Erol Tutumluer, University of Illinois Abel Bliss Professor, delivered the Proctor Lecture at the 5th International Conference on Transportation Geotechnics in Sydney, Australia, on Nov. 20, 2024.
His keynote address, “Geosynthetic Stabilization of Road Pavements, Railways, and Airfields,” provided an in-depth look at over two decades of advancements and research on geosynthetic stabilization.
Tutumluer highlighted key developments at the University of Illinois and beyond, including advanced testing techniques, innovative sensors to quantify the benefits of geosynthetic stabilization, identification of critical geosynthetic properties and new design methodologies. He also covered laboratory and full-scale tests as well as case histories involving the use of geosynthetics in pavements, railways and airfields.
The ICTG, held every four years, is the premier conference of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering Technical Committee 202 on Transportation Geotechnics. The ISSMGE Proctor Lecture, established in 2013, honors the contributions of the late Ralph Roscoe Proctor. It is delivered by leading experts in the field of transportation geotechnics, recognizing significant achievements in this area.
“It was a tremendous honor to deliver the 5th Proctor Lecture during the highly successful ICTG 2024 event in Sydney,” Tutumluer said.
“As the Chair of the virtual 4th ICTG conference in 2021, I’m proud to see this event come to fruition in person under the leadership of Distinguished Professor Buddhima Indraratna and his organizing team at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Transport Research Center,” he added.
The success of the 5th ICTG marked a significant milestone for its organizing team at the UTS Transport Research Center and for the global community that participated. The conference attracted over 450 delegates from more than 30 countries, featuring discussions on three main geo-paradigms: transportation geotechnics, ground improvement and sustainability.
The opening ceremony included addresses from Marjorie O’Neill, Australian parliamentary secretary for transport; Marc Ballouz, ISSMGE president and Tim Thompson, national chair of the Australian Geomechanics Society.
The event featured over 15 keynote lectures and nearly 20 invited theme lectures over three days. The peer-reviewed conference proceedings, comprising nine volumes and a special issue of Transportation Geotechnics, will benefit the field for years to come.