Please join us for our biggest and best Geo-Banquet (Dinner & Lecture) yet, held in conjunction with Geo-Congress 2020, on Wednesday, February 26th, at the locally acclaimed McNamara Alumni Center on the University of Minnesota campus. Following a networking cocktail hour sponsored by Keller North America, and plated meals catered by D'Amico & Sons, Professor Lyesse Laloui, from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), will present "Tailor-made soil properties with novel bio-geo-chemical means."
Attendance is limited. First-registered, first-accepted. Advance online payment only. Be sure to REGISTER NOW to save your spot!
ABSTRACT:
Research and practice in the broader fields of civil and geotechnical engineering had long ignored the presence of living microorganisms in the subsurface and the way it impacts conventional practices. In the last decade, however, the direct use of microorganisms for soil bio-cementation applications has gained significant momentum and is often presented as the “next big thing” in geotechnical engineering that will solve many kinds of problems, ranging from soil erosion to landslides risk mitigation and liquefaction protection. Are the claimed benefits of this application of microorganisms in conventional geotechnical problems real? We are developing a comprehensive understanding of the multi-physical and complex phenomena involved by using micro-structural inspections, mechanical testing, and numerical modelling, and by taking the ultimate step towards real-world pilot applications. The experience gained reveals that the future of sustainable and environmental geotechnics holds an important place for bio-based soil cementation.
SCHEDULE:
6:30 pm Social Hour, *Hosted Bar*
7:30 pm Dinner
8:15 pm Program & Keynote Lecture