Indo-US Workshop on Advances in Geotechnical Engineering: Infrastructure and Technology

A one-day pre-conference workshop titled “Advances in Geotechnical Engineering: Infrastructure and Technology” under Geotech Asia was held on 6th October 2025. The workshop aimed to bring together leading experts from academia, industry, and government agencies to discuss recent advancements in geotechnical engineering and their applications across various infrastructure sectors.

The event was attended by Dr. Shwetha Prasanna, Prof. Swaroopa Sail, Prof. Vanessa Fernandes, and third-year Civil Engineering students of Don Bosco College of Engineering, Fatorda.

The workshop featured insightful sessions by eminent speakers:

• R. Chitra, Director, Central Soil and Materials Research Station, delivered a talk on “Challenges in Dam Construction on Tropical Soil”, highlighting the need for flexible design approaches while engineering dams on tropical soils.
• Dr. Sanchez from Texas A&M University presented on “Engineered Barriers for Extreme Pollutants: From Industrial Contaminants to Nuclear Waste”, discussing modern containment techniques.
• Dr. T. Thyagaraj, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras, spoke on “Evaluation of Red Soil–Bentonite Mixtures for Liner Application: Wet–Dry Durability and Physico-Chemical Effects”, focusing on the influence of bentonite content and wet-dry cycles on soil behavior.
• Ms. Minimol Korulla, Head – Strategic Initiatives & Strategic Projects, ISEAP Region (India, South East Asia & Pacific), Maccaferri, shared case studies on “Ground Improvement for Highway Embankments Founded on Soft Tropical Soil”, emphasizing the integration of bracing elements and combined pile-raft foundations.
• Prof. B. Umashankar, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Hyderabad, discussed “Mechanical and Durability Studies on Stabilized Alternative Waste Materials for Pavement Bases”, focusing on cement-additive treated recycled concrete aggregates and the use of mine waste as a base layer.

The workshop concluded with a summary and reflection session, underscoring the importance of innovative approaches in geotechnical engineering for sustainable infrastructure development.