Sustainability and Resilience in Transportation Infrastructure Geotechnics: Integrating Advanced Technologies for Better Asset Management

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015, enumerates 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) to be achieved by the member countries by 2030. The resolution highlights the importance of sustainable cities and communities to their future needs for sustenance and livability. Transportation infrastructure like roads, embankments, bridges, railroads, airports, docks, and canals serve as pathways for the mobility of people, goods, and services, and form the backbone of cities and communities. The construction, operation, and rehabilitation of these facilities puts significant strain on the local, state, and federal agencies, for example by depleting natural resources and contributing to the global carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions. Further, these features stimulate anthropocentric (i.e., human beings are the most significant entity of the universe) development in a region that affects land-use patterns and influences the demography of communities.