On Thursday, 8 November 2012, Dr. Kerry Rowe will speak at Monash University in Melbourne on "The Use of Geosynthetics to Aid Construction over Soft Soils – Successes and Cautions." This free session is supported by Monash Geomechanics and the Australasian Chapter of the International Geosynthetics Society (ACIGS).
THE SESSION
Geosynthetic reinforcement and prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs), both separately and in combination, have substantially improved the engineer’s ability to cost-effectively construct embankments and fills over difficult and soft soils. This presentation explores the reason for the success and the benefits that can be achieved using geosynthetics, as a basal reinforcement, and PVDs to increase short-term stability of embankments and to accelerate consolidation and long-term strength gain. The presentation examines both embankments on fibrous peats and a range of soft clays. It demonstrates that good geotechnical engineering is at least as important with the use of geosynthetics as it is without their use. For example, geosynthetic basal reinforcement can be extremely effective in allowing timely construction of embankment over peats and soft clays – however an understanding of the mechanism at work and the key engineering properties is essential for consistent success.
Not all soils are the same and likewise not all geosynthetic reinforcement is the same.
The presentation also discusses the key mechanism and engineering properties of both soil and reinforcement critical to success. It highlights not only the advantages but also the limitations of different types of reinforcement for different types of soil. It provides field examples, supported by numerical analysis, of great success in the use of geosynthetics – and failures and discusses where both can be predicted. Finally the presentation explores the role of the rate-sensitivity of both reinforcement and soil on the long-term performance of embankments over difficult soils.
For further information please contact Prof. Malek Bouazza at malek.bouazza@monash.edu.
To register (registration is free) please contact Irene Sgouras at 9905 4971 or Irene.sgouras@monash.edu
THE SPEAKER
Dr. Kerry Rowe is Professor and Canada Research Chair in Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering at Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada and Adjunct Professor in Civil Engineering at Monash University, Melbourne. Professor Rowe was educated at the University of Sydney BSc (’73), BE(Hons I, ’75), PhD(’79), D.Eng (’93), worked for the Australian Government Department of Construction in Sydney, and spent 21 years at the University of Western Ontario before joining Queen’s University in 2000. He is the author of an extensive number of publications, he has extensive research and consulting experience in the geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering field. He has been recognized by numerous awards including being a former NSERC Steacie Fellow, a Killam Prize winner, was selected to present the 45th Rankine Lecture in March 2005 and more recently he received the Sir John Kennedy Medal (highest award of the Engineering Institute of Canada).
