Instituto Superior Técnico hosted the European conference EUNSAT2025+BGE—5th European Conference on Unsaturated Soils with Biotechnology in Geotechnical Engineering—, organised by Rafaela Cardoso, Full Professor of the Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environment. The event was supported by Technical Committee TC106 “Unsaturated soils” of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE).
Held from the 1st to the 3rd of September 2025, at Técnico’s Conference Centre, the conference brought together over 150 participants—including experts, researchers, students and professionals—to exchange ideas, experiences and the latest scientific advances. Discussions focused on topics such as multiphysical modelling of soil behaviour, sustainable geotechnical design, soil-atmosphere interaction, and the impact of climate change on geotechnical infrastructure (landfills, embankments, etc.), as well as environmental geotechnics (soil contamination, gas sequestration in geological reservoirs, nuclear waste storage).
A distinctive feature of this edition was the inclusion of biotechnology in geotechnical applications—from slope reinforcement with vegetation, natural fibres and fungi to soil improvement through biocementation. This made EUNSAT2025+BGE the first event in Europe to jointly address unsaturated soils and biotechnology in geotechnics, underscoring their strong scientific and practical synergies.
For more information, please visit EUNSAT2025.