Papers published in Geotechnical Engineering are eligible for awards from the Institution of Civil Engineers. Papers from any of the ICE journals can be nominated for several awards. In addition, each journal has awards dedicated to their specific subject area.
On Friday 12 October 2012, ICE president Richard Coackley presented awards to the following papers published in Geotechnical Engineering in 2011. The editorial panel nominated their best papers and an awards committee chaired by Barry Clarke allocated the awards.
Crampton Prize
The Crampton Prize, presented for the best paper on practical geotechnical engineering, was awarded to Steedman and Sharp (2011).
Abstract
As part of the Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force (IPET) investigation into levee breaches in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, centrifuge modelling was undertaken of representative levee cross-sections on the 17th Street, Orleans and London Avenue Canals. Two mechanisms were observed leading to breaching of the levee in the models, both of which stemmed from a water-filled crack that formed in front of the flood wall. Depending on the foundation conditions and geometry of the levee and flood wall, the crack led either to a rotation of the flood wall landwards, with uplift and sliding on the top of the sand towards the landward toe of the levee, or to a translational (sliding) failure in the clay layer commencing from the bottom or toe of the flood wall. In the Orleans models no breach ensued, although it was clear these sections were close to failure. The centrifuge model tests identified, at an early stage in the IPET investigation, the importance of the ‘gap' mechanism affecting the stability of the flood walls, and confirmed that levee geometry and flood wall depth of penetration, together with the underlying soil profile, were critical to the performance of the system under flood loading.
John Mitchell Medal
The John Mitchell Medal, awarded for the best paper in geotechnical practice, site-based innovation or geotechnical safety, was awarded to Czerewko et al. (2011).
Abstract
The weathering of pyritic mudrocks can have serious consequences for construction, and in particular for earthworks. Prediction of the likely behaviour of pyritic mudrocks involved in earthworks tends to be overlooked, with only the determination of aggressivity to steel and cementitious materials carried out. British Jurassic mudrocks tend to be soil-like overconsolidated deposits, typically with significant calcite and pyrite content. They may have appropriate engineering properties for earthworks under certain conditions, but they are susceptible to rapid atmospheric deterioration in the presence of both oxygen and water. The rate and products of pyrite oxidisation are dependent upon the mineralogy and fabric of the host material, its hydrological setting, and its immediate environment following exposure. This ultimately controls the rate and impact on construction. This paper outlines the construction through an area of Lower Lias mudrocks of Jurassic age for the A46 Newark to Widmerpool Improvement Scheme.
The approach adopted allowed an understanding of the likely reactions and implications for construction at a site-specific level. This provided confidence for the client, designer and contractor that the adopted methodology was appropriate for long-term performance.
Scott Steedman receiving the Crampton Prize from ICE President Richard Coackley
