ISSMGE TC-211 Ground Improvement Technical Committee invites you to the forthcoming ISSMGE TC-211 free webinar, which will feature a presentation by Ms Maren Katterbach.
Her presentation, entitled Cracking the “Black Box” of Grouting: Understanding fundamentals for an efficient grouting using GIN, promises to deliver valuable insights into recent advances in the field of grouting.
The webinar will take place via Zoom (https://utsmeet.zoom.us/j/89658918418) at 9:00 PM Friday, 23 January 2026. Event run from Australia.
Following the presentation, participants will have the opportunity to engage with the speaker during a Q&A session following the presentation.
About the Topic
Grouting is often surrounded by significant uncertainty. Typically, its success depends less on design documents but far more on on-site conditions, real-time observations, and – crucially – the experience of the personnel involved. As a result, grouting design can feel like a “black box,” leading to open questions and the problematic reuse of design parameters from one project to another without fully understanding the underlying principles.
How can we inject rock masses both safely and efficiently? What should a robust grouting design be based on, and how can the long-established GIN approach provide clarity?
This presentation explores these questions and aims to bring more clarity to the grouting process. Using the GIN concept as a guiding framework, it will be shown how to achieve safe, efficient, and reliable grouting results – while keeping project costs under control.
About the Speaker
Maren Katterbach, M.Sc., M.Eng. is a consulting engineer at Lombardi Engineering Ltd. in Switzerland, with broad experience in underground construction, foundation stability, dam engineering, and safety assessments. She has contributed as both consultant and designer to major dam foundation grouting projects across Europe, Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
Maren’s work focuses on integrating geological understanding with engineering requirements, with a particular interest in advancing grouting technology through the GIN approach pioneered by Lombardi and Deere. Her commitment to improving industry practices extends beyond project work: she is actively involved in grouting-related technical committees within the ASCE and the DFI, contributing to the development of guidelines and knowledge exchange within the specialty grouting community.
In addition to her role at Lombardi, Maren also works with MeduSoil, where she supports the development and implementation of patented bio-cementation technologies aimed at delivering effective and environmentally sustainable and robust injection solutions.