Category: General

Call for Abstracts: 2024 NSW Research Award Night

Posted:

As part of their ongoing support of academic institutions and students, the Sydney and Newcastle Chapters of the Australian Geomechanics Society are offering the prestigious AGS NSW Research Award for research in Geotechnical Engineering or Engineering Geology. The award aims to provide a forum for research students from NSW universities to showcase their research to the wider Geotechnical Community.

Important Dates

  • Closing date for submissions 17th May 2024
  • Selection of Three Finalists 12th June 2024
  • Finalists Presentation (Sydney) 11th September 2024

Eligibility

The award is open to:

  • Research students Enrolled in any New South Wales universities
  • Undertaking research in Geotechnical Engineering or Engineering Geology
  • Former PhD candidates already graduated within 12 months of the event date

Candidates must preferably be current research students (i.e. No PhD awarded at the time of the application) or research students that have been awarded their PhD within a year of the event. Also, they must not have applied for the AGS YGP award in the current year. However, unsuccessful candidates who have previously applied for this award and remain to be current research students are eligible to reapply for the current Research Award.

Submissions

The submission for the Award shall comprise a report, with a geotechnical engineering or engineering geology theme, of no more than 3,500 words, giving a broad summary of the research. The report shall cover the research questions and rationale, the scope of the research, the most important results, and conclusions. The submission must be detailed enough to convey the full impact and significance of the research and should be accompanied by selected tables and figures. The student must be the sole author of the submitted report. The AGS may request supporting documentation from the candidate’s supervisor, and the supervisor’s details must be provided in the submission. The finalists will be expected to provide a written paper (with any co-authors as appropriate), which complies with the editorial requirements of the Australian Geomechanics journal (obtainable from the Australian Geomechanics Society website). The written paper must be substantially new, encompassing unpublished material, and a statement of this must accompany the written paper.

Presentation

The finalists will be required to give a special presentation of their work to members of the AGS Sydney Chapter. The presentations need to be targeted at the audience – geotechnical professionals working in the industry.

The AGS will pay the reasonable out-of-town transport and accommodation costs of the finalists.

Evaluation of Submissions

Written submissions will be assessed by a Review Panel. The Review Panel will select up to three finalists, who will be invited to present their submissions at AGS technical meetings in Sydney. The winner will be selected by the Review Panel at the end of their presentation on the basis of the selection criteria below. The decision of the Review Panel will be final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

Review Panel

The Review Panel will consist of:

  • Three senior academics from NSW universities; and
  • Two AGS committee members from the Sydney Chapter.

Selection Criteria

  • Technical content 20%
  • The originality of content 15%
  • Industry relevance 20%
  • Clarity of written submission 10%
  • Clarity of verbal communication 35%

TOTAL 100%

Publishing

It is expected that written papers will be prepared by the finalists for publishing in Australian Geomechanics.

Sponsorship

The event organisers would welcome a company to sponsor the event.

Expressions of interest can be made to Stefano Pirrello via [email protected]

A Career Measured by Mining Geomechanics

Posted:

Professor David Williams of The University of Queensland is exclusively featured in an article in Engineering and Mining Journal, a trade journal founded over 150 years ago with an international audience base. The article presents insights and touches on challenges, emerging trends, and best practices in the Mining Industry from Professor Williams, enriched by his over 40 years of experience in the Geotechnical and Mining Industry.

The article can be read at the following link:

A Career Measured by Mining Geomechanics – Professor David Williams (The University of Queensland, Australia)

AGS Technical Committee for Landslide Risk Management

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Establishment of Technical Committees – Expressions of Interest

The Australian Geomechanics Society (AGS) in association with the New Zealand Geotechnical Society (NZGS) is undertaking a review and update of the AGS Landslide Risk Management Guidelines (AGS2007).

The AGS guidelines represent current best practice for landslide risk management in Australia. They are comprised of key components:

  • A National Landslide Risk Management Framework for Australia
  • AGS 2007a and AGS 2007b – Guideline for Landslide Susceptibility, Hazard and Risk Zoning for Land Use Planning and commentary.
  • AGS2007c and AGS 2007d – Practice note guidelines for landslide risk management and commentary.
  • Australian Geoguides.

All these documents are available for download below.

Approval to undertake the review was provided by the AGS in October 2023 and a steering committee was formed in December 2023 to set terms of reference and provide overall management of the project.  There is an intention to form a number of technical committees to assist with the development of various components of the guidelines. Expressions of interest are sought from suitably experienced and qualified persons to contribute to the following technical committees.

We expect that involvement will generally be on a voluntary basis, however the project has received some funding which is intended to cover expenses and to provide reimbursement for select contributors and activities . Four technical committees are proposed as subsequently described.

