News

Notes and News for Members of the AGS

New Zealand Geotechnical Society 19th Symposium

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Registrations for the New Zealand Geotechnical Society’s 19th Symposium are now open. The early bird deadline for registration is 31 August 2013.

Refer to the following for links to the Symposium Website.

2013 AGS NSW Research Award presentations in Newcastle

Finalists for the 2013 AGS NSW Research Award. Pictured from left to right are Dr Jim Hambleton, Newcastle Chapter YGP Representative, and finalists Xue Zhang, Kourosh Kianfar and Pavlick Harutoonian. Photograph by Anastasia Suchowerska

The finalists for the 2013 AGS NSW Research Award presented their work to the Newcastle Chapter on 14 May, one week after giving their presentations to the Sydney Chapter. The three finalists are as follows:

Pavlick Harutoonian from the University of Western Sydney, whose talk was entitled “Geotechnical characterisation of compacted ground by passive ambient vibration techniques”;
Xue Zhang from The University of Newcastle, who presented his work on “Particle finite element limit analysis for geotechnical problems”; and
Kourosh Kianfar from the University of Wollongong, who gave a presentation entitled “Advantages of vacuum pressure for soft soil consolidation”.

Following their presentations, the finalists were treated to dinner at Talulah Restaurant, The Junction. The winner will be announced by the Sydney Chapter later in the month.

The AGS NSW Research Award aims to provide a forum for research students from universities in New South Wales to showcase their research to the wider geotechnical community, and it is open to students undertaking research in geotechnical engineering or engineering geology. Finalists are selected on the basis of written submissions that will be published in the Australian Geomechanics journal. The finalists and winner are selected by a review panel, and the winner receives $1,600.

Overview of “Introduction to the engineering geology of Hobart”

The Australian Geomechanics Society – Tasmanian Chapter hosted a field trip on Tuesday 30 April 2013 to explore the engineering geology of Hobart. The field trip was attended by 18 people ranging from recent engineering graduates to retired geologists to professors from China.

Our first stop was Little Sandy Bay, Blinking Billy Point and Blinking Billy Beach. Interestingly, Charles Darwin explored this same area in February 1836. Our host was Bill Cromer, an independent consulting engineering geologist who grew up in the area. We inspected the Tertiary basalt flows and tuff which are evidence of an ancient volcano located further up the slope. We viewed the geological boundaries of the sedimentary rocks and the volcanic rocks and also saw evidence that the rocks have been folded since their deposition. Finally, we discussed some of the engineering properties of these rocks given the intense development in the area.

Our second stop was to the Taroona landslide. Our host was Colin Mazengarb, an engineering geologist with Mineral Resources Tasmania. We inspected some steep cliffs comprised of Tertiary fluvial deposits showing distinct bedding. These cliffs are susceptible to recession which poses problems for the nearby property. We walked around the extent of the landslide, stopping to discuss investigations, monitoring, deformation rates and impacts of the landslide on infrastructure. Along the shoreline we inspected the low-strength Tertiary sedimentary deposits (montmorillonite clays) which are responsible for the landslide. We also discussed sea level changes and saw evidence of an ancient shoreline, 1m higher than the current shoreline.

Hutchinson Lecture: Call for nominations

Announcing the Hutchinson Lecture. The Hutchinson Lecture has been established to award a researcher, aged 42 or less at the time of the lecture, who has strongly contributed through his/her research and other work to the development of knowledge in the fields of slope stability and/or landslides. All national societies are asked to propose names and CVs of candidates before August, 2013. Further details can be found in the following websites:

Geological Uncertainties in Major Engineering Projects

AGS members are invited to submit abstracts for a session that will be part of the International Association for Engineering Geology congress held in Torino, Italy in September 15-19, 2014.

The session is titled: Addressing Geological Uncertainties in Major Engineering Projects. The main convener is Dr Clark Fenton (Imperial College London) and Pedro Martins is the Young Researcher co-convener.

Please note that the deadline is 15 April 2013.

More information: http://www.iaeg2014.com/call-for-abstract

2012 AGM and Nominations to the 2013 Committee

Nominations for the 2013 committee are due November 16 2012.
Nomination form

The 2012 Annual General Meeting will be held at 6:00 pm on Monday 19th November 2011 at Level 11, 108 King William Street, Adelaide.

All members of the Australian Geomechanics Society (AGS) are invited to attend and encouraged to nominate for committee membership for 2013.

The work of the committee during 2013 will include organising ten technical meetings including a seminar and a field trip, involvement in the affairs of the South Australian and Northern divisions of Engineers Australia, involvement in the affairs of the national division of the AGS and electing members to the AGS National Committee which meets twice each year. Nominations are required for committee members. Office bearers will be elected from amongst the committee members at a later date.

Nominations for Sydney AGS Chapter 2013 Committee

Nominations for 2013 Sydney Chapter committee are now open.

Please complete the nomination form and return by November 12.

