28
Geotechnical News • September 2017
THE GROUT LINE
Paolo Gazzarrini
Overture
48
th
episode of the Grout Line, and
we begin with some sad news for our
grouting industry: Dott. Giovanni
Lombardi passed away at the age of
90 on May 22 of this year. In com-
memoration, I would like to dedicate
some words to him, followed by a
personal remembrance by Maren Kat-
terbach.
Giovanni Lombardi (1926-2017)
I had the pleasure to meet Dr. Lom-
bardi (‘ingegnere-engineer’, as defined
in a book prepared by the family to
honor him in 2005) on several occa-
sions due to our common passion of
grouting.
Engineer, rock mechanic expert, dam
designer, founder of Lombardi Ltd.,
one of the most important engineering
firms in Switzerland, Dr. Lombardi is
well known in our grouting industry
for the development, along with Dr.
Don Deere, of the GIN method for
grouting in rock, and more importantly
for me, contributor to our Grout Line.
Key note lecturer in 2003, at the 3
rd
Grouting International conference,
and honored with GREATS (Grout-
ers dedicated to Research, Education,
Advancement of Technology, and
Service) at the 2012, 4
th
Grouting
conference.
I met him during several trips to
Europe and it was always a pleasure
to talk with him about our common
interest. However, what I remember
even better, was a situation before our
5
th
Grouting conference in 2012, a few
months after he had some health prob-
lems. He was desperate because the
doctors prohibited him from traveling,
especially by plane, and consequently
he was not able to receive in person
the GREATS award. Instead, with the
help of his employees, he prepared a
video, to express his thanks. I don’t
enter here into the details and the time
we lost in discovering the incompat-
ibilities, sometimes experienced,
between North American and Euro-
pean software. Only software? Or can
we extend this incompatibility also to
grouting?
Some of Dr. Lombardi’s words, which,
in my opinion we should never forget,
referring to a colleague:
“…who
always kept in touch with the realities
of the profession of builders without
being seduced (unlike others) by
flights of fancy toward virtual worlds
created by computer processing tech-
nologies that are too easily available.”
Ref 1.
I would like to add some words of
another colleague, Ugo Sadis, about
Dr. Lombardi that I found perfect:
“Polite and measured. Energetic and
dynamic. Tolerant, creative and tal-
ented. It is no surprise that he has been
awarded two honorary titles: in Laus-
Picture from the book : Giovanni
Lombardi-Ingegnere- Studi ed
Opere 1950-2005 (SKIRA).
