Geotechnical Challenges in Infrastructure Projects—Three Case Studies

Geotechnics plays an important role in developing a competitive and sustainable infrastructure. The Ultimate Limit State (ULS) is related to the probability of failure and the safety of a structure. More challenging however is the Serviceability Limit State (SLS), where performance criteria are determining the future maintenance efforts (OPEX) and the passenger experience. Nowadays, suitable and sophisticated software tools are available. But still, the verification of the performance criteria/serviceability requirements is challenging. In addition to the software, in geotechnics, the selection of the right constitutive law and reliable soil parameters is crucial. In three case studies of global mega projects, a holistic approach for the evidence of the serviceability requirements is presented. The case studies include one of the biggest airports in the world with huge earthworks and unfavorable geotechnical conditions, the specific requirements of high-speed railways on top of earth structures, and a monorail project in challenging geotechnical conditions.