2023 PGS Workshop & 19th G.A. Leonards Lecture
May 5, 2023
Krannert Auditorium, Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN
Sustainability and Resiliency-Based Innovation:
Research and Practices in Geoenvironmental Engineering
Video of Lecture | Lecture Slides
Professor Krishna R. Reddy
University of Illinois Chicago
The world faces several existential challenges resulting from anthropogenic activity, including climate change, depletion of natural resources, increased environmental pollution, challenges of waste generation and management, ecosystem destruction, loss of biodiversity, social inequity and injustice, and urban sprawl. Moreover, climate change and extreme weather impacts, such as heavy precipitation and floods, drought, sea level rise, storm surge, and wildfires are expected to worsen due to increasing atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, further impacting the environment, infrastructure, and society. With these myriad challenges, societal sustainability has become more relevant than ever. The objective of a sustainable society lies in meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the needs of future generations. The capacity of engineered systems to endure and rebound from potential shocks, while maintaining their basic functions, defines their resilience. Therefore, it is imperative that society develops sustainable and resilient systems. Considering the magnitude of this challenge, we must innovate engineering practices to achieve this goal, as relying solely on conventional engineering practices may not suffice.
Geoenvironmental engineering is a crucial and pertinent field that draws upon the principles of geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering, and biogeochemistry, among others. It leverages these disciplines to harness nature-based solutions to address a broad spectrum of issues, ranging from waste management and environmental pollution to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. The first part of this lecture will focus on establishing functional definitions for sustainability and resiliency, while introducing different tools and frameworks that can be used to quantify these aspects. The second part of the lecture will discuss the importance of innovation in engineering practice to address resiliency and sustainability, drawing from examples of recent developments in geoenvironmental engineering. Using the findings of our research, several examples of engineering solutions will be presented, including waste-to-resource conversion, accelerated waste stabilization, and environmental remediation, with a focus on technical, sustainable, and resilient characteristics.
Introduction by Antonio Bobet, Purdue University
Dr. Krishna R. Reddy is a University Scholar and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and is the Director of both the Sustainable Engineering Research and Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering laboratories at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). He received his PhD in Civil Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. Prior to joining UIC, he worked for 3 years in consulting as a Geotechnical/Geoenvironmental Engineer. His research expertise includes environmental remediation, waste containment, beneficial use of waste and recycled materials, and sustainable and resilient engineering. Dr. Reddy is the author of four major books, including two well-known textbooks (Geoenvironmental Engineering and Sustainable Engineering, both published by Wiley). He is also the author of over 280 journal papers, 30 edited books/conference proceedings, 25 book chapters, and over 200 full conference papers. Dr. Reddy is the recipient of the Fulbright US Scholar Award, the ASCE Wesley W. Horner Award, the ASTM Hogentogler Award, the UIC Distinguished Researcher Award, the University of Illinois Scholar Award, and the University of Illinois Award for Excellence in Teaching. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, a Diplomate of Geotechnical Engineering, and a Board-Certified Environmental Engineer. He is also a registered Professional Civil Engineer and an EnvisionTM Sustainability Professional. More information is available at: https://gagel.lab.uic.edu/
Presented in conjunction with the 19th Purdue Geotechnical Society Workshop - "Resilience, Sustainability and Geotechnics"
Workshop Program | Event Photos
Support for the PGS Workshop and Leonards Lecture is provided by the following sponsors:
