Call for Presentation Abstracts
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*Please note that dates and location have changed for the 2026 conference. The conference was previously advertised as May 5-7 in Scottsdale, AZ. The conference will now take place May 12-14 in Tempe, AZ.
The 49th Southwest Geotechnical Engineering Conference will take place May 12-14, 2026, in Tempe, Arizona. The organizing committee is seeking presentations on a variety of topics related to geotechnical engineering in transportation, including innovative solutions to challenges, new technologies, case studies and lessons learned.
Specific topics of interest could include, but are not limited to:
- Case Studies
- Site Characterization, Foundation Design and Construction Challenges for Bridges and Deep Foundations
- AI (Artificial Intelligence) in the Workplace, Geotechnical Reports and Designs
- Climate Change Impacts on Geotechnical Design Criteria, Scour Analysis, Evaluation, and Mitigation
- Geotechnical Asset Management
- Retaining Wall Maintenance and Repair
- Advances in Geotechnical Equipment, Data Collection, and Tools for Subsurface Investigation
- Non-invasive Geophysics for Geotechnical Investigations
- Using Drones and Satellites for Geotechnical Investigations
- Instrumentation and Planning for Proactive Geohazard Mitigation
- Geohazards and Emergency Response (rock fall, wildfires, debris flow, slope failures, flooding)
- Innovative Applications of Geo-synthetics and Geo-materials in Roadway and Bridge Projects
- Bio-Inspired and Bio-mediated Geotechnics
- Pavement Geotechnics
- Advances in Laboratory Methods and Reporting
- Pooled Funding Transportation Research in Geotechnics
Presentations will be 20 to 30 minutes in length; no papers are required. Please submit abstracts to Jim Lemmon, RG, Arizona Department of Transportation at Jlemmon@azdot.gov and include “SWGEC Abstract” in the subject line. Please include the speaker’s name and contact information, the title of the presentation, and details of the presentation (500 words max) with your submission.
Abstract deadline: Extended to December 1, 2025
Notification of Acceptance: December 12, 2025
PowerPoint Presentations Due: April 10, 2026