University of Illinois CEE Abel Bliss Professor Erol Tutumluer delivered the prestigious 5th Proctor Lecture at the 5th International Conference on Transportation Geotechnics (ICTG) in Sydney, Australia on November 20, 2024. His keynote address titled "Geosynthetic Stabilization of Road Pavements, Railways, and Airfields” provided an in-depth look at over two decades of advancements and research on geosynthetic stabilization. His presentation highlighted key developments at the University of Illinois and beyond, including advanced testing techniques, innovative sensors to quantify the benefits of geosynthetic stabilization, identification of critical geosynthetic properties, and new design methodologies. It also covered laboratory and full-scale tests, as well as case histories involving the use of geosynthetics in pavements, railways, and airfields.
The ICTG is held every four years and is the premier conference of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) Technical Committee (TC) 202 on Transportation Geotechnics. The ISSMGE Proctor Lecture was established in 2013 to honor the contributions of the late Ralph Roscoe Proctor. It is delivered by leading experts in the field of transportation geotechnics, recognizing significant achievements in this area.
“It was a tremendous honor to deliver the 5th Proctor Lecture during the highly successful ICTG 2024 event in Sydney,” said Tutumluer. “As the Chair of the virtual 4th ICTG conference in 2021, I’m proud to see this event come to fruition in person under the leadership of Distinguished Professor Buddhima Indraratna and his organizing team at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Transport Research Center.”
The success of the 5th ICTG in Sydney marked a significant milestone for its organizing team at the UTS Transport Research Center and for the global community that participated. The conference attracted over 450 delegates from more than 30 countries, featuring discussions on three main geo-paradigms: Transportation Geotechnics (TC202), Ground Improvement (TC211), and Sustainability (TC307). The opening ceremony included addresses from Hon. Dr. Marjorie O’Neill, PhD (Parliamentary Secretary for Transportation), Dr. Marc Ballouz (President, ISSMGE), and Mr. Tim Thompson (National Chair, Australian Geomechanics Society).
The event featured over 15 keynote lectures and nearly 20 invited theme lectures over three days of intense intellectual exchange. The peer-reviewed conference proceedings, comprising nine volumes published by Springer and a Special Issue of the Journal of Transportation Geotechnics (Elsevier), will continue to benefit the field for years to come.