Sustainable Development
2. Sustainability in Geotechnical EngineeringCurrent Trends
3. Sustainability in Geotechnical EngineeringFuture opportunities
4. New Sustainability Rating SystemEnVision5. Conclusions
6. Questions
Sustainability in Geotechnical Engineering:Current and future trends in Research, Education & Professional Practice
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2009 Report Card for Americas Infrastructure
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The Facts
Leaking water pipes lose 7
billion gallons a day
Billions of gallons of untreated
wastewater are discharged eachyear from aging systems
U.S. produces 254 million tons
of solid waste a year
188 cities with brownfields sites
awaiting
cleanup/redevelopment
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More than 4 billion
hours a year stuck intraffic; cost = $78 billion
1 in 4 bridgesstructurally deficient or
functionally obsolete
Electricity demand has
grown by 25% since
1990
The Facts
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ResultsInterstate 35
Minneapolis, MN
Waterline break
Bethesda, MD
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Natural Disastershurricane, tsunamis, earthquake etc.
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2008 Living Planet Report
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Engineering design and construction has been dominated by one-dimensional view of
technological efficiency assuming that nature is an infinite supplier of resources,
perpetually regenerative, with an indefinite capacity to absorb all waste
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Opportunities for Civil engineers
A. Design for the future
Interconnection of society, economics, technology, and environment came
under scrutiny during energy crisis of 1970s
The philosophy of one-dimensional view of technological efficiency needs
to incorporate the effects on society and environment.
B. Better Management of our assets Prolonging asset life and aiding in rehabilitation, repair and replacement
decisions through efficient and focused operations and maintenance
Meeting consumer demands with a focus on system sustainability
Budgeting focused on activities critical to sustained performance
Meeting service expectations and regulatory requirements
Reducing overall costs for both operations and capital expenditures
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Sustainable Design and Development
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Sustainable Development is defined as any development thatmeets the needs of the present without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own needs.
(Brutland Commissions Report, 1987)
Sustainability definition by Brutland Commission
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ASCE Definition of Sustainability
Sustainability is a set of environmental, economic and social
conditions in which all of society has the capacity and
opportunity to maintain and improve its quality of lifeindefinitely without degrading the quantity, quality or
availability of natural resources and ecosystems.
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Indicators of Sustainability
Traditional Indicators Sustainability Indicators Emphasis of Sustainability Indicators
Size of the economyas measured by GNP
and GDP
Wages paid in the local economythat are spent in the local economy
Local financial resilience
Dollars spent in the local economy
which pay for local labor and local
natural resources
Percent of local economy based on
renewable local resources
Tons of solid waste
generated
Percent of products produced which
are durable, repairable, or readily
recyclable or compostable
Conservative and cyclical use of
materials
Source: George F. Crozier(Dauphin Island Sea Lab) and Scott Douglass(U. of South Alabama)12
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Sustainability and Geotechnical Engineering
1. Geotechnical Engineering is one of the most resource intensive disciplines
within Civil Engineering
2. Consume vast amount of resources
3. Consumes vast amount of energy
4. Changes landscape
5. Interferes with many social, environmental, and economic issues
1. Geotechnical profession is often dominated by financial motivations
2. Inadequate knowledge of geotechnical processes on ecological balance of
surrounding areas
3. Absence of geotechnical sustainability reference framework
Challenges
Facts
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1. Improving sustainability of geotechnical processes is important
2. Geotechnical profession has huge potential to improve sustainability of civil
engineering projects due to its early position in the construction process
Opportunities
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Sustainability and Geotechnical Engineering
Geotechnical sustainability means:
1. Robust design and construction that involves minimal financial burden and
inconveniences to the society
2. Minimal use of resources and energy in planning, design, construction and
maintenance of geotechnical facilities
3. Use of materials and methods that cause minimal negative impact on the
ecology and environment
4. Maximum reuse of existing geotechnical facilities/components to minimize
waste
Opportunities
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1. Energy Geotechniques
2. Material Reuse and Recycle
3. Foundation Rehabilitation and Reuse
4. Use of underground space
5. Sustainable Ground Improvement
6. Sustainability in Coastal Geotechniques
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Current Challenges
Main sources of energy worldwide: Petroleum (34%), coal (26.5%), Natural gas (20.9%), Combustible
renewables and waste (9.8%), nuclear power (5.9%), hydroelectric (2.2%), wind & solar (0.7%)
[source: International Energy Agency, 2009]
High increase in energy demand in the next 25 years (17% increase if consumption and population
growth continue at current rates; 66% increase if consumption in underdeveloped world increases to
levels required to attain proper quality of life)
This situation will exacerbate current issues caused by the dependency on fossil fuels, its
environmental consequences, and the international implications due to the mismatch between the
geographic distributions of supply and demand of fossil fuels.
