The challenge to adapt soil properties
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Published:2006
Gerard van Meurs, Willem van der Zon, John Lambert, Derk van Ree, Victoria Whiffin, Waldo Molendijk, 2006. "The challenge to adapt soil properties", 5th ICEG Environmental Geotechnics: Opportunities, Challenges and Responsibilities for Environmental Geotechnics: Proceedings of the ISSMGE’s fifth international congress organized by the Geoenvironmental Research Centre, Cardiff University and held at Cardiff City Hall on 26–30th June 2006, H. R. Thomas
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Abstract
Whenever people want to build in, onto or with soft soils like sand, clay or peat, soil properties strongly influence the design and construction. Safety standards and building codes also require that the ‘weakest’ value for properties is used. This means that soil properties have a significant cost impact and can lead to unwanted limitations in the utilisation of space in densely populated areas. The challenge from a geo-engineering point of view is to develop technology that mitigates this impact on society.
SmartSoils®, is a strategic research program initiated by GeoDelft, aimed at the development of technologies to adapt soil properties and obtain more favourable values to be used in the process of design and construct. Various innovative technologies can be identified. Among these are BioGrout (stiffness and strength improvement) and BioSealing (reduction of permeability).
In this contribution, the relevant phenomena are explained, selected results of current research are presented and an outline of future work is described.
