Novel Research on Special Geotechnical Materials and Their Resource Utilization

Dear Colleagues,

With the continuous progress of global infrastructure construction, special geotechnical materials, such as expansive soil, lateritic soil, soft rock, saline soil, silt, etc., have become key factors affecting the safety and sustainable development of engineering due to their unique engineering properties. In-depth research on these special geotechnical materials not only helps to improve the quality and stability of engineering construction but also provides new ways for rational resource utilization and environmental protection.​

Special geotechnical materials are widely distributed around the world, and their complex physical and chemical properties pose many challenges to engineering construction. For example, expansive soil can experience significant volume changes during the water absorption and water loss processes, which may lead to the cracking and damage of building foundations; soft rock is prone to deformation and creep under long-term loading, affecting the stability of underground projects; the salts in saline soil are corrosive to building materials, shortening the service life of engineering facilities. The research on these special geotechnical materials aims to deeply understand their characteristics and provide a scientific basis for engineering design and construction, thus effectively reducing engineering risks and ensuring the long-term safe operation of projects.​

At the same time, with the increasing awareness of resource conservation and environmental protection, the resource utilization of special geotechnical materials has become a new research hotspot. Through innovative technical means, special geotechnical materials, which were originally regarded as engineering problems, can be transformed into available resources, which can not only reduce the dependence on natural materials but also reduce the impact of waste on the environment, achieving efficient resource utilization and friendly environmental protection. An example of this is treating silt for use in making building materials.

Based on this, this SI solicits contributions from the vast number of scientific researchers contributing to the latest research progress of special geotechnical materials and the latest technologies for their resource utilization. We welcome original research papers and case studies covering but not limited to the following topics:​

• Research on the physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of special geotechnical materials.
• Engineering characteristics and engineering hazard assessment of special geotechnical materials​.
• Investigation, testing, and monitoring technologies for special geotechnical materials​.
• Treatment and improvement methods for special geotechnical materials​.
• New technologies and processes for the resource utilization of special geotechnical materials​.
• Application cases and experience summaries of special geotechnical materials in practical engineering.

We look forward to your active participation and the opportunity to jointly promote the research and development in the field of special geotechnical materials, contributing wisdom and strength to global engineering construction and sustainable development.

Dr. Wei Bai
Dr. Xingxing He
Dr. Ping Wang
Guest Editors

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• special geotechnical materials
• expansive soil
• lateritic soil
• soft rock
• saline soil
• silt
• construction waste soil
• sludge