Activity of Member
Africa
14th African Regional Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering
Yaoundé November 26th-25th
The 14th ARC on SMGE was held at Palace of congress in Yaoundé (Cameroon). This event was attended by about three hundred (300) Cameroonian participants; eighty (80) African representative and twenty two (22) overseas participants.
The attendees are originated from twenty five (25) African countries and five (5) non African countries. How to find out solutions for problems posed when dealing with projects of construction on soils of Africa? This was the main question for which African geotechnical engineers tried to answer.
Replying to such a question in Africa it is worth noticed, first, a big variety of soils is encountered: laterits, soft clays, swelling soils are just few examples of soils. Second, the variety of projects is not the main point in Africa, rather, geological conditions, on one hand, as natural slopes, cavities, etc and climatic facts, on the other hand, as dryness areas, torrential rains are serious factors which influence significantly the behaviour of projects.
Five keynote lectures were presented by Professors:
- J.P. Magnan (France) on “The influence of geotechnical engineering on construction works”.
- B. Indraratna (Australia) on “Vacuum consolidation of soft clay via vertical drains and associated design charts”.
- G.E. Ekodeck (Cameroon) on “Geology and geotechnique for management of hazards, natural risks and disasters.
- A.T. Visser (South Africa) on “Low volume roads”.
- A.G. Coelho (Portugal) on “The added value of geology in site investigation”.
During eight oral sessions , after presented and discussed case histories it came out the encountered geotechnical problems are mainly due either to insufficient or to bad designed soil investigations. For affected projects occasioned reparation and rehabilitation are certainly with high cost. For this reason, it is compulsory to enhance the competence of African geotechnical engineers by attracting more engineers and geologists in well valorised profession by actors from civil engineering, management of natural risks and environment fields. With better background, much matured African geotechnical engineers will endeavour, politically and technically, for rentable construction projects. It results the benefit of economical impact for involved countries with emphasis on environmental aspect more and more required.
Further, due to hard economical situation faced by some African countries, African geotechnical engineers have to set up technical solutions in concordance with local conditions. That was the case in Kenya of unpaved road, in difficult accessible site with rainy climate, built by carrying out a simple construction technique by using available local materials. The 14th ARC was the occasion to organize several educative sessions aimed at interesting themes, as geotextiles and deep foundations in which a large number of engineers and technicians from the industry participated. Also two African geotechnical engineers exposed two recently published books. All these facts show the motivation to promote the development of geotechnical engineering both in Africa and worldwide.
As first recommendation, more scientific and technical meetings should be held in the African region by geotechnical engineers in view of a better implication in pointing out and solving geotechnical challenges. African geotechnical engineers will collaborate much better within a new created regional technical committee with theme “Problematic soils of Africa”. Due to its location in the centre of Africa and its two language speaking (English and French) Cameroon will host, first, this technical committee. Nevertheless, all competent African geotechnical engineers, having good motivation, are welcomed to animate this new vehicle of development.
During the meeting, held on November 25th 2007, of ISSMGE African membership societies It was voted the venue 15th edition of ARC on SMGE at Maputo (Mozambique) 2011. See you in Maputo, and Good Bye.
The 14th African Regional Conference for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering
Download ISSMGE Bulletin – Volume 2 Issue 1 (pp. 8-9)
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