1. Landslide Risk Management – Global Practice

This committee will research global state of the art practices and trends in landslide risk management. The information gathered by this committee will be vital to inform the work of the other technical committees. Members of this committee will:

  • Undertake research and form a repository of guidelines and papers pertaining to global landslide management processes.
  • Review and challenge the work of other technical committees with a view to ensuring their outputs align with best practice.

Persons on this committee will have a broad, ideally global experience in landslide risk assessment, and familiarity with systems used elsewhere. They will be experienced in research, literature review and peer review.

2. Principles of Landslide Risk Management

This committee will focus on review and update of the information provided in AGS2007a which presents a framework for landslide risk management in Australia. This will be the entry point to the documents and is intended for use by a broad audience including geotechnical practitioners, regulators and the public. This committee will consider topics including:

  • Purpose of landslide risk management.
  • What landslides are, types of landslides, why they are a hazard and why management is required.
  • What landslide susceptibility, hazard and risk zoning is and how it can be used for planning and landslide risk management.
  • What landslide risk assessment is and how it can be used for landslide management.
  • Examples of planning and management of landslide hazards.
  • Communication of landslide risk management concepts to stakeholders and the public.
  • Persons on this committee will ideally have experience with developing and implementing planning controls or landslide risk management programs. They will have experience in public communication and public science communication.

3. Landslide Mapping, Zoning and Planning

This committee will review AGS2007a and b which are the Guideline and Commentary for Landslide Susceptibility, Hazard and Risk Zoning for Land Use Planning.

It is envisaged that this technical committee may as a minimum, review and assess various themes including:

  • Context for landslide zoning and land use planning
  • Terminology and definitions
  • Importance of Landslide Inventory,
  • Landslide susceptibility, hazard and risk mapping techniques and methodology
  • Procedures for collecting information to inform landslide mapping and hazard zoning
  • Use of GIS, AI and new technology in landslide assessment
  • Translation of technical maps into planning controls
  • Examples in practice

As such, we now seek expression of interest from our broader industry community to assist in this review and the potential formulation of new documentation which we envisage will provide enhanced clarity and guidance on methods for landslide zoning and mapping.

Persons on this committee will have experience in developing and working with maps for landslide zoning and land use planning and will be familiar with state of the art practice in this area.

4. Landslide Risk Assessment

The technical committee for landslide risk assessment will focus on review of the information set out in AGS 2007c and 2007d, the guideline and commentary for landslide risk assessment, including:

  • Identifying and understanding landslide mechanisms.
  • Techniques for collecting information to perform risk assessment.
  • Methods for qualitative risk assessment.
  • Methods of quantitative risk assessment.
  • Application of risk assessment methods to different scenarios, including residential, walking tracks, roads and railways.
  • Risk evaluation.

The guidance produced will be primarily technical and will be intended for use by geotechnical practitioners engaged in landslide risk assessment activities.

Persons on this committee will have experience in risk assessment, risk engineering and probability theory.

How to Apply

Applications are sought from all eligible members of the AGS and NZGS as well as interested regulators and responsible authorities. Applications will be accepted up to COB on Monday 25 March 2024.

Name(Required)
Briefly summarise your application to join the technical committee.
Max. file size: 128 MB.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Landslide Risk Management Guidelines

AGS 2007a – Guideline for Landslide Susceptibility, Hazard and Risk Zoning for Land Use Planning

There are a number of natural hazards which are relevant to urban, residential, rural and undeveloped property throughout Australia. These include flooding, bushfire, coastal processes and landslides. This guideline addresses landslide susceptibility, hazard and risk zoning for land use planning.


AGS 2007b – Commentary on Guideline for Landslide Susceptibility, Hazard and Risk Zoning for Land Use Planning

The definitions in the Guideline are consistent with International Landslides and Geotechnical Engineering practice. Some practitioners in Australia have used the term hazard without including the frequency of landsliding in the definition.


AGS 2007c – Practice Note Guidelines for Landslide Risk Management 2007

Slope instability occurs in many parts of urban and rural Australia and often impacts on housing, roads, railways and other development. This has been recognised by many local government authorities, and others, and has led to the requirement by many local government councils for stability assessments prior to allowing building development.


AGS 2007d – Commentary on Practice Note Guidelines for Landslide Risk Management 2007

In 2000 the Australian Geomechanics Society (AGS) published Landslide Risk Management Concepts and Guidelines (AGS 2000). In 2002 the content and application of AGS (2000) were demonstrated around Australia by the Risky Roadshow which was sponsored by Emergency Management Australia and AGS.


