The British Geotechnical Association (BGA) is the principal association for geotechnical engineers in the UK.
Past event: Please note this event information is displayed for informational purposes only.
This is an on-line event, and is part of the BGA Technologist Network.
The British Geotechnical Association
21.11.2023
1300 - 1400
On-line event
BGA Meetings
As a Geotechnologist, it is likely that you work with soil, and one of the big things that people need to know when designing projects that are based on or in soil …. is its strength.
There are many standards available that specify how to perform laboratory tests to measure strength, but they cover only a small part of the whole process. You could learn most of how to do a test by reading the standard, but there many things that could affect the result you get, from the geological processes that formed that soil, to how it was sampled and transported, to how the tests were specified and eventually tested.
As soon as you take the sample out of the ground, many people are involved. In particular, there are individuals like you and me, with our own experiences and skills. By sharing our knowledge and skills we all grow together. Very often we notice patterns and behaviours as we work – it can be as simple as experiencing that it is much easier to walk on the beach at the water's edge where the sand is wetter than further up the beach where the sand is dry. When we study these behaviours – whether by asking someone more experienced, reading books, or taking formal lessons – it becomes very satisfying to be able to mesh together experience in the field or lab with the underlying theory. In the walking-on-the-beach example, for the sand to collapse the grains need first to move apart a little to ride over each other (dilation), but the water in saturated sand cannot expand, so for a short period suction holds the grains together… at least until you stand still and surrounding water has the time to flow into the gaps and you sink as that strength-giving suction bleeds away.
This topic was originally presented at the prestigious 2023 BGA Annual Conference, but with a twist: the title then was Free-will, future past, and soil shear strength. You'll have to watch the presentation to find out what the enigmatic twist is! The presentation is a fast-paced look at as many things that could affect soil shear strength as Chris could fit in the 20 minutes allocated. Chris loves images and hates lots of text and bullet points in presentations, so hopefully you won't fall asleep in this presentation.
Geolabs Limited
Widely viewed as the most prestigious of the invited lectures in geotechnics and was first held in 1961.
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How the BGA ECG Moge discussion series promotes learning and collaboration in geotechnics
The @BritishGeotech Early Career Group's discussion series on the ICE Manual of Geotechnical Engineering helps to bridge the gap between #academia and #industry.