A sustainable worldwide energy system will require proper long term national policies within a global
approach, strategic pricing that takes into consideration production costs and life-cycle waste
processing, reduced population growth rates, and efficiency and conservation with associated
changes in cultural patterns.
Role of Geotechnical Engineers
1. Geological investigation related to increased fossil fuel production
2. Geotechnology in Oil Production
3. Estimation of subsidence due to extraction of oil
4. Theory of mixed fluid flow
5. Estimation of Fines migration and clogging
Energy Geotechnology
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Role of Geotechnical Engineers
1. Optimal design and sustainable operation of geothermal systems require:
Knowledge of thermal properties of geomaterials
Efficient subsurface characterization technology
Assessment of ground water flow conditions
Ability to analyze hydro-thermo-chemo-mechanical coupled processes to predict short and longterm performance changes in the reservoir
Geothermal pump systemsthermal properties of soil and backfill material, groundwater
regime information
Advancement in concurrent drilling and trenching during site investigation would reduce cost
and increase the competitiveness and long term savings of the systems
Energy Pilescyclic heating and cooling of piles may affect skin resistance of the pile and
potentially cause settlement.
Deep geothermal energy systems extract heat from hot rock formations (temperatures often exceed
3500C) to produce steam that can be used directly to provide heating or to generate electricity.
Except for the construction of the power plant itself, CO2emission from geothermal power plants
are virtually zero.
Extractable thermal energy in the USA alone is estimated to be about 200,000 EJ, which is over 1000
times the annual consumption of primary energy in the USA
Geothermal EnergyFacts and trends
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Foundation rehabitation and reuse
Role of Geotechnical Engineers
Embodied energy consumed in reusing foundations is nearly half of that consumed
in installing new foundations (Butcher et al, 2006)
Foundations designed for reuse has much less Whole Life Cost (WLC) than
foundations designed without the reuse option
The cost of removal of an old deep foundation is estimated to be about 4 times that of
constructing a new foundation
Removal of old foundation disturbs the soil and adjacent structures
Removal of old foundation causes voids
Facts
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Use of Underground Space for Energy Storage
Role of Geotechnical Engineers
1. Response of the host rock to large amplitude cycles in pore fluid pressure (e.g.
stiffness, strength, strains)
2. Thermal fluctuations associated to gas compression and decompression
3. Moisture changes and mineral solubility
4. Evolution and long term performance of the underground cavern
Solar, tidal, and wind energy are inherently intermittent with continual fluctuations in
electricity production. Therefore, large scale energy storage systems are needed to
efficiently use generated renewable energy.
Salt caverns formed by solution mining, underground rock caverns created by
excavating rock formations such as abandoned limestone or coal mines, and porous
rock formations can be used for compressed air storage.
Facts
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R di i W S
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Role of Geotechnical Engineers
1. Knowledge during mining operations (excavation and handling of tailings)
2. Foundation of nuclear plants (static and seismic design, heat absorption for new generation
systems, design for decommissioning)
3. Design of Spent Fuel pools and waste repositories (design for decommissioning, geophysical
monitoring and leak detection, bio-remediation)
Radioactive Waste Storage
Nuclear power generation embodies very low CO2emission. Fewer than 500 nuclear plant have
been built and operated around the world since 1951
An additional 2400 nuclear plant (1 GW plant capacity) will be required to produce the 2.4 TW
increase predicted in the next 25 years
There is no nuclear waste repository in operation in the world and the waste fuel is kept in pools.
