International Workshop on Bio-Soil Interactions and Engineering

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Abstract: 0628782The interaction of biological materials with geotechnical processes has long been ignored by geotechnical engineering, and its importance is just beginning to be realized. In the 2006 report from the National Academy of Sciences entitled "Geological and Geotechnical Engineering in the New Millennium: Opportunities for Research and Technological Innovation" the role of biological processes in soil behavior is identified as a technical area that has not been accounted for and is cited as a critical research thrust and opportunity for the future. The soil environment is known to be exceptionally complex and heterogeneous in structure. Such complexity is essential to support biological activity by providing an intricate particle-pore matrix that consists of solid, liquid and gas phases for the effective cycling and storage of nutrients. The biological materials within the soil are unique by their innate characteristics of being self-active and re-growing within geotechnical soil matrices. This same complex soil matrix is also the fundamental "building block" for geotechnical engineering. With an increased understanding of biological processes in soils, the processes and products of these activities could be harnessed to provide new innovative solutions for geotechnical problems as well as provide explanation for observed geosystem performance. To address and explore this opportunity integration of the sciences and engineering is necessary as the complexity of the processes cannot be sufficiently addressed within a single discipline. The goal of this workshop is to bring together experts from a spectrum of traditional disciplines (e.g. geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering, geosciences, microbiology, oceanography, biology) that are leaders in their field, are creative and innovative, and have a personal interest in exploring this new interdisciplinary field. This will be accomplished by holding a workshop with about 50 participants, about 50% US and 50% International participants (jointly funded by NSF and EPSRC). The workshop has been carefully designed in a structure that will scaffold, or gradually build, from developing a mutual foundation of discipline understanding, to sharing current research and brainstorming about new opportunities, to identifying the necessary "action items", or developmental steps, required to mature this field. An informal environment and activities that foster discussion, brainstorming, and free sharing of ideas has been incorporated into the agenda. A final report drafted by the workshop organizers will integrate all discussion outcomes of this workshop, and concisely present the assessment of the current status and future potential of the field, as well as planned future efforts. The report will be distributed to all participants for review and then disseminated to the funding agencies (NSF and EPSRC) and colleagues internationally via electronic and hardcopy publication.