The International Symposium on Sustainable Geosynthetics and Green Technology for Climate Change (SGCC) was successfully held at Viphavadee Ballroom C, Centara Grand Hotel Ladprao, Bangkok, Thailand last 20 to 21 June 2012. SGCC also served as the Retirement Symposium of Prof. Dennes T. Bergado – the SGCC Organizing Chairman, Professor of Geotechnical and Earth Resources Engineering (GTE) at the School of Engineering and Technology (SET) of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), President of International Geosynthetics Society – Thailand Chapter (IGS- Thailand), Director of Asian Center for Soil Improvement and Geosynthetics (ACSIG), and Secretary General of the Southeast Asian Geotechnical Society (SEAGS). The Symposium was hosted by ACSIG and IGS-Thailand and co- organized by Suranaree University of Technology (SUT) and SEAGS under the auspices of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS). The Symposium covered topics on geotechnical and geosynthetics engineering for mitigations, applications, and adaptations to changing environments due to climate change and global warming. The wide range of topics included Road Pavements, Railways, and Transport Applications; Flood Control, Reservoirs, and Hydraulic Applications; Mining and Waste Containment and Environmental Protection; Ground Improvement and Remediation, and Case Studies; Reinforced Slopes/Walls and Geohazard Mitigations; Geo-Containers and Geotubes; Behavior of Unsaturated Soils and Rain-Triggered Landslides; Earthquake Engineering and Geophysics; Foundation Engineering and Retaining Walls; Laboratory, Field Tests, and Durability of Geosynthetics; Sustainable Limited Life Geosynthetics (LLGs); Sustainable Geosynthetics Engineering and Applications; Prefabricated Vertical Drains with Vacuum Preloading; Deep Excavation; Deep Cement Mixing and Bio-Cement Stabilization; and, Geo-Disasters due Tsunami.
The program was officially opened by Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai, Vice-President for Resources and Development of AIT together with several dignitaries such as; Dr. Teik Aun Ooi, President of SEAGS; Prof. Fumio Tatsuoka, Immediate Past President of IGS; Prof. Mitsutaka Sugimoto, Nagaoka University of Technology, Japan; Prof. Loren Anderson, Professor Emeritus of Utah State University, U.S.A.; Prof. Jian Chu, Iowa State University, U.S.A.; Prof. Suksun Horpibulsuk, Suranaree University of Technology, Thailand; Dr. Peter Brenner, Geotechnical Consultant, Switzerland; Prof. Buddhima Indraratna, Wollongong University, Australia; and, Dr. Myint Win Bo, DST Consultants, Canada.
The Symposium was attended by more than 130 guests, speakers, session chairs, sponsors and exhibitors from many countries including Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and Vietnam. The Keynote Speakers included Prof. Hideki Ohta from Chuo University (Japan), Prof. Myint Win Bo from DST Consultants (Canada), Prof. Buddhima Indraratna from University of Wollongong (Australia), Prof. Fumio Tatsuoka from Tokyo University of Science (Japan), Prof. Han-Yong Jeon from Inha University (Korea), Prof. Jian-Hua Yin from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Hong Kong), and Prof. Chun-Fai Leung from National University of Singapore (Singapore). The Special Speakers included Prof. Yusuke Honjo from Gifu University (Japan), Prof. Jin-Chun Chai from Saga University (Japan), Prof. R. Shivashankar from National Institute of Technology Karnataka (India), Dr. Pham Van Long from Vina Mekong Engineering Consultants J.S. Company (Vietnam), Prof. Suksun Horpibulsuk from Suranaree University of Technology (Thailand), Prof. Suttisak Soralump from Kasetsart University (Thailand), Dr. Pham Huy Giao from Asian Institute of Technology (Thailand), Dr. Sinat Koslanant from Rambhai Bami Rajabhat University (Thailand), Prof. Aneel Kumar from Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (Pakistan), Dr. Absornsuda Siripong from Chulalongkorn University (Thailand), Dr. Martin Wieland from Poyry Energy Limited (Switzerland), Dr.-Ing. Dimiter Alexiew from HUESKER Synthetics GmbH (Germany), Prof. Shui-Long Shen from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China), Prof. Der Guey Lin from National Chung-Hsing University (Taiwan), Prof. Hemanta Hazarika from Kyushu University (Japan), and Dr. Sompote Youwai from King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (Thailand). The Invited Speakers included Ir. Tjie-Liong Gouw from BINUS University & Geotechnical Contractor and Engineering Services (Indonesia), Dr. Warat Kongkitkul from King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (Thailand), Dr. Tri Harianto from Hasanuddin University (Indonesia), Dr. Suched Likitlersuang from Chulalongkorn University (Thailand), Prof. Ram Narayan Khare from Shri Rawatpura Sarkar Institute of Technology (India), Dr. Takenori Hino from Saga University (Japan), Dr. Tawatchai Tanchaisawat from Chiang Mai University (Thailand), Dr. Ye-Shuang Xu from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China), Mr. Yee Tack Weng from TenCate Geosynthetics Asia (Malaysia), Dr. Keeratikan Piriyakul from King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok (Thailand), Dr. Rui Jia from Saga University (Japan), Dr. Hirochika Hayashi from Civil Engineering Research Institute of Cold Region (Japan), Prof. Shin-ichi Nishimura from Okayama University (Japan), Mr. Helmut Zanzinger from SKZ-TeConA GmbH (Germany), Dr. Cesario Bacosa Jr. from Holy Trinity University (the Philippines), Dr. Budhi Setiawan from University of Sriwijaya (Indonesia), Prof. San-Shyan Lin from National Taiwan Ocean University (Taiwan), and Dr. Martin D. Liu from University of Wollongong (Australia). The Symposium Proceedings consist of 60 papers with 568 pages. Moreover, 19 international and local companies sponsored this event including 12 exhibitors. The Symposium was officially closed by Prof. Said Irandoust, AIT President, together with several guests such as Prof. Loren Anderson (U.S.A.), Dr. Peter Brenner (Switzerland), Dr. Martin Wieland (Switzerland), Prof. Ikuo Towhata (Japan), Prof. Suksun Horpibulsuk (Thailand), and Dr. Boonthep Nanegrungsung (Thailand).
Throughout the two-day retirement symposium, Prof. Bergado was emotionally overwhelmed by the barrage of positive tributes from honored guests and distinguished speakers, especially during the opening and closing ceremonies.
