The International Symposium on Geotechnical Engineering, Ground Improvement, and Geosynthetics for Sustainable Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change including Global Warming was successfully held on 3 to 4 December 2009 at Sofitel Centara Grand Bangkok Hotel. This event combined the topics in the fields of the Geotechnical Engineering and Geosynthetics Engineering. Details of the topics include: Design and Applications of Geosynthetics, Soil Improvement, New Challenges in Dam Engineering, Slope and Embankment Reinforcements, Control of Riverbank and Coastal Erosions, Landslide Mitigation, Rehabilitation of Climate-Damaging Gases, Effects of Climate Change on Geodisasters, etc.
The symposium was officially opened by Dr. Nitin Afzulpurkar, Dean, School of Engineering Technology, Asian Institute of Technology. John Cowland and Mike Sadlier, Treasurer and Council Member of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) also participated in the Opening Ceremonies.
The two-day symposium had an impressive line up of Keynote Speakers including Prof. Pedro Pinto of the University of Coimbra, Portugal and Prof. Madhira Madhav of JNT University, India, respectively, Past President and VP for Asia of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE). Other Keynote Speakers included Prof. G. Heerten of NAUE GmbH of Germany, Prof. H.Y. Jeon of Korea, Prof. K. Yasuhara and Prof. J.C. Chai of Japan, Prof. B. Indraratna of Australia, Prof. J. Chu of Singapore and Dr. A. Siripong of Thailand.
The participants include more than 150 speakers, session chairs, delegates, exhibitors, and sponsors from many countries including Australia, China, Germany, India, Iran, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, and of course Thailand. The Symposium Proceedings amounted to 435 pages comprising more than 43 papers. Furthermore, there were 15 Exhibitions Booths and 20 Sponsors in this event.
This Symposium served as a forum for the geotechnical profession as a whole; and, in particular, for those who are involved in disaster prevention, mitigation, rehabilitation, and construction works affected by climate change due to global warming. In addition, this Symposium encouraged research activities as well as promoted environmental preservations, not only in other countries but also in Thailand, where geosynthetics are already used for reinforcement of soil slopes, separation and drainage, lining for waste containments, and erosion control along the Chao Phraya River Banks as well as the shorelines of the Gulf of Thailand.
Prior to the International Symposium, a one-day Short Course on Geosynthetics Applications and PLAXIS Numerical Simulations was also successfully held on 2 December 2009 at the Sofitel Centara Grand Bangkok Hotel. The Resource Speakers for the Geosynthetics Applications included Chris Lawson, John Cowland, Mike Sadlier, HY Jeon, DT Bergado and M Dechasakulsom. The Resource Speakers for the PLAXIS Numerical Applications included W. Cheang, S. Youwai, S. Soralump, YP Lai, N Phienwej and DT Bergado.
ADDITIONAL LINKS
International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) Thailand Chapter
International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) Website
International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) Website
Prof. Dennes T. Bergado is president of IGS-Thailand. He is also the director of the Asian Center for Soil Improvement and Geosynthetics. View his home page here.