AGS nominated for ISSMGE awards

AGS is one of about 84 ISSMGE Societies that have been invited to nominate for the following new awards:

Outstanding Technical Committee
Outstanding Geotechnical Project – limited to one nomination per Member Society
Outstanding Innovator – limited to one nomination per Member Society

Details are provided here: Award nomination requirements.

Nominations for the above awards must reach the ISSMGE Secretariat by 31 August 2012.

All nominations from AGS members must reach Peter Robinson secretary@australiangeomechanics.org by 23rd August 2012

AGS NSW Research Award Candidates

As Finalists for the 2011-2012 AGS NSW Research Award, Ana Paula Heitor and Chunshun Zhang presented a summary of their research to both the Sydney Chapter and the Newcastle Chapter in May 2012.

Ana is a current PhD student at The University of Wollongong, and Chunshun recently completely his PhD at The University of Sydney.

The candidates are pictured here with David Knott, Newcastle Chapter Secretary.

Prof. Lytton Tour of Australia, Melbourne Program

At the invitation from Don Cameron and the Footings Group SA, Professor Robert Lytton has agreed to conduct a lecture tour around Eastern Australia. The Housing Engineering, Design & Research Association, is organizing this tour with the help of the Adelaide, Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney and Melbourne chapters of the Australian Geomechanics Society, FFS Queensland, FFS NSW, ARC Centre for Geotechnical Science and Engineering at the University of Newcastle, Central Geotechnical Science & Engineering, Monash University and Australian Road Research Board.

Professor Lytton is a leading international figure in unsaturated soil research in pavements, infrastructure and residential construction.

Program and registration form

Professor Lytton will be in Melbourne for the following dates:

Friday 25th May – “Expansive Soils”, “Characterization of Expansive Soils for Designs”

Monday 28th May – “Pavements on Expansive Soils”

Prof. Lytton Tour of Australia, Sydney Program

Professor Lytton is a leading international figure in unsaturated soil research in pavements, infrastructure and residential construction.

Program and registration form

Advances in Geotechnical Aspects of Roads and Rail Tracks

The Sydney Chapter of the Australian Geomechanics Society (AGS) is holding a Symposium titled: Advances in Geotechnical Aspects of Roads and Rail Tracks. The Symposium will be a high profile, all day event that is expected to attract over 100 attendees. Selected papers will be published in Symposium proceedings that will be dedicated to Roads and Rail Tracks.

The Symposium will be the 16th edition of the Sydney Chapter’s annual symposiums designed to keep the engineering profession aware of recent developments in geotechnical aspects of roads and rail tracks in civil and geotechnical engineering.

The symposium will offer owners, suppliers, contractors, civil and geotechnical consultants a unique opportunity to promote their products and services to a wide cross-section of the industry, through sponsoring the symposium.

Dr Pells presentation

On 22 March, Dr. Pells gave a talk entitled “What happened to the mechanics in rock mechanics and the geology in engineering geology?” to the Newcastle Chapter. In the photo, he is standing with Prof. Stephen Fityus.

Nominations for the Rocha Medal 2014

An invitation is now being extended to the whole Rock Mechanics community for nomination for the Rocha Medal 2014.

Nominations for the Rocha Medal for an outstanding doctoral thesis in rock mechanics closes 31 Dec 2012.

More information

18th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ICSMGE’13)

September 2-5, 2013
Paris, France
18ICSMGE – Call for abstracts

As per normal ISSMGE practice, the final papers will be limited to 4 pages and will be due on 15 January 2013.

Rocha Medal nominations now accepted

An invitation is now being extended to the whole Rock Mechanics community, for nomination for the Rocha Medal 2014.

Each nomination shall conform to the ISRM By-law No. 7 attached, namely as concerns Article 3, and shall be received by the ISRM Secretary-General not later than 31 December 2012. Therefore, your action in disseminating this information among the prospective nominees for the ROCHA MEDAL 2014 will be greatly appreciated.

Rocha Medal 2014 – Application Details

Contact the ISRM to nominate for this annual prize.

Hans Cloos medal nominations

Nominations for the Hans Cloos medal should be sent to the IAEG Secretary General before October 15, 2011 and must include the following documents:

a copy of the nominee’s curriculum vitae;
a list of publications;
a statement of support for the nominee which should not be longer than two single spaced typed A4 pages.

For more information on the Hans Cloos medal, including the bylaws, see the Awards page.

Dr. Peter Hatherly seminar to the AGS Newcastle Chapter

In August 2011, Dr. Peter Hatherly gave a seminar to the AGS Newcastle Chapter on building 3D models of rock strength using geophysical logs.

Peter is shown here with David Knott, Secretary of the AGS Newcastle Chapter.

Dr. Jim Hambleton congratulates Ph.D. student Mohammad Pournaghiazar

Dr. Jim Hambleton from the University of Newcastle congratulates Ph.D. student Mohammad Pournaghiazar from The University of New South Wales on receiving the 2011 AGS NSW Research Award for his research on cone penetration tests in unsaturated soils.