Sri Lankan Geotechnical Society Successfully Concludes Annual Conference 2025

 

The Sri Lankan Geotechnical Society (SLGS) successfully held its Annual Conference 2025 under the theme “Challenges in Deep Foundations and Basement Constructions”. The event was organized in hybrid mode on 22nd October 2025, preceding the Society’s Annual General Meeting, enabling participation from both in-person and online attendees.

The President of SLGS warmly welcomed the distinguished resource persons and attendees, highlighting the Society’s nearly 35-year history of advancing geotechnical engineering in Sri Lanka. Founded under the visionary leadership of Prof. A. Thurairajah, recognized as the Father of Soil Mechanics in Sri Lanka, SLGS has served as the principal professional body for geotechnical practitioners and academics, further strengthened through its affiliation with the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE).

During this tenure, SLGS has successfully conducted six Geotechnical Forums and organized technical visits to major infrastructure and geotechnically significant project sites. The Annual Conference 2025 continued this tradition, providing a platform for knowledge sharing and discussion on contemporary challenges in geotechnical engineering.

The conference brought together an eminent panel of resource persons from academia and industry, including:

  • Prof. Saman Thilakasiri, Senior Professor, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology

  • Eng. R.M. Abeysinghe, Principal Geotechnical Engineer, Pile Test Consultants (Pvt) Ltd.

  • Prof. Nalin de Silva, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Moratuwa

  • Eng. Madan Kumar Annam, Engineering Director, Keller Asia (nominated by IGS)

  • Dr. Asiri Karunawardena, Director General, National Building Research Organisation

The sessions were co-chaired by the President of SLGS and Emeritus Prof. Athula Kulathilaka of the University of Moratuwa. Special appreciation was also extended to Dr. Anil Joseph, President of the Indian Geotechnical Society, for his support in organizing the event.

The success of the conference was made possible through the generous support of the Society’s sponsors:

  • Platinum Sponsors: Prime Residencies and Homelands

  • Gold Sponsors: Maga Engineering (Pvt) Ltd, San Piling (Pvt) Ltd

  • Silver Sponsors: Access Engineering, PileTest Consultants (Pvt) Ltd, ELS Construction (Pvt) Ltd, K D Piling (Pvt) Ltd, Bitumix (Pvt) Ltd

  • Bronze Sponsor: D P Jayasinghe Piling Co (Pvt) Ltd

The President highlighted SLGS’s long-standing commitment to professional development, including hosting three major international conferences in 2007, 2015, and 2021, and announced that the next International Conference on Geotechnical Engineering (ICGE–Colombo 2026) will be held on 24th–25th August 2026 at Cinnamon Grand Colombo under the theme “Resilient Geotechnics for a Sustainable Future”, in celebration of SLGS’s 40th anniversary.

The Annual Conference 2025 successfully provided an enriching platform for geotechnical professionals to share knowledge, discuss innovations, and strengthen collaborations, reaffirming SLGS’s pivotal role in shaping the future of geotechnical engineering in Sri Lanka and the region.