Blog
Geotechnical Innovation Could Cut Risks and Carbon Footprint
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes · Last updated:
Geotechnical innovation in Mexico is being promoted as a way to reduce construction risk and measure CO₂ from foundations. Leaders at the Mexican Association of Civil Engineers (CICM) and researchers at UNAM argued that better applied research, closer university–industry links and faster patent processes are needed to embed risk management earlier in design and construction. CICM vice president Walter Iván Paniagua Zavala and Jesús Campos López, president of the 41st CICM Board of Directors, presented these priorities during a CICM event that showcased UNAM’s carbon-footprint calculators for geotechnical work.
Key takeaways
- Who urged change: Walter Iván Paniagua Zavala, CICM vice president and Pilotec CEO, called for stronger applied research and faster patent registration to support national geotechnical innovation.
- CICM leadership view: Jesús Campos López, president of the 41st CICM Board of Directors, said new geotechnical technologies are required to improve safety and extend service life.
- UNAM toolset: UNAM has added carbon-footprint calculators to geotechnical practice to identify which foundation components generate the most CO₂.
Table of contents
How CICM frames the problem and the fix
The Mexican Association of Civil Engineers is treating geotechnical practice as a point of leverage for safer, longer-lasting structures. CICM leaders argued that risk management must be built into design and construction rather than applied after problems surface. Walter Iván Paniagua Zavala, who is CICM vice president, a UNAM professor and Pilotec chief executive, described the gap between research and applied projects and urged closer collaboration between universities and companies so new methods move quickly into practice.
CICM’s leadership sees several practical bottlenecks: uneven applied research capacity, limited instrumented monitoring in routine projects and a patent process that delays commercial uptake. Jesús Campos López, president of the 41st CICM Board of Directors, said adopting new technologies is essential to extend service life and reduce failures that drive repair work and embodied emissions.
UNAM’s carbon-footprint calculators and instrumented methods
Researchers at UNAM have introduced carbon-footprint calculators into geotechnical workflows to quantify emissions from foundation components. The calculators let engineers compare options by CO₂ output so design choices can be evaluated on both performance and emissions. Alexandra Ossa López, Geotechnical Coordinator at UNAM’s Institute of Engineering, described the aim as making processes more instrumented, measurable and automated.
Instrumented monitoring means adding sensors and data collection during construction and early operation, which creates a record of performance and can reveal opportunities to shorten schedules or reduce material use. UNAM’s tools are intended to pinpoint which elements—such as deep foundations or large concrete pours—drive the most CO₂, so teams can target low‑emission alternatives or optimised detailing.
Patents, procurement and the route from lab to site
Speakers highlighted intellectual property and procurement as critical levers to scale innovation. Walter Iván Paniagua Zavala recommended streamlining patent registration to encourage national technology development and speed adoption by firms that build and maintain infrastructure. Faster, clearer patent processes can reduce commercial friction when universities or startups try to move tested methods into construction contracts.
Procurement and contracting rules also shape uptake. If tenders reward demonstrable risk reduction and measured lower lifecycle emissions, contractors will have an incentive to deploy instrumented methods and carbon-aware designs. CICM members argued this is a governance decision as much as a technical one: changing bid evaluation criteria ties research outcomes to on-the-ground practice.
| Item | Source | Role described |
|---|---|---|
| Walter Iván Paniagua Zavala | CICM / UNAM / Pilotec | CICM vice president; called for applied research and patent streamlining |
| Jesús Campos López | CICM | President of the 41st CICM Board of Directors; urged technology development for safety |
| Alexandra Ossa López | UNAM | Geotechnical Coordinator; described instrumented, measurable processes and carbon tools |
How this could play out
The case for
- If universities publish validated carbon-footprint methods and firms adopt them in tenders, designers will gain standard metrics to compare foundation options by CO₂ and performance.
- Streamlined patent procedures combined with active university–industry partnerships could shorten the time from prototype to routine use, increasing uptake of instrumented monitoring and low-carbon techniques.
The case against
- Without procurement criteria that reward measured risk reduction or lower lifecycle emissions, contractors may default to lowest initial cost and ignore carbon or monitoring benefits.
- Patent reform alone will not change practice if applied research funding and training for field instrumentation remain limited, constraining real-world trials.
What to be careful about
- Delay in patent registration that keeps university ideas off the market
- Weak or slow adoption of instrumented monitoring because of cost or contractor conservatism
- Procurement rules that continue to prioritise lowest upfront price over measured service life and emissions
The bottom line
CICM leaders and UNAM researchers are aligning around a modest but practical agenda: measure CO₂ at the component level, instrument projects to prove performance, and remove administrative frictions that slow technology transfer. Achieving lower embodied emissions and fewer failures will require funding for applied trials, changes in tender evaluation to value measured service life, and formal steps to accelerate patents. The proposal links technical tools to procurement and legal changes, so progress will depend on coordinated action across universities, industry and regulators.
What to watch
- Watch for the CICM’s next 'Dialogue with Engineers' session; no date has been set.
- Watch for UNAM to publish updates or guidance from its carbon-footprint calculators for geotechnical work; no date has been set.
- Watch for any public proposals to change patent registration procedures affecting construction technologies; no date has been set.
Frequently asked questions
What are carbon-footprint calculators in geotechnical work?
Carbon-footprint calculators estimate CO₂ emissions tied to construction choices for foundations and related elements. UNAM developed such calculators to help engineers compare which foundation components generate the most emissions and guide lower‑carbon design choices.
Who is pushing for faster patent procedures?
Walter Iván Paniagua Zavala, CICM vice president and Pilotec CEO, argued for streamlining patent registration to promote national technological development and speed commercial uptake of university research.
What practical steps can alter adoption of new geotechnical methods?
Speakers identified three levers: more applied research and field trials, procurement rules that reward measured risk reduction and lower lifecycle emissions, and clearer patent processes to move innovations from labs into contracts.
Related reading