2nd International Workshop on Geotechnics of Soft Soils  »  Aims

Workshop Aims :


Construction activities increasingly take place in poor ground conditions. Often ground improvement is required. Although new construction and field observation techniques have been developed to ensure that geotechnical structures such as embankments, tunnels and deep excavations can be built safely under these difficult conditions, design is still predominantly based on empirical rules and simplifying assumptions. The EC-funded Research Training Network “Soft Clay Modelling for Engineering Practice” (SCMEP) was set up to develop improved constitutive and numerical models to assist in geotechnical design on soft clays. During its operation in 2000-2004, the SCMEP network made significant advances in theory backed up with substantial experimental programmes. The 1st International Workshop on Geotechnics of Soft Soils - Theory and Practice, held in Noordwijkerhout, the Netherlands, 17-19 September 2003 was organized by SCMEP provide a forum for an intensive exchange of ideas with other research groups. The over 130 participants represented both industry and academia and contributed to the successful event.


AMGISS (Advanced Modelling of Ground Improvement on Soft Soils, see this for details) is an EC-funded Marie Curie Research Training Network, which continues the research by SCMEP network, focussing on modelling ground improvement systems. The aim of the network is to develop advanced numerical modelling techniques for analysing the coupled hydro-mechanical behaviour of ground improvement systems on soft soils utilising advanced constitutive modelling, physical modelling and 2D and 3D numerical modelling techniques. The aim of the 2nd International Workshop on Geotechnics on Soft Soils - Focus on Ground Improvement is to disseminate the research done by AMGISS to research students, academics and practitioners, as well to get together the professional working on geotechnical design on soft soils to discuss the current state-of-the-art in modelling and design, with particular emphasis on ground improvement applications.