Editorial

The June issue of Geotechnical Engineering starts off with Satyanaga and Rahardjo (2022) from Nanyang Technical University, Singapore, with a landslide susceptibility map focussing on the Jurong Formation (Figure 1) incorporating the unsaturated soil properties of these sedimentary rocks in their regional seepage and stability analyses. They tackle the subject of rainfall-induced landslides, which is of keen interest in Asia as discussed in previous publications of this journal, such as Kay et al. (1996), Toll, (2001) and Zhang et al. (2011).

The second paper by Sailer et al. (2022), the numerical research group at Imperial College, London, UK, uses the Imperial College Finite Element Program and applies the thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) finite element formulation by Cui et al. (2018), and the thermal boundary conditions described by Cui et al. (2016) to thermos-active retaining walls, as used in Gawecka et al. (2017) for buried thermos-active pipes. Readers with an interest in THM modelling of soil are advised to look at Di Donna et al. (2017), which reports on diaphragm walls as heat exchangers, and Loveridge et al. (2013), who examine the thermal response of the Chalk aquifer in London, UK.

The next paper by Moradi et al. (2022) describes experimental model tests and numerical analyses, using Abaqus, of buried box culverts in trenches using geofoam. Royston et al. (2022) present a case study with monitoring of the construction of a large-diameter (internal diameter of 32 m) caisson in sand (Figure 2), which involved vibrating wire strain gauges embedded into the cassion wall and a bespoke liquid-level detection system to monitor elevation and tilt. Readers might also be interested in Allenby et al. (2009), who give examples of open caisson sinking in Scotland, and Schwamb et al. (2014), who examine monitoring of a deep circular excavation using fibre optics in a previous issue of this journal, as referenced by Royston et al. (2022).

The last two papers in this issue continue the theme of deep foundations, with Manoj et al. (2022) outlining the benefits of using finite element modelling to optimise a barrette solution for a large load over a small foundation plan into weak carbonate rocks in Dubai (Figure 3), and Ma et al. (2022) outlining laboratory model tests used to compare the self-anchoring and the more established static load testing method to assess pile bearing capacity. Similar to the penultimate paper in this issue (Manoj et al., 2022), a previously published paper by Lei and Ng (2007) presents the shaft resistance of barrettes and large-diameter bored piles from full-scale tests in Hong Kong saprolite – highly weathered rocks that have decomposed to soil-like materials, but which retain the original texture, fabric and structure of the parent rocks, to verify design parameters particularly for floating piles.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to remind our readership that Geotechnical Engineering publishes it's accepted papers online ahead of print, please see our current pipeline of accepted papers here: https://www.icevirtuallibrary.com/toc/jgeen/0/0.