GEEN Upcoming Special Issue

Submit your abstract here by 8 March 2026

Introduction

Looking back upon the Géotechnique Symposium on the Observational Method (OM) that was held at the 25th Anniversary of Peck's 1969 Rankine Lecture Paper, it is obvious that most of the concerns that were discussed almost 30 years ago remain. 

In The Way Forward, Powerham & Nicholson (1996) set up the following objectives for future work based on the symposium discussion: 

a) establish a clear definition of method including objectives, procedures and terms, with a clear emphasis on safety. 
b) increase awareness of the method's potential and benefits, particularly to clients, contractors and regulatory bodies. 
c) Remove contractual constraints. 
d) Identify potential for wider use. 
e) Initiate focused research projects. 
f) Improve performance and interpretation of instrumentation systems.
g) Establish extensive database of case histories.

By now, the advanced OM practice in construction with innovated new technologies in Instrumentation & Monitoring, data management, automated complex finite element modelling, and machine learning supported back analysis, some of above objectives have been significantly advanced. But some of these objectives remains less progressed.

CIRIA is initiating research Project P3295 to upgrade the Observational Method Guide in 2024, which is aiming to provide a straightforward guidance to improve wider application of the Observational Method in Civil Engineering industry. This is great timing to collect and share the best practice of the Observational Method in past 30 years, raising the discussion how the industry can move forward removing the barriers using the  Observational Method. The Call of Special Issue on Observational Method will serve the best interests of Industry. 
 

Submission Information

Submit your abstract here by 8 March 2026

Author guidelines available here

If your abstract is successful, you will be invited to submit your full paper to our system. Once you have registered with our editorial system ReView at https://ice-review.rivervalley.io/journal/jgeen, choose article type "Special Issue Paper" and then select 'New Developments in Observational Method' from the drop-down menu on screen. Please make sure you also mention the name of the Special Issue title in the author questionnaire during the submission process. 

Guest Editors

Dr Jiang Su, Chief Tunnel Engineer, AtkinsRéalis, UK, Jiang.Su@atkinsrealis.com 

Dr Ying Chen, Principal Geotechnical Engineer, Transport for London, YingChen@tfl.gov.uk

Key deadline