The building of new nuclear power plants and use of existing nuclear reactors will demand
development of long-term radioactive waste repositories
Facts
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C b S i G l i l F i
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Carbon Storage in Geological Formations
Role of Geotechnical Engineers
1. Robust technology is available to inject CO2 into the ground. However, significant geotechnical
uncertainties remain related to geological storage including: identification and characterization of
suitable formations, continuity and long-term stability of sealing layers, long-term performance of
grouts and well plugs, subsurface plume tracing and leak detection and monitoring, chemo-hydro-
mechanical coupled processes in the reservoir
2. Geotechnical input is required related to the risk of CO2 leakage, seismic risk to nuclear powerplants, and the potential for induced seismicity in geothermal projects
Significant reduction in CO2 emissions can be realized by implementing Carbon Capture and
Storage (CCS).
Long term geotechnical implications of CO2geological storage are less explored
Principal target formations for CO2injection include: Deep saline aquifers
Petroleum and gas reservoirs
Low-grade and unminable coal seams
Deep ocean sediments to form CO2hydrate
CH4hydrate-bearing sediments to replace CH4with CO2
Facts
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R f W t M t i l i G t h i l E i i
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Reuse of Waste Materials in Geotechnical Engineering
Role of Geotechnical Engineers
1. Increasing the efficient use of natural resources, recycling, more use of virgin materials, and
energy efficiency
2. Reducing volume extraction and waste
3. Engineering waste reuse for long term performance and chemical stability
4. Developing engineered waste containment facilities for increasingly unsuitable environments andunder increasingly demanding performance/monitoring requirements.
Facts
1. Wastesolid waste, hazardous waste, radioactive waste, and medical waste
2. Geo-related materials such as mine waste, energy-related waste, and dredges sediments are the
primary components in the solid waste stream in the United States
3. Mining The bulk of material excavated in mining operations is waste, requires large storageareas, leaches hazardous chemicals into groundwater
4. Coal combustion products Fly ash and bottom ash from coal combustion contribute
approximately 91 million tons to US waste stream every year.
5. Dredging Generates 200 to 300 million tons of material each year in the US alone. Dredging
takes place along rivers and ports; however, only 30% of dredged material is put to beneficial use.
Current Trends1. Beneficial use of coal and fly ash in geotechnical constructions
2. Use of pulverized asphalt pavement as base for new pavement
3. Shredded scrap tires as a light-weight fill material
4. Pulverizes fly ash to improve thermal properties of energy piles
5. Bioengineered slope
6. Recycled mixed glass and plastic for segmental retaining wall units
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Eff t f Cli t Ch G t
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Effects of Climate Change on Geosystems
1. Climate change has significant impact on the built environment
2. Extreme weather conditions and associated geohazards
3. Global warmingmagnification of issues associated with high urban temperatures
4. Melting of permafrost and icecapspermafrost is the most vulnerable carbon pool of the earth, its
melting will lead to the release of large amounts of biogenic methane
5. Sea level rise
Role of Geotechnical Engineers
1. Flooding and erosion control for coastal areas and along river margins2. Engineering hydrogeology to prevent salt-water intrusion and the contamination of fresh water
reservoirs
3. Instability of geosystems associated with the melting of the permafrost and snow caps
4. Knowledge of unsaturation and pore pressure generation during gas release
5. Building of more resilient infrastructure (levees, hurricane reduction systems)
6. Enhanced microbial activity in sediments
7. Evolution of physical properties of soils as a function of changing weather conditions
Facts
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G i t l E i i Bi l i l P
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Geoenvironmental Engineering: Biological Processes
Role of Geotechnical Engineers
1. Use of low embodied energy bio-engineered soils in many geotechnical applications,
such as liquefaction mitigation, structural support, and excavation retention
2. Significant reductions in energy and material use might result if, reinforced concrete
foundations can be reduced in size by increasing the strength and stiffness of
