DIKE ENGINEERING - Introduction to Soft Soil Geotechnique: Content, Context and Application - page 308

showed acclamation, while a small selected jury of conscious men summarised and
ascertained. Central themes were time and risk management, as the general goal is
the establishment of optimum environments in a safe and fast manner. This fits
well in the geotechnical discipline with a focus on dike technology, road and
railway design, underground construction, foundation, and soil-quality
management. The workshop evoked memorable sayings, still valid today
- The troubles are lying on the street. Due to the soft ground condition and an old-
fashioned ownership structure cities are caught up with lingering costs for
inefficient maintenance of roads and sewerage, spending millions of guilders
yearly.
- A firm coupling between social demand and scientific technology is essential.
The social profit of R&D efforts can be guaranteed in the new form of collective
research programs.
- The conventional structural separation of budget and responsibility for building
and maintenance prohibits an integral approach.
- For the involvement of calculation and monitoring results as practical
engineering tools, it is the question how the behaviour in the construction stage
can be reliably extrapolated to the behaviour of the structure in use.
- The present-day monitoring is too much static. In fact, not the absolute results
are important, but the effects and alterations in measured data. An appeal is
made for dynamic monitoring.
The discussion and debate were lively and pleasant. The popular subject was
monitoring, which has a great potential seen in the light of the modern information
technology. The workshop contributed to a consensus on social effects, scientific
importance, objective priorities and a consciousness to cooperate. Conclusions
stated by the jury are
- Monitoring in the construction and in-use stage makes sense only if possibilities
exist to interfere in case of malfunctioning.
- Monitoring or close inspection by experts during the building phase may provide
valuable information about weak links in the process.
- Monitoring might enhance building methods as new opportunities and
innovations that may otherwise not come to life. This, in turn, may emphasise
the value of monitoring.
- Parallel monitoring of specific vital parts of a construction process will provide
new knowledge and information, which can be generalised in conceptual
prediction models.
- Better performance later by monitoring now; knowledge investment for future
quality is a timeless wisdom.
- Knowing about or being involved in risks makes a great difference. Dedicated
communication and clear information, dealing with social and political
innocence and ignorance, is of essential importance. The geotechnical profession
needs more visualisation (social visibility).
- Legislation is decisive and fateful. A once fixed norm is inflexible and it can
create its own rigid environment.
- Safety against inundation is not a commercial commodity. The responsibility
should always lie with the central authority, i.e. the government and the
parliament.