Geotechnics Day 2021

Hello World, 9 November 2021

Retrospective

The Geotechnics Day 2021 was dedicated to the theme "Hello World". This theme symbolised two important aspects within the field of geotechnical engineering. On the one hand, "Hello World" refers to the first steps taken by a novice programmer, a nod to the growing impact of digitisation and data science in civil engineering. On the other hand, it reflects the relationship between geotechnical engineers and their environment, in which expectations of sustainable, circular and ecologically sound solutions are increasingly high.

During the day, it became clear that geotechnical engineering is at the centre of this world and is actively engaged in the rapid developments in digitalisation and the increasing involvement of the environment. The opportunities offered by digitalisation, such as faster and more reliable designs, fit seamlessly with the environment's demand for transparent and involved solutions.

The day offered a varied programme with parallel sessions highlighting topical themes, including:

Model and experiment
Complex projects
Sustainability and incorporation
Automation and AI

The programme was further enriched by several keynote speakers. Professor Ken Gavin of TU Delft spoke about scientific developments in soil-construction interaction and the impact of climate change on infrastructure. Paulus Eckhardt, director of Digital Transformation and Innovation at Ballast-Nedam, highlighted practical developments within digitisation and geotechnics with his lecture "Digitisation & Geotechnics: The new foundation?". Finally, Joek Peuchen from Fugro, shared his insights into advanced soil models for offshore applications.

The day ended with the panel discussion Chartered Engineer: added value or paper tiger? Followed by the presentation of the Keverling Buisman Prize. This prize for the best graduation research in geotechnical engineering was won this year by Hassan Ali Dahir (HBO) and Britt Wittekoek (TU).