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Sustainability in Geotechnical Engineering
Viabilité en géotechnique
Basu D., Misra A.
University of Waterloo
Puppala A.J., Chittoori C.S.
University of Texas at Arlington
ABSTRACT: This paper presents an overview of the different research studies performed in geotechnical engineering related to
sustainable development. The philosophies of sustainability as applicable in geotechnical engineering are discussed. A review of the
research and case studies performed in geotechnical engineering and how they can impact sustainable development is presented with
particular emphasis on foundation engineering and ground improvement.
RÉSUMÉ : Cet article présente une vue d'ensemble des différentes recherches effectuées en géotechnique liée au développement
durable. Les philosophies de la durabilité comme applicable en géotechnique sont discutées. Un examen des études de recherche et de
cas réalisées en géotechnique et comment ils peuvent influer sur le développement durable est présenté avec un accent particulier sur
les travaux de fondation et de l'amélioration du sol.
KEYWORDS: sustainability, waste recycling, life cycle assessment, multicriteria analysis, risk, resilience, carbon footprint.
1 INTRODUCTION
Civil engineering processes are both resource and fuel intensive.
According to Dixit et al. (2010), the construction industry
accounts for about 40% of the global energy consumption and
depletes about two fifth of the sand, gravel and stone reserves
every year. Construction activities also add to the problems of
climate change, ozone depletion, desertification, deforestation,
soil erosion, and land, water and air pollution (Kibert 2008). A
geotechnical construction project not only has the above
detrimental effects on earth’s resources and environment but
also changes the land use pattern that persists for centuries and
affects the social and ethical values of a community. Thus,
geotechnical projects interfere with many social, environmental
and economic issues, and improving the sustainability of
geotechnical processes is extremely important in achieving
overall sustainable development.
This paper attempts to connect the broader scope of
sustainable development with geotechnical engineering and
presents a review of the research done on different aspects of
sustainability in geotechnical engineering with particular
emphasis on foundation engineering and ground improvement.
2 SUSTAINABILITY AND GEOTECHNOLOGY
Sustainability of a system is its ability to survive and retain its
functionality over time. For an engineered system to be
sustainable, it should be efficient, reliable, resilient, and
adaptive. Efficiency requires that the resource use, cost and
environmental impacts of the engineering system are minimal.
Reliability ensures that the system is sufficiently far away from
its predictable failure states. A resilient system has the ability to
return to its original functioning state within an acceptable
period of time when subjected to unpredictable disruptions. An
adaptive system is responsive to gradual and natural changes
within itself and in its environment, and is flexible to
modifications and alterations required to cope with such
changes. Together, these characteristics help in deciding
whether an engineered system is capable of surviving in a
complex and evolving socio-economic environment without
losing its own character and function, and without violating the
limits of the carrying capacity of the natural systems. Thus, the
objective of sustainable engineering is to ensure the integration
of an engineered system into the natural and man-made
environment without compromising the functionality of either
the engineered system or that of the ecosystem and society, and
this harmony between the natural and built environments must
be maintained at the local, regional and global scales. Therefore,
in the engineering domain, sustainability can be looked upon as
a dynamic equilibrium between four E’s
engineering design,
economy, environment and equity, as described in Figure 1.
Class and Property
Conflict
Environment
Economy
Equity
Engineering
Resource and
Pollution Conflict
Growth Control
Conflict
Redundancy and
Profitability Conflict
Access and
Marginalization
Conflict
Figure 1. The four E’s of sustainability in engineering projects.
In view of the four E’s approach of sustainable engineering,
the sustainability objectives that may be incorporated in
geotechnical projects are: (i) involving all the stakeholders at
the planning stage of the project so that a consensus is reached
on the sustainability goals of the project (such as reduction in
pollution, use of environment friendly alternative materials,
etc.), (ii) reliable and resilient design and construction that
involves minimal financial burden and inconvenience to all the
stakeholders, (iii) minimal use of resources and energy in
planning, design, construction and maintenance of geotechnical
facilities, (iv) use of materials and methods that cause minimal
negative impact on the ecology and environment, and (v) as
