Technical Committee C 4.5– Earthworks, Drainage and Subgrade

SCIENTIFIC MEETING

OF PIARC TECHNICAL COMMITTEE 4.5 IN THESSALONIKI

10 - 12 November 2004

In the context of the Greek participation to the activities of the International Association of PIARC, the Highways Laboratory of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, supported by Egnatia Odos A.E., has organized the second meeting of sub-committee C 4.5. in Thessaloniki . This meeting, that lasted 3 days, from November 10 th to 12 th , was attended by 15 scientists from various European and American countries.

The conclusion of the meeting was followed by a Technical Site Visit to the road section of Kastania deviation of Egnatia Motorway.

The issues examined, developed and discussed during the meeting were related to geo-constructions and are summarized as follows:

a.  Methods of processing alternative and weak geo-materials for the construction of highway works

b.  Qualitative evaluation indices for highway geo-constructions

c.  Measures for addressing the impacts of climatic conditions on highway projects.

The first issue is of great interest to the Greek part, given the fact that there is already research and construction experience in this area, which establishes our scientific contribution to it.

The Greek part is also highly interested in the second issue; this is very important for the road construction filed in our country, where an instruction relating to the regular and occasional monitoring of highway geo-constructions could be applied. This is the scope of Committee 4.5.

The third issue seems to be considered mostly by countries and areas which are subject to extreme weather phenomena.