Short course on Innovative Designs for Foundations on Expansive Soils and Stabilization of Unsaturated Slopes| Feb 02-04, 2026

Short Course on Innovative Designs for Foundations on Expansive Soils and Stabilization of Unsaturated Slopes
to be organised during 02nd – 04th February 2026 at
Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar
Palaj, Gandhinagar- 382355, Gujarat, India.

Foundations on expansive soil sites are one of the most challenging problems in geotechnical design. Many of the problems result from failure to identify expansive soils on the sites, inadequate design and construction, use of inappropriate foundation systems, and/or improper construction practices. Damage to structures and infrastructure due to heaving of expansive soils is a billion-dollar issue. Another challenge faced by geotechnical designers is stabilization of unsaturated slopes, especially related to landslides and mine tailings, where innovative solutions are required to manage slopes against rainfall induced failures. 
This short course is intended to provide geotechnical, structural, and construction engineers and engineering geologists with the innovative tools necessary to design and construct foundations on expansive soils and solutions for stabilizations of unsaturated slopes.
 

Participants
The course can be joined by Civil Engineering students, faculty and industry professionals.

Course Contents:

• Introduction
• Nature of Expansive Soils: Macroscale Aspects of Expansive Soils, Classification of Expansive Soils
• Odometer Testing: Consolidation-Swell Test, Constant Volume Test
• Water Migration in Expansive Soils: Depth and Degree of Wetting, Vadose Zone Modelling
• Heave Prediction Methods: Nelson (2010) Method, US Army (1983) Method, Fredlund (1983) Method, SVHeave Program and Examples
• Shallow Foundations: Spread Footing Foundations, Design Examples
• Deep Foundations: Pier Foundations, Design Chart, Design Examples
• Determination of unsaturated soil properties: Soil-water characteristics curve, Permeability function, Unsaturated shear strength
• Field Instrumentation and Stability Analyses for Assessment of Rainfall-induced Slope Failures, transient finite element seepage analysis.
• Capillary Barrier System and GeoBarrier System for Slope Stabilization: Mechanisms and Case Studies.
   

Course Faculty
The course will be conducted by

• Prof. Geoff Chao, Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, Thailand
• Prof. Alfrendo Satyanaga, Nazarbayev University
• Prof. Ajanta Sachan, IIT Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India 

Certificate: 
Participants who successfully complete the course will be awarded a certificate.

Venue
The course will be conducted at IIT Gandhinagar premises at Palaj, Gandhinagar.

Registration:
There will be NO registration fees for the course. It is supported through CSR ot TechFab (India) Industries Ltd. Food and Accommodation expenses will be paid by the participants. A campus guide will be available to navigate you for various food places and other facilities inside IITGN campus. Experience the Campus!
The participants are required to register for the course through the following link- https://forms.gle/iSFBajPmvuTawqvE6

Contact Persons
Mr. Dharmendra Panchal 
Mob: 9727569419; Tel: 079-23952256; 
Email: dharmendra.panchal@iitgn.ac.in   
Mr. Sudhanshu Singh
Mob: 8511360506
Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar
Palaj, Gandhinagar, Gujarat – 382355