foundation soils by biological activity3. Challenges minimum pore size to accommodate life, upscaling of laboratory
techniques to field conditions, thermodynamic equilibrium and long-term durability of
biological treatments
1. Biological activity started 2 billion years ago
2. Microorganisms change atmosphere from reducing to oxdizing and determinecomposition of most minerals that form todayssoils and rocks
Facts
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G d I t i G t h i l E i i
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Ground Improvement in Geotechnical Engineering
Role of Geotechnical Engineers
1. Evaluation of in-situ ground improvement techniques in lieu of deep foundations
2. Increasing the strength and stiffness of foundation soils by biological activity
3. Change in hydraulic properties of soil by bio-remediation of soil
Current Trends
1. Use of solar powered prefabricated vertical drains
2. Improvement of mechanical and hydraulic properties of soil using in-situ soil bacteria
3. Dynamic compaction versus excavation and fill
4. Cement-bentonite vs. soil-bentonite ground improvement
5. Vibro-replacement stone columns vs. deep foundations
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Geotechnical Hazards due to Discontinuties
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Geotechnical Hazards due to Discontinuties
Role of Geotechnical Engineers
1. Geological investigation related to presence of discontinuity
2. Estimation of subsidence due to discontinuity
1. Discontinuities in geological formation act as weak zones, change the macroscalemechanical response, limit stability, and define the deformation field
2. Discontinuities affect fluid transport through sediments, give rise to fluid migration,
determine geological storability of water, oil, gas, or CO23. However, engineered discontinuities can be used to enhance resource recovery
(hydrocarbons and geothermal) and facilitate waste injection
Facts
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Sustainable Geotechnical design against multiple Hazards
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Sustainable Geotechnical design against multiple Hazards
Role of Geotechnical Engineers1. Dynamic and long-term static soil-pile interaction effects for energy piles
2. Time varying soil properties over repeated cycles of ground temperature changes and
implications on the response of the foundation to extreme loading
3. Dynamic soil-structure interaction effects for wind-turbine foundations subjected
simultaneously to earthquake loading and dynamic cyclic loading from the
superstructure
4. Assessment and re-use of existing foundation elements in view of multiple anticipated
hazards
5. Assessment and retrofitting of waterfront protection systems against rising sea level and
potential increase in the occurrence of tsunamis, hurricanes, and earthquakes
New environmentally friendly materials, enhanced structural components developed to
satisfy sustainability requirements, and unprecedented loading conditions that could
result from climate change require re-evaluation of established performance-based design
criteria for resilient, sustainable infrastructure.
Facts
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Sustainability and Coastal Geotechniques
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Sustainability and Coastal Geotechniques
1. Beneficial use of dredged sediments for marsh nourishment projects
2. Proper characterization of dredged sediments and foundation soils
3. Sea level rise rates and storm waves be considered in the planning and design of coastal
highways and infrastructures
Role of Geotechnical Engineers
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Education in Geo sustainability
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Energy geotechnology and sustainability invoke scientific principles and engineering concepts that
will extend and profoundly change geotechnical engineering analysis and design
These changes will require renewed engineering curriculum, adapted continuing education
programs for practitioners, and increased public awareness and expectations for civil engineeringinfrastructure
Modify geotechnical curriculum to cover the fundamental scientific principles involved in
geomaterials subjected to hydro-chemo-thermo-bio-mechanical loading
Include in the curriculum case-histories of sustainable design with proper Life Cycle Cost Analysis
Training to provide the development of multiple alternative sustainable options as part of
decision making and optimization
Focus on implementation, accountability, and integration with other disciplines Encourage proactive involvement of professional societies such as ASCE in sustainability
education.
