iGEM corner: Future Talk The Future of Geotechnical Engineering

In this corner of iGEM, we are going to discuss the future of Geotechnical Engineering as we, the geotechs, want it to happen. So iGEM will present you news, as well as ideas and dreams. Hopefully, this will make our profession better for us, and indeed for the people we serve.

This is about the future. So we will have articles about how things are developing: reviewing the past, present, and predicting the future are all fair game. Developments in basic scientific research as well as applications in geo-technology are all covered.

Here are the features planned by iGEM. We will be adding links in each area as things happen.

Features

    Just Happened

This is the news area. Here you will see the new developments in related fields and how they will affect us. See below in pipe dreams area how wireless systems are are going to make your most recent equipment purchases obsolete! (see Article 3)

For starters, here is the new tablet computer from SonicBlue. You will be reading about it in PC Magazine next month (Feb. 29, 2002 issue). (I know, it is history now :). Go to the pipe dreams area below and see how it will be used as a field computer by geotechs.

    Now Happening

In this area, Current Developments, we will present news about what is happening and how you can take advantage of it. Current research and development projects will be announced here. For starters, here is a revolutionary kind of CPT with GPS and an on board computer hooked up for automatic data acquisition.

    We Want This to Happen

This Future Developments area is for discussing what should be happening. We will have calls for contributions and business opportunities here. CPT is claiming the place SPT has enjoyed for decades. Paul Mayne says enough already!

    Pipe Dreams

This is the area where we will be throwing in our ideas for development. You won't find these ideas pretty obvious--you will find them crazy; maybe we will too, but we'll tell you anyway.

Here is the first article about what your tablet can do for you.

Here is the second article about what comes next.

The third article is about wireless communication in geotechnical engineering.

    Talk Back

This is where iGEM will publish the responses from the industry: from practicing geotechs, geotechnical software producers and equipment manufacturers.

First Article