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The aim of this Briefing Paper is to provide guidance to potential authors (and reviewers) on the main types of paper submissions that the Ground Improvement journal accepts. Expectations in terms of content and novelty, together with future challenges are also covered. One of the bigger challenges is bridging the elusive gap between novel fundamental laboratory-based research and practical industrial application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Huge amounts of waste paper are discarded every year, of which only a minute fraction is recycled and the rest is dumped in landfills. Paper fibres can only be recycled a limited number of times before they become too short or weak to make high-quality recycled paper. This eventually adds to the amount of waste paper being generated and not recycled. It would thus be advantageous to use this waste as a low-cost sustainable construction material and make it a value-added product. In this study, Portland pozzolana cement (fly ash based), waste newsprint paper and water were used to prepare paper concrete cubes. Initially, investigations were performed to determine the optimum soaking time required for softening the paper fibres of the newsprint paper. The study mainly addressed the strength and weight loss of the paper concrete cubes with age. The results indicate that, at 28 d, the paper concrete lost 25-50% of its initial weight and a maximum cubic compressive strength of 5·40 MPa was obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the award-winning papers in the periodical for 2022. It discusses that the Telford Gold Medal was awarded to Nagula et al. for their work on vibroflotation; the Charles Manby Prize went to Acikgoz et al. for monitoring heritage structures; and the Geotechnical Research Medal was awarded to Davidson et al. for their research on screw piles for offshore wind turbines.

The article announces that a paper published in the journal Engineering Sustainability has won the Richard Trevithick Prize in 2022. The paper examines social value activities in the built environment, focusing on placemaking in the Midlands, UK. It discusses how various agents, including design and planning professionals, contribute to social value and align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The paper presents a case study of social value in practice and highlights the potential for future methodologies to improve social outcomes. [Extracted from the article]

The article announces the award-winning papers in 2022 from the journal "Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Ground Improvement." The Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya Prize was awarded to Zhou et al. for their paper on the use of waste materials for transport infrastructure. The Telford Premium Prize was awarded to Gargano et al. for their paper on electrokinetic treatment of fine-grained soils. The papers discuss the application of waste materials and the efficiency of electrokinetic treatment, respectively. [Extracted from the article]

This document is an announcement about an award-winning paper published in 2022 in the journal "Bridge Engineering." The paper, titled "Simulating the role of transportation infrastructure for community disaster recovery," explores the importance of functional recovery of transportation infrastructure after a disaster for community resilience. The paper presents a simulation framework that considers the accessibility of community components for repair and the interdependency effects between damaged components. The results show that transportation network damage slows down the recovery of the community and affects the functionality of other infrastructure systems. The paper was awarded the John Henry Garrood King Medal for the best paper on bridges. [Extracted from the article]

The article announces the award-winning papers in Geotechnical Engineering for the year 2022. The Crampton Prize was awarded to Royston et al. for their paper on the instrumentation and monitoring of a large-diameter caisson on a UK construction site. The Tso Kung Hsieh Award was presented to Williams for her paper on incorporating uncertainties in seismic liquefaction assessments. These papers provide valuable insights for the development of improved design approaches and highlight the importance of considering uncertainties in geotechnical engineering. [Extracted from the article]

Infiltration of pressurised foam into saturated sand was investigated in a laboratory set-up that provided an hydraulic gradient comparable to real tunnels. Four different stages were identified in the infiltration: 'foam spurt' (the foam infiltration into the pores of the sand); water flow with reduced permeability; water flow with increased permeability; and a residual stage. It appears that the infiltration depth of foam into sand decreases with increasing foam expansion ratio (FER) of the foam until a limit FER (approximately 15 for the foaming agent and sand used in this experiment). For higher FERs the permeability remains more or less constant. It was also found that a 'dry' foam (FER = 20) is not essential for formation of a low-permeability layer at the sand surface; even a 'wet' foam (FER = 5) can form a low-permeability layer. Furthermore, a foam-infiltrated zone is essential to achieve a low-permeability layer. In these tests, the flow velocities were lower than the normal excavation velocity of a tunnel-boring machine. Thus there was no foam-infiltrated zone and consequently no zone with low permeability during drilling. By comparing the pore pressures measured using pore pressure transducers with and without hydrophilic filter papers, the capillary pressure in the foam-infiltrated sand was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article announces that a paper published in Water Management in 2022 has won the Robert Alfred Carr Prize, which is awarded for the best paper in the journal. The paper examines the economic value of water in an agricultural region of southern Brazil, specifically focusing on rice and soybean production. The study finds that the marginal value of water in the region is higher than common values for water charges in Brazilian watersheds. The paper also investigates the scarcity costs of recent drought periods and explores the potential for crop mix changes and short-term water reallocation to mitigate drought impacts. [Extracted from the article]

