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Prof. Claudia E. Zapata

Professor Claudia E. Zapata is an Associate Professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment at Arizona State University. She currently serves as the Associate Director of the National Center for Infrastructure Transformation (NCIT) under the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and as the Deputy Director of the Engineering Research Center for Bio-Mediated and Bio-Inspired Geotechnics, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Dr. Zapata has authored over 90 technical publications. Her research focuses on the behavior of unsaturated soils, characterization of expansive soils, thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior of soils under static and repeated loads, empirical modeling of fluid flow and soil volume change applied to pavement structures and residential foundation systems, environmental effects on soil behavior, and soil improvement induced by microbes and biological enzymes, as well as geotextiles.

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Prof. Bharat Venkata Tadikonda

Professor Bharat Venkata Tadikonda Professor Bharat Venkata Tadikonda is a Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati. He is also associated with the Center for Disaster Management & Research and the Center for Indian Knowledge Systems at IIT Guwahati. Currently, he heads the Center for Educational Technology at IIT Guwahati. Dr. Tadikonda's research focuses on the prediction and mitigation of rainfall-induced landslide disasters, the Geotechnics of waste containment facilities including biomedical waste facilities, Reinforced soils by Geosynthetics and Geonaturals, and the Geotechnics of ancient heritage structures. He has authored over 80 technical publications. Professionally, he is an associate editor of Clays and Clay Minerals journal and serves as an editor of Scientific Reports (Nature) and the Indian Geotechnical Journal. He is also a member of the technical committee of Hill Roads & Tunnels (H-10) of the Indian Road Congress (IRC). Furthermore, he previously served on the expert advisory committee for waste management technologies (WMT) under the Technology Development & Transfer (TDT) division of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India, and is a nominated member of the technical committee for Unsaturated Soils (TC106) in the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering.

  • Course Overview

    • The road and rail infrastructure development has become a pressing requirement for improving connectivity, increasing population, and heightened economic demands. In the context of India, the presence of mountains, heavy rainfall patterns, snowfall, and high seismic activity exacerbate the complexities inherent in infrastructure development within these terrains. The ever-evolving dynamics of climate change have further profoundly impacted the intricate patterns of rainfall distribution. Acknowledging the significance of adapting our built environments to withstand the increasingly erratic and severe weather patterns, the discourse surrounding climate-resilient infrastructure has gained considerable traction in recent years. Construction in such environments necessitates a deeper understanding of the partially saturated behaviour of the geomaterials.

    Unsaturated soil conditions, characterized by the presence of air, vapor, and water within the soil pore spaces, give rise to a complex interplay of physical and chemical phenomena that govern the mechanical, hydraulic, and volume-change properties of the subgrade soil. Understanding the necessary aspects of unsaturated soil behavior is essential for the accurate analysis, design, and construction of pavements and embankments, particularly in regions with variable moisture conditions and frost susceptible soils. Careful examination of factors such as soil-water characteristics, shear strength, volume change, and the influence of environmental conditions on the subgrade soil is crucial for developing robust and reliable road and rail infrastructure by ensuring the long-term safety, stability, and performance of critical infrastructure.

    This course aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the unsaturated soil mechanics principles, their applications in the context of infrastructure development in mountainous and other regions, and the measurement and control of the associated unsaturated parameters. By addressing the challenges inherent in transportation geomechanics in these terrains, this course seeks to equip professionals and students with the necessary knowledge and tools to navigate the complex landscape of infrastructure development in tropical to arid regions and deliver resilient and sustainable solutions that cater to the needs of the local communities.

    The primary objectives of the course are such that, after completion, participants will be able to:

    1. Understand the principles of unsaturated behavior of soils and subgrade of pavements and embankments
    2. Understand the governing mechanisms of shear, hydraulic, and volume change characteristics of partly saturated geomaterials
    3. Get the comprehensive coverage of transportation geotechnics principles and practices
    4. Apply and appreciate the unsaturated soil mechanics principles to road/rail infrastructure development
    5. Understand how to measure and control the unsaturated soil state parameters.

  • You Should Attend, If, you are

    • Civil/Geotechnical engineers/Transportation engineers and specialized contractors dealing with the design, construction, and/or maintenance of pavements.
    • Faculty members of engineering and polytechnic colleges.
    • Researchers and engineering scientists from academic institutions, including R&D laboratories.
    • Students at all levels (BTech/B. A/BSc/MSc/M. A/MTech/PhD)

    Course Layout
    • Day 1:
      Lecture 1: Case studies on pavement failures and landslides from northeast India, Detection of infrastructure failures using remote sensing and GIS studies, Underlying mechanisms of failure.
      Lecture 2: Introduction to unsaturated behavior of subgrade, Requirement for three-phase soil system, Fundamental principles of unsaturated soil mechanics, Introduction to state variables.
      Tutorial: Laboratory measurement and control of soil water potential/suction, moisture content
    • Day 2:
      Lecture 3: Applications of unsaturated soil mechanics in climate resilient infrastructure development, application in built environment of mountainous regions, Measurement and estimation of soil moisture retention characteristics, Practical evaluation methods for field engineers.
      Lecture 4: Geotechnical testing methods and predicting models for obtaining unsaturated hydraulic conductivity functions.
      Tutorial: Field measurement of soil water potential/suction, moisture content, flow behavior.
    • Day 3:
      Lecture 5: Ground surface flux, Water flow, Steady state and transient flow through unsaturated soils and subgrade.
      Lecture 6: Material stiffness characterization and Drainage of low volume roads.
      Lecture 7: Sensitive soils to environmental changes: Frost susceptible soils and Expansive soils, Identification of frost susceptible soils, frost mechanisms, frost depth prediction, expansive soils principles, identification and behavior predictions.
      Tutorial: Problem solving session with examples: Environmental Effects on Material Stiffness.
    • Day 4:
      Lecture 8: Stress state variables, shear strength of unsaturated soils.
      Lecture 9: Stress-deformation of unsaturated soils, volume change predictions for moisture sensitive soils.
      Lecture 10: Applications of volume change predictions to pavement foundations engineering.
    • Day 5:
      Lecture 11: Mechanical and chemical stabilization of subgrades.
      Lecture 12: Case studies in climate resilient infrastructure development.

    Registration Procedure

    1. Candidate should apply to the course using the Application form link:
    2. After shortlisting the candidate will be notified via email.
    3. Shortlisted candidate should pay the registration fee and provide the details in the below form:


    *Number of participants for the course will be limited to hundred.



    Course fees:
    1. Participants from abroad : US $500
    2. Industry/ Research Organizations in India: 10000/- +18% GST
    3. Faculty from Indian Institutions: Rs. 3000/- +18% GST
    4. Students from Indian Institutions: Rs. 1000/- +18% GST

    The above fee includes all instructional materials, computer use for tutorials and assignments, laboratory equipment usage charges, 24 hr free internet facility. The participants will be provided with accommodation on payment basis.

    The selected candidates must pay the applicable fees by online bank transfer / wire transfer / internet banking to the following bank account. Please keep the online transfer receipt for proof of transfer.
    Paymemt Details

    Bank Name : STATE BANK OF INDIA
    Branch Name : IIT GUWAHATI BRANCH
    IFSC Code : SBIN0014262
    MICR code : 781002053
    Account Name : IIT GUWAHATI R&D – MHRD
    Account No : 31151533220
    Account Type : Savings
     

    Prof. T.V.Bharat

    Course Coordinator
    Department of Civil Engineering,
    IIT Guwahati
    Guwahati -781039
    Phone: 0361-2582417 (O)
    E-mail:tvb@iitg.ac.in
    Helpful Links: