Editorial Note - Vol. 8, No. 2, 2014-Article

Article

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This special issue reviews the state of practice and recent research on geothermal foundations, particularly energy piles. Its seven papers grew from an international NSF-sponsored workshop held in Lausanne in 2013, involving researchers from seven countries across three continents.<br /><br />The papers cover the principles of thermoactive geotechnical systems; best practices for installation, testing, and early project collaboration; existing design guidelines and the need for a research-supported, consistent design procedure; and new technologies and materials. They also examine how soil thermohydromechanical behavior affects system performance, and assess the limits of current methods for predicting thermal stresses and strains, especially under cyclic heating and cooling and changing pore-water pressures and radial stresses. A final paper addresses sustainability through environmental impacts, regulations, and a life-cycle analysis of 61 drilled thermoactive piles.<br /><br />Together, the contributions describe current construction and design approaches, identify areas for improvement, and outline priorities for future research and the wider development of geothermal energy systems.

Keywords

geothermal foundations

energy piles

thermoactive geotechnical systems

design guidelines

thermal stresses

thermohydromechanical behavior

cyclic heating and cooling

pore-water pressure

sustainability

life-cycle analysis