Geotechnical Risk, Uncertainty, Ignorance & Vagueness – Another Industry-Wide Forum

John Simmons

John has over 38 years geotechnical experience as an academic, designer, and consultant, with the past 15 years working independently and specialising in open pit coal mining slope stability and industrial foundations. He is also involved in risk management training and investigations of professional misconduct. John has faced hazards from language, culture, geological uncertainty, errors and omissions, and managerial ignorance. Current risk exposures are to open pit coal mining, industrial foundations, and sharks.

Bruce Boundy

Bruce has worked as a contractor for all of his 27 year career – mainly in the field of piling for Frankipile. He has suffered greatly over the years from the folly of trying make an honest buck from cheapskate clients with dodgy site investigations. He would like some answers!

Allan McConnell

Allan is a well-known geotechnical engineer based in Brisbane. He has over 40 years experience, working as a consultant for most of that time. Ten years ago he started the specialist geotechnical testing company IGS, and he now makes that his full-time job.

Jim Dixon

Jim is a well-known and highly experienced geotechnical engineer. He is director of Soil Surveys Engineering and has been active in the SE Qld geotechnical scene since late 1976. He has also spent some time in the UK and SE Asia.

Harry Poulos

Harry is unarguably one of Australia’s best known geotechnical professionals. He has over 45 years of experience in geotechnical engineering, both as an academic and a consultant. He is well-known for his work on pile design, and has been involved in a number of projects involving super-tall buildings in the Middle East and Asia. As well as being with Coffey, Harry is also Emeritus Professor at Sydney University and was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM), in 1993.

Alan Grummitt

Alan is the Chairman and Principal of the Cullen Grummitt and Roe Group of consulting engineers specializing in Port and Harbour projects. The company has completed major port projects in every continent and is very well regarded throughout the industry. Alan graduated in 1962 and worked initially with the Department of Harbours and Marine with whom he held a scholarship to U Q. In 1967 he joined John Roe and has managed and run the practice ever since. CGR’s overseas record has seen them winning four Premier of Queensland Export Awards.

Evelyn Storey

Evelyn is an Principal Structural Engineer based in Aurecon’s Brisbane office with over 20 years of experience. She has successfully led structural design teams on major projects both in Australia and overseas, and her experience includes commercial, residential, airport and laboratory buildings. Evelyn has a wide range of technical skills including deep basements, dynamic analysis, tall buildings design, blast resilience, long span structures and low energy buildings.

Steve Wille

Steve is a strong team leader with a 20 year history in the delivery of major infrastructure and construction projects ranging from earthworks, tunnelling, concrete structures, road and bridge construction and structural steel erection. Steve also has sound technical and commercial expertise and is currently based in Brisbane as Tunnel Director on the Airport Link Project.

Steve Buttling

Steve was one of the last boat people from Southeast Asia to be allowed into Australia in 2006. He has 40 years experience as a contractor, consultant and project manager, much of it on major projects. His main loves are piling and soft ground engineering.

Neil Wright

Neil is a civil engineer by qualification. He started in 1980 with Lend lease Homes as a Project Engineer & Development Manager and has worked with McMaster Constructions and Glenzeil Hamilton Developments. He has spent the last 12 years with Matrix as a Design & Project Manager on D&C Contracts for residential high rise building projects.

Dave Stewart

Dave Stewart is the Director-General of the Department of Transport and Main Roads. Dave commenced his career as a geotechnical engineer and has a passion for managing risk and uncertainty. This year, the department will deliver in excess of $6 billion of complex engineering projects.”

Krystle-Rae Brooks

Krystle-Rae is a geotechnical engineer based in Brisbane. She graduated from the University of Queensland in 2006 and is on her journey to become an excellent consultant working on both local and overseas projects.

Trent Scherer

Trent has over five years experience in geotechnical and geo-environmental engineering related disciplines for infrastructure and large building developments in Australia and the United Kingdom. For the last two years he has been working within the geotechnical team at Douglas Partners as a Geo-Scientist.

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