Dr. Puppala’s research group had a strong presence at the 21st International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ICSMGE 2026) in Vienna, Austria, from June 14–19, 2026. Avinash Gonnabathula and Kyle Parr presented three research papers through podium and poster sessions, contributing to important discussions on sustainable pavement technologies and soil stabilization methods.
We are also proud to highlight the following presentations from our group:
Kyle Parr presented his ERDC-funded research on “An Investigation of Cement Treated Clay Subjected to Cyclic Wetting and Drying Degradation: Influence of Compaction Conditions,” co-authored with Dr. Jianxin (Jason) Huang, Dr. Anand J. Puppala, and Jeb S. Tingle of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center. The study examines how compaction conditions influence the durability of cement-stabilized expansive clay under cyclic wetting and drying, offering key insights to improve the long-term performance of chemically stabilized pavement subgrades.
Shanmukha Sai Avinash Gonnabathula delivered a podium presentation on a study funded by Solmax through the NSF IUCRC center at TAMU. The presentation titled “Life Cycle Assessment of Wicking Geotextile for Pavements: A Case Study Approach,” co-authored with Dr.Puneet Bhaskar and Dr. Anand J. Puppala, with the wicking geotextile used in the study provided by Solmax. His study develops a sustainability framework combining Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) and Life Cycle Sustainability Analysis (LCSA) to evaluate the environmental and economic benefits of wicking geotextiles used to enhance pavement performance. He also presented a poster on another study titled “Relative Effectiveness and Sustainability Assessment of Low-Carbon Cement and Geopolymer-Based Soil Stabilization Methods,” co-authored with Dr. Balaji Lakkimsetti, Muddassir Sanei, Sopharith Chou, Dr. Jianxin (Jason) Huang, Dr. Anand J. Puppala, and Dr. Nripojyoti Biswas. This study compares low-carbon Portland limestone cement, calcined clay-based geopolymer, and recycled concrete aggregate fines for stabilizing low-plasticity clay, offering practical insights for selecting sustainable ground-improvement materials. This project included works funded by the Southern Plane Transportation Center and MnDOT.
