Highway Geology Symposium

The 73rd Highway Geology Symposium

Come join us for the 73^rd annual Highway Geology Symposium on September 9^th through 12^th, 2024 in Lawrence Kansas. This event will be held at the DoubleTree Inn, approximately 50 minutes from Kansas City International Airport. Attendee registration is now available, please click on the link to the right.

The 2024 HGS will be a great opportunity for new and experienced Geo-Professionals to exchange knowledge, collaborate and see new innovations in the industry.

HGS serves as a unique platform for professionals to share insights, and explore the latest advancements in geotechnical engineering, geological hazards, and infrastructure resilience. The wealth of expertise gathered at this conference is a testament to the commitment in ensuring the safety, sustainability, and efficiency of our transportation system.

The 2024 conference will include presentations, subsurface field investigation training, a geophysics workshop and as customary, a full day field trip. We encourage all levels of experience to attend.

Topics of interest:

• • • Geological and geotechnical innovations
    • Foundations
    • Geophysical testing methods
    • Landslides and rockfall
    • Karst terrain
    • Geotechnical asset management
    • Retaining structures
    • Risk and risk management
    • Soil and rock slope design
    • Post wildfire debris flows
    • Geotechnical instrumentation
    • Resiliency of geotechnical assets

Check the Early Announcement and Call for Papers link for additional information.

Field Trip

The 2024 HGS Field Trip will take attendees through the scenic Flint Hills of Kansas, with stops at Mushroom Rock State Park and the historical landmark Coronado Heights.

Field Days

Sign up for one ($50) or both ($80) of the HGS field days designed by KDOT team for some fantastic professional development opportunities.

• • • Monday (9/9/24) Field Day: Drilling & Sampling Techniques
      The half-day session will run from 1pm-5pm. The goal for this day will be to demonstrate multiple drilling and sampling techniques. As new and experienced Geo-Professionals this would be an opportunity to collaborate, exchange knowledge, and learn techniques to properly obtain subsurface information. Expect to see Rock Coring, MWD, CPT, SPT, Shelby Tube, and Instrumented Drive Point. Transportation Provided.

     

    • Thursday (9/12/24) Field Day: Geophysical Techniques
      The half-day session will run from 1pm-5pm. The goal for this day will be to demonstrate multiple Geophysical techniques that could be utilized to determine subsurface conditions. As new and experienced Geo-Professionals this would be an opportunity to collaborate, exchange knowledge, and learn techniques to properly obtain subsurface information. Expect to see Seismic Refraction, MASW, Electrical Resistivity, and more. Transportation Provided.

TRB Standing Committee on Geotechnical Instrumentation and Modeling (AKG60) Midyear Meeting

“Workflow Choices and Project Outcomes” will be on Tuesday from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, and is open to all HGS attendees.

The midyear meeting will be a hybrid session (in-person and online) and feature:

• • • Updates on AKG60 workshops at the 2025 Annual Meeting in Washington DC
    • Brief discussion on Research Needs Statements (RNS) and Webinar ideas
    • Presentations and Discussion related to “Geotechnical Field Tools and Techniques for Phased Site Investigations.”
    • Presentation and Discussion related to “Geotechnical Risk and Reliability: How Investigation, and Analysis Choices Impact Outcomes.”
    • Presentation and Discussion related to “Geotechnical Modeling, Geotechnical Baseline Reports, and Digital Project Delivery.”

This event will complement the HGS field demonstrations and explore how geophysical and in-situ direct-push, boring, and sampling tools and techniques can be used in a complimentary fashion to perform efficient phased site investigations for assessment of geotechnical parameters, locating areas of additional investigation interest, assessment of variability, and creation of geotechnical design models. Phased investigations, with exploration geophysics in the lead, are becoming increasingly common to make better use of drilling and sampling resources, increase productivity, decrease site disruption, save time, and reduce cost. We then begin to explore the value of different site characterization practices and how project risk is influenced by choices throughout the geotechnical workflow- desk review, site investigation, lab testing, instrumentation/monitoring, design analysis, reporting, visualization, and deliverables.

Sponsors and Exhibitors

We invite you to participate as a sponsor or exhibitor at the 72nd Highway Geology Symposium. Sponsor levels range in price from $2,500 to $10,000 and include the exclusive sponsorship of an event, an exhibit space, logo recognition, and at least one conference registration. An exhibitor only option is also available and includes one conference registration. View the sponsorship brochure and register to sponsor or exhibit through the links at the right.

Lodging

A discounted group rate of $119.00 per night plus tax is available at the DoubleTree (200 McDonald Drive, Lawrence, KS 66044). This rate will be available until August 19, 2024 or until rooms are sold out. After this date, rooms and/or group rate may no longer be available. Please follow the link for the DoubleTree Inn Reservations

We look forward to seeing you in Lawrence, Kansas! More information will be added to this site as it becomes available, so please check back again soon.

View the pictures from Last years Symposium:

• • • 72nd HGS, Tacoma, Washington 2023

Calling Young Authors

The Highway Geology Symposium has existed for nearly 70 years and over the years has had much participation by what might be considered “Young Authors”. This participation by our younger professionals has been fabulous and is a true benefit to the Symposium and the Mission of HGS. In recent years, HGS has taken participation of Young Authors to another level by sponsoring a competition with both financial, registration and award recognition. This is an annual and perpetual award with up to three awards presented. We are very excited about this continued opportunity for participation by Young Authors and we encourage you to submit your paper and to present your work at the Symposium. If you know a Young Author that should join this competition, encourage them to check out the guidelines and submit their abstract. HGS is all about sharing our geologic technical experiences and we look forward to hearing about and learning from your experience. So please see the links for guidelines and participation requirements as well as award details.

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