The article announces the winners of the Best Geosynthetics International Paper for 2022 competition. The winning papers are "Factors affecting geotextile filter long-term behavior and their relevance in design" by Moraci, Bilardi, and Mandaglio, and "Factors affecting multicomponent GCL-geomembrane interface transmissivity for landfills" by Rowe and Jabin. The runners-up papers are "A quantification of the short-term reliability of HDPE geomembrane seaming methods" by Gilson-Beck and Giroud, and "Influence of backfill type on the load-bearing performance of GRS bridge abutments" by Hatami and Boutin. The article expresses gratitude to the Editorial Board and highlights the importance of these papers in the field of geosynthetics. [Extracted from the article]

This document is a note of appreciation to the paper reviewers of the technical journal Geosynthetics International. The journal's reputation as an important peer-reviewed publication on geosynthetics and related topics relies on the dedication of these reviewers who volunteer their time and expertise to assess submissions. The document lists the names of the individuals who completed manuscript reviews for papers in the calendar year 2023. [Extracted from the article]

The Magazine of Concrete Research has awarded the Magazine of Concrete Research Prize to a paper published in 2022 by Lye et al. The paper discusses the importance of considering the influence of aggregate stiffness in estimating creep and shrinkage of concrete, as current design codes and models inaccurately estimate these properties. The authors propose two empirical models for estimating creep coefficient and shrinkage strain of concrete, taking into account various types of aggregates and the proportion of cement used. The paper provides valuable insights for designing structures with long-term integrity. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the award-winning papers in 2022 from the journal "Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Structures & Buildings." The Frederick Palmer Prize was awarded to Grigorian and Kamizi for their paper on sustainable seismic design, which introduces analytic concepts and methodologies for efficient post-earthquake realignment and repairs. The Bill Curtin Medal was awarded to Zhan et al. for their paper on a smart compound damper for controlling engineering structures subjected to external disturbances, such as earthquakes. The papers provide innovative approaches to structural design and control in civil engineering. [Extracted from the article]

The article announces an award-winning paper published in Maritime Engineering in 2022. The paper, titled "Impact of Covid-19 on the cost of technical services in European ports," analyzes the effects of the pandemic on European ports, specifically the drop in maritime traffic and the challenges faced by port authorities in providing port technical services. The paper highlights the lack of flexibility in the cost structures of private providers and the potential rise in rates, which may lead to a misalignment between the prices of port services and their effective costs, resulting in a loss of competitiveness. [Extracted from the article]

The article announces that a paper published in Advances in Cement Research in 2022 has won the Advances in Cement Research Prize. The paper, titled "Pozzolanic efficiency of calcined clays in blended cements with a focus on early hydration," investigates the hydration of two cements with the addition of calcined clays using various methods. The study provides a greater understanding of the hydration behavior of the complex binder and highlights the impact of calcined clay on early clinker hydration. The paper was awarded by the Institution of Civil Engineers, and the winner was Nancy Beuntner. [Extracted from the article]

The article focuses on those eligible for awards from the Institution of Civil Engineers including examines papers from any of the ICE journals can be nominated for several award and each journal has awards dedicated to their specific subject area.