AGS 2007e – The Australian GeoGuides for Slope Management and Maintenance

The Australian Geomechanics Society (AGS) presents on the following pages a guideline on slope management and?maintenance, as part of the landslide risk management guidelines developed under the National Disaster Funding Program (NDMP).

Bulletin 2 of ICPE2024

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The Third International Conference of Press-in Engineering will be held in Singapore on 3-5 July 2024.

The organisers have release Bulletin 2 of the ICPE2024 which contains information on keynote and theme lectures as well as the outline of the conference sessions. The registration fee and hotel details are also included.

A heavily discounted early bird registration fee is available until 30 April 2024. In addition, there are also heavily discounted registration fees for young persons below 36 years old and for full time students.

More information, including the Bulletin 2 PDF, is available on the ICPE2024 website.

Call for speakers — Hunter Valley & Northern NSW AGS Symposium, 2024

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The Newcastle chapter of the Australian Geomechanics Society is excited to announce that it is planning a one day symposium for the Hunter Valley and Northern regions of NSW, on all topics related to our profession. It is our aim to bring representatives from government, industry and academic institutions in our region together, so that we may share project insights, explore new practices, and discuss emerging challenges. This is a unique opportunity for individuals or teams to showcase their work and contribute to the advancement of geomechanics and it’s allied fields.

Tentative event details

Venue:
Conference space in Newcastle CBD.

Date:
Day to be confirmed in the week beginning 6th May.

Estimated registration cost*:
$150 for members, $250 for non-members.

*Registration includes entry to one of Newcastle’s quality event venues and catered meals. A limited number of scholarships valued at 50% of the registration cost will be available for students and first year graduates to encourage early career development.

Call for speakers

We invite you to submit a presentation title and brief abstract to the symposium secretary for consideration by Friday 16 February 2024 to reserve your place on the schedule.

The time allocated for each speaker will be approximately 30 minutes, though presentations on projects or findings of special significance may be offered longer 60 minute sessions. Speakers are not required to prepare a paper for publication to accompany their presentation.

Speaker nominations should be submitted to Mason Crumpton, AGS Newcastle 2024 Symposium Secretary via email: [email protected]

Call for abstracts — 2024 Sydney Symposium

Posted:

The Australian Geomechanics Society Sydney Chapter is holding its 28th annual Symposium on Friday 1 November 2024: ‘Advances in Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering’. The symposium forms part of the continuing program of events organised by the AGS Sydney Chapter. It aims to encourage ideas and discussions about one of the key aspects of design, construction and research which are becoming more prevalent in industry and academia.

Overview

The symposium will showcase state-of-the-art practices, new research findings and case histories that demonstrate advances in geomechanics and geotechnical engineering.

The organising committee welcomes submissions of papers covering various aspects of geomechanics and geotechnical engineering from practitioners and researchers.

The symposium presents an opportunity for professional engineers, researchers, specialist contractors, regulators, educators and students to meet and share their knowledge and experiences in geotechnical engineering.

Suggested topics

The following are some suggested topics for this symposium:

  • Applications of machine learning and artificial intelligence in geotechnical engineering
  • Application of modern geotechnical engineering to remote long-term resilience and sustainability of infrastructures.
  • New methods for site investigation and monitoring
  • Advanced numerical modelling and simulation in geomechanics
  • Geotechnical engineering solutions for disaster risk reduction
  • Innovative use of recycled materials in geotechnical construction
  • Other topics

And More!

Diversity in ideas and experiences is valued, contributing to the richness of the community. Should the work fall outside the specified topics, submission is still encouraged. Unique perspectives and insights are vital to the vibrant exchange of knowledge within the field.

Papers that have been previously published will not be accepted for the symposium.

Benefits of sponsorship

  • Ability to upload a video (2 minutes long) to play during the symposium, and/or provide LinkedIn – link for each level of sponsorship
  • Recognition of your sponsorship at the Symposium and to readers of Australian Geomechanics
  • There will be three levels of sponsorship – Platinum, Gold and Silver.

Important dates and submission

Abstracts must be submitted by 15 April 2024, with papers to be completed by 30 June 2024. All papers will be peer-reviewed and should be submitted in the Australian Geomechanics journal format.

The final version of the papers, after addressing any reviewers’ comments, must be submitted by 11 August 2024.

All abstracts and papers should be sent to Hadi Khabaz via [email protected] By submitting a paper for the symposium, the author(s) are giving permission for the AGS to publish the paper in the proceedings and other AGS national publications.

