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Sponsored by ASCE's Geo-Institute's Technical Committees
INSTRUCTORS:
Gerald Verbeek, M.ASCE
Pavan Akula, Ph.D
Mina Lee, Ph.D
Archie Filshill
Purpose and Background
"Re-use and Lean Foundations-The Joint Efforts required to make that a common practice" by Gerald Verbeek, M.ASCE. (27 minutes)
When the topic of sustainability is raised in combination with foundations, the emphasis is often placed on more economic designs. After all, the leaner the foundation, the less concrete and steel are required, which in turn reduces the carbon footprint (and thus makes it "cleaner’? But when we include the option of re-using existing foundations, in other words, using an existing asset at little or no extra cost (so basically free) for the new superstructure, the options get a lot more interesting for project developers. To be fair, though, additional research is required to address various open questions associated with the re-use of foundations. In this presentation the roles that academia and the industry can play and are playing in answering these open questions will be highlighted, which hopefully will promote activity in this area to make foundation re-se a common practice in the near future.
"Insights into the engineering performance of chemically stabilized soil through analytical and computational geochemistry" by Paven Akula (30 Minutes)
Evaluating the engineering performance of stabilized soil materials can help in developing resilient is critical to address the needs of our aging infrastructure and has significant benefits in infrastructure management and maintenance. For example, rapid deterioration of subgrades in pavements is considered a major factor for the poor performance. Conventional engineering approaches do not focus on the change in mineralogical and geochemical conditions, which are key criteria for defining the material's performance. In such settings, computational methods that use mineralogical and geochemical characterization data to reliably predict the stability of the components will play a vital role in enhancing the durability of infrastructure materials. This presentation discusses a novel computational approach that utilizes mineralogical data to simulate geochemical reactions and reliably predict the formation of both favorable and unfavorable reaction products. The approach is discussed in the context of evaluating current infrastructure materials and developing novel materials.
"Integrating Reliability-Based Design and Life Cycle Assessment for Sustainable Geotechnical Structures” by Mina Lee (30 minutes)
This presentation explores the shift in geotechnical engineering design from working stress design (WSD) to limit state design (LSD) and how reliability-based design (RBD) can address uncertainties in soil parameters and design. By quantifying risks, RBD helps optimize geotechnical structures, reducing environmental impacts and avoiding overly conservative designs. The focus is on the relationship between reliability indices, such as the probability of failure, and the environmental impacts of drilled shaft designs, including material use and lifecycle emissions. Using first-order reliability methods (FORM) and life cycle assessments (LCA), the study examines how uncertainties in soil properties, applied loads, and design dimensions influence global warming potential. Charts developed through parametric studies provide accessible tools for estimating environmental impacts, helping designers balance reliability, cost, and sustainability in their projects. This approach aims to support the creation of more sustainable geotechnical designs.
“Research and Development of Foam Glass Aggregates in North America” by Archie Filshill (33 minutes)
This presentation provides an overview of the research and development of foam glass aggregate for the North American market. Ultra-lightweight foam glass aggregate (UL-FGATM) is a manufactured aggregate, produced from post-consumer recycled glass. Although new to North America, its use in Europe dates back over 3 decades. Aero Aggregates of North America is the first vertically integrated producer of foam glass aggregate in North America, and as such, needed to develop test data and proof of concept testing to support the use of foam glass. This development was completed in partnership with Aero Aggregates and several universities and testing labs.
Benefits and Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of these sessions, you will be able to:
- Explain the relationship between reliability indices, such as probability of failure, and the environmental impacts of drilled shaft designs, including material usage and lifecycle emissions.
- Describe how mineralogical and geochemical conditions influence the performance and durability of stabilized soil materials in infrastructure applications.
- Explain the potential environmental and economic benefits of reusing existing foundations in construction projects, including reductions in material use and carbon footprint.
- List the steps involved in developing test data and proof-of-concept testing for foam glass aggregate in collaboration with industry partners, universities, and testing labs.
Assessment of Learning Outcomes
Achievement of the learning objectives will be assessed through a short post-test.
Who Should Attend?
- Geotechnical Engineers
- Engineering Geologists
- Owners and Operators of Civil Infrastructure
- Consultants
- Public Agency Staff
- Specialty Contractors
How to Earn your CEUs/PDHs and Receive Your Certificate of Completion
This course is worth 2 PDHs. To receive your certificate of completion, you will need to complete a short post-test online and receive a passing score of 70% or higher.
How do I convert CEUs to PDHs?
1.0 CEU = 10 PDHs [Example: 0.1 CEU = 1 PDH]