Geotechnics for Transportation Infrastructure

Mr. Ravi Sundaram did his B. Tech (1978) and M. Tech (1980) from IIT Delhi. He started his career with McClelland Suhaimi Ltd. at Saudi Arabia and Qatar. He has 38 years experience as practicing geotechnical engineer and is a founder director of Cengrs Geotechnica Pvt. Ltd. His expertise includes geotechnical investigations, geophysical surveys, ground improvement and bored piles. He has worked on problems of collapsible soils, soft clays, expansive soils, weak rocks, artesian conditions, liquefiable soils, etc. His interests include foundations for bridges, high rise buildings, large-diameter tanks, power plants, etc. He has published over 60 technical papers that reflect his experience in geotechnical engineering practice. He was awarded the IGS Delhi Chapter Lifetime Achievement Award for the year 2014-2015. He delivered the prestigious Sixth Madhav Lecture in October 2017. He received Indian Geotechnical Society's IGS-Prof. Dinesh Mohan Memorial Award for Excellence in Professional Practice for the years 2016-2017. Dr. Jagdish Telangrao Shahu graduated in 1986 from Nagpur University, India and obtained his M.Tech. and Ph.D. degrees from IIT Kanpur, India in 1988 and 1994, respectively. He did his post doctoral research at Institute of Lowland Technology, Japan from 1996-99 and again visited Japan in 2006-2007 as Visiting Professor. Dr. Shahu joined IIT Delhi in 2002 as Assistant Professor. Since 2012, he is Professor at IIT Delhi.  His main research interests are geotechnology for roads and railway tracks, ground improvement and geosynthetic applications. He has more than 50 papers in journals. He has also co-edited four book volumes. He has guided 50 M.Tech. and 9 Ph.D. theses.  Dr. Vasant Havanagi did his M.Tech in Highway Engineering in the year 1988, from IIT, Kharagpur and completed his Doctorate in Geotechnical Engineering from IIT, Delhi in the year 2000. Presently he is a Senior Principal Scientist at CSIR-Central Road Research Institute, New Delhi. He has over 27 years of experience in R&D activities related to Geotechnical investigations, Ground improvement, Waste material utilization, Pavement design, Quality supervision, Audit of highway projects etc. He has published more than 65 Research papers in National and International Journals, Conferences and Seminars etc.  Awards for his R&D contribution / achievements included; DAAD (German Academic Exchange), IRC, SKOCH order of merit, CIDC etc. He is also involved activities of Indian Roads Congress (IRC), Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), and Indian Geotechnical Society, Delhi chapter.

Theme 1: Challenges in design and construction of pavements and embankments.- Theme 2: Design and construction of substructures for highways, high speed railway and metro track projects.- Theme 3: Advances in bridge foundations, waterways, airfields and pipeline transport geotechnics.- Theme 4: Slope stability, landslides, debris flows and avalanches on hilly roads and remedial measures.- Theme 5: Subsurface sensing, investigations and monitoring in transport geotechnics.- Theme 6: Use of geosynthetics and non traditional materials in transport geotechnics.- Theme 7: Transport geotechnics in underground construction.- Theme 8: Ground improvement techniques for transport geotechnics.- Theme 9: Emerging trends in transport geotechnics– Unsaturated Soil Mechanics, Macro and Nano Technology, Climate Change and Sustainability.