Abstract format

One-page abstracts should be submitted in the following format:

  • Title of presentation (font type: Times New Roman Bold, font size: 14, alignment: centre)
  • Authors’ full names (font type: Times New Roman Bold, font size: 10, alignment: centre)
  • Authors’ full affiliation and address including position, name of company/university, email address and contact number (font type: Times New Roman Italic, font size: 10, alignment: centre)
  • Underline the presenter’s name (only one presenter)
  • Abstract’s text, maximum 500 words (font type: Times New Roman, font style: regular, font size: 10, alignment: left justified)
  • Page layout with 20 mm margins (top, bottom, left and right)
  • In the covering email sent to the organising committee, author(s) must confirm that the abstract and the proposed paper have not been previously published.

Organising committee

  • Mehdi Tamadon GHD (Organising Committee Coordinator)
  • Ali Parsa, JK Geotechnics
  • Hadi Khabbaz, University of Technology Sydney
  • Cholachat Rujikiat-kamjorn, University of Technology Sydney
  • Saman Zargarbashi, WSP
  • Sam Mirlatifi, GHD
  • AHM Kamruzzaman (Zaman), TfNSW
  • Alice Clark, Aurecon

AGS Harry Poulos Award: Call for Nominations

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The Australian Geomechanics Society (Sydney Chapter) has established the Harry Poulos Award in recognition of the extraordinary impact of Professor Harry Poulos’s contributions to pile foundation analysis and design and his work in understanding soil structure interaction. His research has enabled a more reliable approach to be adopted for pile design, replacing procedures that previously relied purely on experience and empiricism. He has been a prolific contributor to and supporter of the activities of the international and Australian geotechnical community.

Basis of the award

The award will be presented annually to a person selected by the Sydney Chapter Committee as having made a significant contribution to either practice and/ or research in foundation engineering or soil structure interaction that has received national and international recognition. The committee will consider the value of practical contribution and its impact on engineering practice. The award shall be given every second year to an international nominee.

Nomination

For 2024, nominations are sought of persons based in Australia. The nomination should be made by at least one person (not necessarily members) to the Sydney Chapter Committee. Nominations must be accompanied by a comprehensive supporting document and the nominee’s Curriculum Vitae. Determination of the award will be by a subcommittee of the Sydney Chapter committee.

Selection

The Chairman of the Sydney Chapter Committee shall promulgate a subcommittee of 3 members of the Sydney Chapter Committee to consider nominations for the award.

Presentation

In the first instance, the Lecturer’s presentation is made to a meeting of members of the Sydney Chapter of the Society. The award memento will be presented by the Sydney Chapter Committee, or as otherwise arranged. The memento consists of a framed certificate and a glass plaque. The Lecture may be presented at other Chapter meetings, subject to individual arrangements.

Submission Deadline

4th October 2024

To make a nomination for the Harry Poulos Award, please submit the nomination form accompanied by a comprehensive supporting document and forward your submission to the Chair of the Australian Geomechanics Society, Sydney Chapter, Prof Cholachat Rujikiatkamjorn via: [email protected]

IAEG Electronic Newsletter 2023, Issue No.4

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The final issue of the IAEG Electronic Newsletter for 2024, Issue 4, is available to download.

Survey Request — Conference on Transportation Geotechnics

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Survey responses close early next week on 31 October 2023

I have been asked to present on the current state of practice in transportation geotechnics and ground improvement at the 5th International Conference on Transportation Geotechnics in Sydney, 20-22 November 2024.

Costs of transport infrastructure are often split somewhat evenly between earthworks, structures, pavements / track and project administration/delivery.  The cost of the geotechnical elements can increase when tunnelling or ground improvement is involved and the highest risk can often be ‘getting out of the ground’.

Our profession plays a key role in delivering transport infrastructure and we can gain insight by reflecting on the state of practice. Rather than impose my opinions on our community, I would appreciate your responses to the survey linked below by close of business, 31 October 2023 which I will collate, present and make available via the Australian Geomechanics Society website.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZQC59JC

Yours Sincerely,

Dr Richard Kelly

Chief Technical Principal – SMEC Australia
Conjoint Professor of Practice, University of Newcastle, Australia

Online session: Dam Engineering Area of Specialisation (AOS)

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Engineers Australia has commenced a process to implement a dam engineering Area of Specialisation (AOS). Once established, an AOS is a competency framework for engineers and associates that can be leveraged by state registration bodies, dam regulators and other industry groups. It has specific advantages in being nationally recognised and supported by Engineers Australia as the peak engineering industry body.

To support the presentation the following file is available:

Please join an online session with the working group on Monday 9th October 2023, 3:30 to 4:30 (AEDT)  to learn more about the AOS process and planned consultation.

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