Project description
Sustainable engineering for geosynthetic reinforced soil structures
Geosynthetic reinforced soil (GRS) structures enable rapid construction and durability, but their stability depends on interface strength. Currently, non-traditional backfills cannot meet this need, requiring costly quarried aggregates and reducing sustainability. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the SERENA project will develop evidence-based guidelines for the use of non-traditional and recycled fills in GRS structures. It will study geosynthetic-soil interactions and optimise configurations through testing, informing numerical models for settlement and displacement predictions. The project aims to establish a comprehensive European design framework for sustainable GRS, promoting circular economy principles and reducing reliance on quarried aggregates in support of the European Green Deal and modern geotechnical practices.
Objective
Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil (GRS) structures offer rapid construction, adaptability to varying site conditions and enhanced durability compared to conventional methods. Their stability critically depends on the interface strength between soil, geosynthetics and structural components, a requirement that cannot currently be satisfied with non-traditional or recycled backfills due to the absence of performance-based guidelines. Consequently, high-quality quarried aggregates are typically used, increasing costs through extraction, transportation and handling while limiting the adoption of sustainable materials. The SERENA project addresses this challenge by developing evidence-based, performance-oriented guidelines for using non-traditional and recycled fills in GRS structures. It systematically investigates geosynthetic–soil interactions, backfill influence on reinforcement–facing connections and optimized GRS configurations through laboratory and large-scale prototype testing. Performance results will inform the development and validation of numerical models to predict settlement, lateral displacement and interface connection forces. SERENA will deliver the first comprehensive European design framework for sustainable GRS structures, including material acceptance criteria, design charts and performance thresholds. The project promotes circular economy principles, reduces reliance on quarried aggregates and enables safer, environmentally friendly and resilient GRS construction, supporting EU Green Deal objectives and modernizing geotechnical design practice across Europe.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1000 Ljubljana
Slovenia
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.