14th Austrian Geotechnical Conference - Vienna Terzaghi Lecture

The 14th Austrian Geotechnical Conference will be coupled with the technical exhibition of the VÖBU, the "VÖBU Fair", in proven, long-standing cooperation. In this way, not only current developments in the execution of geotechnical projects and research results from the university sector, but also news in equipment and measurement technology can be presented to a wide circle of colleagues under one roof. In this year's event, the focus is on foundations, whereby care was taken in the selection of the lectures to represent as many different facets of this complex of topics as possible. As an innovation at the Austrian Geotechnical Conference, the event will be held for the first time in cooperation with the Austrian Association for Trenchless Pipeline Construction.

Already in the first block of lectures, in which projects from Vienna will be presented, the manifold possibilities for the solution of foundation problems will become clear, whereby, in addition to new constructions, the preservation of existing structures will take up a large amount of space. The additional use for energy generation, criminally neglected in the past, is of special relevance in the sign of climate change. Foundations in soft soils, such as lake clay, must of course not be omitted from this topic, and there are interesting developments in this area as well. A look at foundation problems in northern Europe and in neighboring Slovakia will be the focus of the last block of lectures on the first day, which will also address sustainability, a keyword that has become indispensable in construction projects. Special issues will be dealt with in the first block on Friday, highlighting the foundation of protective structures against rockfall and mudflows. Measures that will become increasingly important for the protection of the habitat. In addition, innovative approaches to settlement minimization through consolidation of potential shear joints and the importance of considering interface orientation in rock foundations will be presented. A block of presentations on trenchless construction emphasizes the interaction with geotechnical engineering in these technologies. Finally, the execution and design of pile foundations will be the topic of discussion, in which numerical models will also be presented.

 As part of the "Vienna Terzaghi Lecture", the internationally renowned geotechnical engineer Dr. Peter Day from South Africa will speak on "Dealing with uncertainty in foundation design", in keeping with the theme of the geotechnical conference.

Following the award ceremony of the Austrian Foundation Engineering Award, the award-winning young engineers will present their work and thus have the opportunity to introduce themselves to a broad professional audience.

We invite you to actively participate in the event by contributing to the discussion, to exchange ideas with professional colleagues during the breaks and to be informed about new developments at the VÖBU.