Conference: Geotechnical Engineering Research Needs for Natural Hazard Mitigation; Washington, DC; January 2026

National Academy Of Sciences, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

This grant supports a one-day conference organized by the Committee on Geological and Geotechnical Engineering (COGGE) at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The conference will engage geotechnical and other engineers, infrastructure owners and managers from the public and private sectors, and academic experts to explore elements of a geotechnical engineering research agenda related to natural hazard risk management and mitigation. Discussion will focus on recent extreme floods, wildfires, landslides, and hurricanes and the performance of geotechnical materials and infrastructure. Considering these events, participants will discuss where current understanding of system behavior, design approaches, or predictive modeling may be insufficient and discuss the types of research that could be conducted to fill knowledge gaps. Attention will be given to research applicable across different types of hazardous events. Major discussion themes and potential elements of a future research agenda will be synthesized. Discussions from the event are intended to inform future geotechnical engineering research directions with potential to improve risk assessment, long-term infrastructure performance, and public safety. The conference will include moderated expert panels and structured discussions centered on geotechnical behavior under complex loading, saturation, and multi-hazard conditions. Discussion topics also include challenges in applying current modeling tools to heterogeneous soil environments and evolving hazard conditions. Participants will consider research areas that could improve understanding of, for example, erosion thresholds, scour resistance, and infrastructure response to natural hazardous events and their cascading effects. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.