Update for June 2018-June 2019

A lot of significant milestones have been achieved over the last year. Five (5) of these milestones are briefly noted below:

1. After AASHTO approved the ballot item related to service limit state evaluation of foundation on June 28, 2018 (see previous post), FHWA initiated the effort for a 5-module self-paced web based training (WBT) course that guides the interested researcher and/or practitioner through the calibration and application process for the SE load factor. Naresh provided the technical content for the WBT modules and Jacobs and FHWA put prepared the online format. The pilot for this WBT was concluded end of May 2019 and the final product will be available in July 2019 in the public domain.
2. The internationally acclaimed Georisk Journal invited select papers for a special publications honoring the work of Professor Yusuki Honjo for limit state design. A paper co-authored by Naresh Samtani and John Kulicki on the topic of calibration of the SE load factor was reviewed by Georisk and accepted for publication. This paper was one of the only 6 papers worldwide that were accepted for the special publication. The online version was published in December 2018 and the print-version will be issued in July 2019 (Volume 13, No. 3 Georisk Journal).
3. NCHRP 12-108 work related to development of Guide Specification for Service Limit State Design is virtually complete. It goes to ballot next week at the annual AASHTO meeting. A rather innovative approach to integrate product-specific diverse “deemed-to-satisfy” durability (deterioration mitigation) guidance for foundations and retaining walls was developed led by Naresh Samtani. A novel 3-tier Protection Index approach has been developed that encompasses all the foundation and retaining wall protection strategies. This approach combines ascertainment of risk and selection of protection strategy. In this system, a Protection Index value is established based on the environment, consequences of adverse performance, location, and type of facility carried or protected. The main features of the protection index approach are (a) division of design into three categories based on a number of “risk” factors, and (b) scaling of the risk mitigation through  appropriate protection strategies.
4. Naresh made a 2-hour invited presentation on “Complex Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) Wall Structures” at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India.
5. For its Annual meeting in January 2020, the Transportation Research Board (TRB) is putting together a Centennial Circular for significant contributions in the field of geotechnical engineering over the past century. Naresh Samtani and John Kulicki will be contributing two invited papers to this Circular. One paper titled “Compendium of Service Limit State Development for Geotechnical Elements Designed by AASHTO LRFD” provides a history of the development of service limit state design process for geotechnical elements. The other paper titled “Structural Implications Related to Foundation Movements in AASHTO LRFD” provides detailed structural computations using an actual bridge and a wide range of foundation settlements. These two papers combined with the Georisk paper would be a must have set of papers for future researchers and practitioners for correct application of the SE load factor related to foundation movements.

Stay tuned for more details on the above items as well as other items (including new manuals and papers to be added to downloads) in near future……. Thank you for your support!