Education in Geo-sustainability
New curriculum for Undergraduate/Graduate Geotechnical Engineering course:
1. Mechanical properties (allowable stress and deformation)
2. Hydraulic properties and fluid transport (hydraulic conductivity and pressure diffusionconsolidation)
3. Biological processes in soil (bioremediation of contaminated site, biogenic methane production in
sediments)
4. Chemical processes (mass balance, reaction kinetics, mineral dissolution, reactive transport)
5. Thermal characteristics (heat capacity, heat transformation, conduction, diffusion)
6. Electrical characteristics (resistivity, permitivity, geophysical site investigation)
7. Optimal use of natural resources ( recycled waste materials for construction) 28
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Sustainability in Geotechnical Engineering:Current and future trends in Research, Education & Professional Practice
Geotechnical Engineers play a vital role in mitigating global crisis related tosustainability, with a focus on energy, global climate change, use of natural resources,
and solid waste generation/management.
The geotechnical engineering profession needs to meet these challenges acting now in
a coordinated and determined manner, from individual engineers to professional
societies, fully aware of the significant role we can play in the development of a
sustainable, energy viable society
Scientific and engineering research should include non-standard issues such as the
response of geomaterials to extreme conditions, coupled processes, biological
phenomena, spatial variability, emergent phenomena and the role of discontinuities.
The challenges facing geotechnical engineering in the future will require a much
broader knowledge base than is currently included in educational programs. It must
address the changing needs of a profession that will increasingly be engaged in
sustainable design, energy geotechnology, enhanced/efficient use of natural resources,
waste management, underground utilization, and alternative/renewable energy.
Summary:
WHAT IS ENVISION?
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Envision is a tool, which itself is part of a larger system, developed to help evaluate the
sustainability of civil infrastructure.
This system includes:
A self assessment checklist The Envision Rating Tool
A credential program for individuals
A Project Evaluation and Verification Program
A Recognition Program for Sustainable Infrastructure
PHASE TOOLKITS
COMPANION TOOLS
WHAT ISENVISION?
Envision, a sustainable infrastructure rating system, was developed by Zofnass Program for
Sustainable Infrastructure at Harvard Graduate School of Design and the Institute of
Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI)
Institute of Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) is a non-profit education and research
organization founded by ASCE, APWA, and ACEC
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What Infrastructure Categories Does the Rating System Assess?
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What Infrastructure Categories Does the Rating System Assess?
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http://sustainableinfrastructure.org/index.cfm -
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L l f A hi t b E i i
http://sustainableinfrastructure.org/index.cfmhttp://sustainableinfrastructure.org/index.cfm -
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Levels of Achievement by Envision
Improved
Slightly above conventional
Enhanced
Performance is on the right track
Superior
Noteworthy, but falls slightly short of conserving
Conserving
Essentially zero impact
Restorative
Performance that restores natural or community systems
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C d i l b I i f S i bl I f (ISI)
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Credentials by Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI)
Sustainability Professional Provisional
ENV (PV)
Envision Sustainable Rating System Verifiers
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y g gCurrent and future trends in Research, Education & Professional Practice
Summary:
Sustainability is a multidimensional concept that requires a balance of Economic, Social, and Environmental
equities of development
Geotechnical Engineering warrants a sustainability study as it uses vast amount of resources and releases
pollutants to the environment
Balance can be achieved by ensuring efficiency in resource use and reducing the environmental impact
without ignoring the technical, technological, and financial concerns related to the process
Further research studies on sustainability-related issues in Geotechnical Engineering should be performed inthe areas of:
a. Application of alternative materials
b. Material reuse and recycling
c. Environment friendly ground modification techniques
d. efficient use of underground space
e. reuse of foundations
f. energy geotechniques
Further research should be performed to develop clearly defined framework (sustainability rating system for
geotechnical engineering application) to evaluate and quantify the relative sustainability alternative
practices in geotechnical engineering.
Geotechnical Engineering curriculum must address sustainable design, energy geotechnology, enhanced
use of natural resources, waste management, underground utilization and alternative/renewable energy.35
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Acknowledgements
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American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI)
Richard J. Fragaszy (at NSF) Dipanjan Basu (Univ. of Connecticut)
ASCENew Orleans branch Geotechnical committee
Google images
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Sustainability in Geotechnical Engineering:Current and future trends in Research, Education & Professional Practice
Questions?
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