A new book entitled Geotechnical Characteristics of Soils and Rocks of India is a first-of-its-kind publication exploring the geotechnical characteristics of soils and rocks of any country in the history of Earth.
This book presents in detail the geotechnical details of geomaterials found in all 36 states and union territories of India and is edited by world-renowned expert in Civil (Geotechnical) Engineering Dr Sanjay Kumar Shukla.
Dr Shukla told The Australia Today that this book took more than three years as there were more than 100 contributors from different parts of India. He adds:
“Since my early days, it was my dream to have something first for India that can show the path to other countries to focus on understanding geotechnical engineering aspects of soils and rocks and presenting them in a single volume.”
Dr Shukla has a first-class degree with distinction in Civil Engineering from BIT Sindri (Ranchi University), MTech in Civil Engineering (Engineering Geology), and PhD in Civil Engineering (Geotechnical Engineering) from the IIT-Kanpur. He is presently the Founding Research Group Leader of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering Research Group at the School of Engineering at Edith Cowan University in Perth and also the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Geosynthetics and Ground Engineering (Springer Nature, Switzerland).
The in-depth knowledge of geotechnical details of soils and rocks of any given country can help create stable and high-performance infrastructure and facilities. Dr Shukla adds:
“For analysis and design of ground/geotechnical facilities and foundations, especially during planning and preliminary design stages, the project engineers and other professionals need basic geotechnical and geological details of the project ground sites with subsurface characteristics of soils and rocks, and groundwater table location without a detailed site investigation.”
Dr Shukla is also the series editor of ‘Geotechnical Characteristics of Soils and Rocks around the World‘ and is hopeful that in the coming years they will be able to publish book volumes covering this key area in many other countries. He observes:
“These books will include values of specific properties of geomaterials obtained from the project site investigations and laboratory/field tests as available.”
This book is especially useful for professionals working in mining, oil and gas projects, and agricultural and aquacultural engineering projects in India. Dr Shukla adds that although the information provided in this book is India-related but it “can be helpful in some suitable forms to the professionals of other countries having similar ground conditions and applications.”
Dr Shukla, with over 25 years of experience in teaching, research, and consultancy, for his contribution to the field of engineering has also received the 2021 Edith Cowan University Aspire Award.
WATCH VIDEO: Edith Cowan University Aspire Award Winner, Dr Sanjay Kumar Shukla