An initially wet contact filter paper test (IW-CFPT) and an initially dry contact filter paper test (ID-CFPT) were used to examine the wetting paths of geosynthetic clay liners, including non-contact filter paper tests for comparative purposes. The CFPTs were applied to both geosynthetic clay liner faces to examine the effect of geotextile type on capillary contact. The non-woven geotextile face was found to be more likely to cause capillary breaks than the woven geotextile face. Both IW- and ID-CFPTs were found to be applicable to geosynthetic clay liners within their accurate upper matric suction measurement limits of 146 kPa and 66 kPa, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High Speed Two Limited (HS2 Ltd) has identified that there is a strong alignment between the High Speed Two strategic goals and potential circular economy benefits and has therefore adopted a holistic approach to realising these benefits in the delivery of the UK's new high-speed rail network. This paper describes the work undertaken to date, including establishing, embedding and communicating circular economy principles, coordinating the realisation of opportunities and reporting outcomes, as well as providing lessons learnt for other infrastructure projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The editorial in the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Ground Improvement introduces the fourth issue of the journal, which includes seven papers on various aspects of ground improvement. The lead paper discusses the vibro stone-column (VSC) techniques used in the UK over the past 50 years, highlighting advancements in equipment and monitoring technologies. Other papers explore topics such as stone column foundations, soil enhancement with geosynthetics, and the impact of bio-cementation on steel slag materials. The editorial encourages further research and case studies to refine design methodologies and improve the field of ground improvement. [Extracted from the article]

The editorial introduces the August 2024 edition of the journal "Structures and Buildings," which is one of the oldest journals in the field of structures and buildings. The issue includes six papers covering a range of topics and materials from researchers and designers across four continents. The papers discuss various subjects such as the flexural strength of steel girders, non-linear dynamic behavior of bridge piers, analysis of carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer-wrapped steel box sections, limit state design of earthquake-resisting systems, seismic resilience of Kath-Kuni structures, and the moment-curvature relationship of coal gangue concrete beams. The editorial encourages readers to engage in discussions and welcomes their comments. [Extracted from the article]

The experimental results of the present study on compacted expansive clay illustrate that matric suction increases with the increase in pore fluid osmotic suction due to changes in soil structure. Scanning electron micrographs show that particle stacking (aggregations) increases with increase in pore fluid osmotic suction and cation valence due to reduction in diffuse double layer thickness, and thus results in a reduction in micro pore size with a corresponding increase in macro pore size. At a given water content, the macro pore degree of saturation reduces with the increase in osmotic suction owing to the increase in macro pore size and leads to an increase in matric suction, as the matric suction is characteristic of the macro pore and the degree of saturation of the macro pore. The matric, osmotic and total suction measurements using the filter paper method also confirm that the matric and osmotic suction components are additive. This demonstrates that the method of obtaining matric suction from the difference between total suction and pore fluid osmotic suction determined using non-contact filter papers is reliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an editorial from the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Engineering Sustainability. The editorial discusses the role of new technologies and techniques in construction materials and management in promoting sustainable development. It highlights three research papers that explore the use of fly-ash as a more environmentally sustainable building material. The papers discuss the use of alternative alkali activators to enhance the strength of fly-ash in construction. The editorial also includes other papers that focus on sustainable construction processes, project management, and the acceptance of autonomous vehicles. Overall, the document emphasizes the importance of continued innovation and sustainable practices in transitioning towards a more sustainable future. [Extracted from the article]

This article is an editorial in the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Geotechnical Engineering. It focuses on field and laboratory geotechnical testing and includes eight technical papers covering various topics such as ground improvement, consolidation testing, and the response of structures to seismic loads. The papers discuss different testing methods and techniques, including vacuum consolidation, dry-air technology, and the use of waste materials in civil engineering. The article provides a summary of each paper and references related studies. [Extracted from the article]

The editorial introduces the March 2024 issue of the "Ground Improvement" journal. The new Chair and Honorary Editor, Colin J. Serridge, expresses gratitude to the former Chair, Professor Buddhima Indraratna, for his contributions to the journal. The editorial also mentions the sale of ICE Publishing to Emerald Publishing and the collaboration between the two organizations. The issue contains five papers on various topics related to ground improvement, including consolidation of soft soils, soil stabilization with biopolymers, and modulus assessment of sandy soil. The authors encourage readers to engage in written discussions and submit case history papers to the journal. [Extracted from the article]