Geotechnical and Geological Engineering, 1995, 13, 243-244

CONFERENCE REPORT

9th Young Geotechnical Engineers Conference 4-8 September 1995, Ghent, Belgium

The 9th Young Geotechnical Engineers Conference was held at the University of Ghent, Belgium. Presentations were received from 25 delegates from 16 countries.

The delegates for the Young Geotechnical Engineers Conference represent the member states of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering (ISSMFE). Each member state selects two representatives to attend the conference 1.

This year's conference took a step from the usual general geotechnical issues to the topic of 'Environmental Geotechnics'. The conference was opened by a lecture from Prof. W.F. Van Impe (Ghent University, Belgium and vice-president of ISSMFE). His lecture addressed the vast field of environmental geotechnics and the many technical difficulties which lie ahead for the engineer. Prof. Van Impe called for young engineers to research and develop their understanding of this topic, as he believed that geotechnical engineers were ideal candidates to manage geo-environmental projects.

The conference was divided into five themes. Each theme session was opened with a lecture from a senior engineer and followed by presentations of a number of papers. Time was allotted during each session for discussion. A special session entitled 'Research in Environmental Geotechnics in the European Countries' was held where delegates were requested to present a summary of their countries' research.

The first theme was entitled 'Waste Disposal Design'. The opening lecture was given by Prof. M. Manassero (Studio Geotecnio Italiano, Italy). He addressed the variations in design practices across Europe and highlighted research which is being undertaken to resolve problems with landfill liners. Presentations were received from delegates on topics relating to geosynthetic, clay and bentonite lining systems. It was noted that standards appeared to be more rigorous in Germany than in many of the other European countries.

The second theme was 'Laboratory and In Situ Testing'. The senior lecture was given by Prof. H. Meissner (Universitfit Kaiserslautern, Germany). Of interest in the presentations was the variety of methods being used to collect data on the behaviour of landfill waste. A paper presented by Dr J.H. Palma Gonz~ilez (University of Santander, Spain) summarized the results of monitoring of both deformation and slippage in a landfill site, located on a hillside, over a six year period. The discussion generally concluded that there was very little

i I would like to thank the British Geotechnical Society for sponsorship to at tend this event and my company, Kirk McClure Morton, Belfast, for the time to at tend the conference.

0960-3182 �9 1995 Chapman & Hall

244 Conference report

information on landfill behaviour and indeed the parameters have extreme variations depending on the composition of the landfill.

Prof. P. Verneer (Institut ftir Geotechnik, Germany) opened the session on 'Numerical Modelling' by discussing recent developments in modelling methods. A variety of papers were then presented including finite element modelling of the stresses and deformations generated in a landfill site. This included the stress generated in the liner layers from various loading conditions. It was suggested by the author that this work will lead to a better understanding of the stability of liner systems on side slopes.

The fourth session entitled 'Flow through Porous Media' was opened by Prof. J. Nuyens (VUB-ULB, Brussels). Presentations made during this session included ~Groundwater Modelling in Greater Copenhagen'. This paper identified various aspects of developing a regional groundwater model, and using it to assess the effects of deep cuttings for road construction. A paper was presented by Mr G. Heibrock (Ruhr Universit~it Bochum, Germany) entitled 'Leakage Behaviour of a Composite Liner System'. He highlighted the aspect of sequential failure of the liner system, and its effect on groundwater pollution. The problem of leachate drainage systems failing at an early stage was suggested as a potentially significant issue.

The last theme of the conference was entitled 'Remediation Works'. The session was opened with a lecture from Dr N.J. O'Riordan (Ove Arup & Partners, London). He introduced the topic in terms of hazard, vulnerability and consequences. Dr O'Riordan went on to describe some of the remediation techniques used in his recent schemes before illustrating the methods of risk assessment and management. Of the papers presented, one which was of particular interest was given by a chemical engineer who is currently researching the use of micro organisms to assist in hydrocarbon clean up.

The special session entitled 'Research in Environmental Geotechnics in European Countries' included presentations from eight countries. Following a long discussion period it was concluded that research was generally at a similar stage in each country with the exception of Germany, who appeared to be 'leading the way'. The main areas of research were groundwater and contaminant modelling, landfill lining systems, behaviour of waste mass and remediation techniques.

In addition to the technical content of the conference there was also an active social scene. The opportunity of meeting with so many young engineers from countries as far afield as Croatia to Spain was an enjoyable one. However, the many cultural and linguistic differences became less important as the process of testing the many Belgian beers continued! I would like to encourage young engineers to start preparing their papers for next year's event which will possibly be held in Greece.

A. Baskin