Abstract

Moral hazards refer to a wide range of situations where one party in an engagement takes on risks because they do not bear or do not believe that they bear the full consequences of their actions. These situations have been shown to result in extraordinary costs initially incurred by the other party in the agreement, insurers and then investors, to be ultimately borne by society at large. Besides their magnitude these costs are also spread inequitably across different societal groups.

The governments’ responses to the spread of the COVID-19 virus provide a good example where the imbalance of power and information gave rise to various moral hazards, resulting in unprecedented societal costs and leading to a substantial increase in global wealth inequality.
Due to the disbalance of information, moral hazards often occur in the engagements of professionals providing services in specific disciplines, such as geology and geotechnical engineering. Despite their widespread occurrence and severe consequences, moral hazards are not well recognised by professionals and thus remain largely unmanaged.

My presentation will provide examples of moral hazards emerging at various stages of geotechnical and civil engineering projects, highlighting the detrimental behaviour of the involved parties and the direct and indirect consequences including the increased risks and costs.
Building upon these examples, I will draw wider conclusions and offer strategies to reduce the occurrence of moral hazards in engineering projects. I will also discuss the core obligations of professionals and encourage the audience to exercise individual bravery and maintain high profession and ethical standards in resisting moral hazard situations.

Biography

Jiri is an engineer and scientist with 20 years of international experience in dams, tailings, hydropower and geotechnical engineering including site investigations, field and laboratory testing, foundation assessment, stability modelling, embankment and gravity dam design and risk assessment and rehabilitation of existing dams.

Abstract

Geotechnical solutions almost always involve a number of engineering disciplines. Therefore, communication between parties is key to the successful implementation of design evolution. This presentation will use a number of project examples to demonstrate how the geotechnical engineer can have a key role in the project construction phase. The importance of the Design/Construction Manager in the process will be highlighted through examples of where changes have been successfully and sometimes less successfully implemented.

Biography

Craig has over 30 years’ geotechnical design experience on projects across the world. He has worked in both offshore and onshore sectors and has been involved in a wide variety of project types from inception to handover. He has experience in site investigation and geotechnical design roles on projects including major land reclamation works, deep basements, high rise structures and road/rail projects.
More recently Craig has been Technical Director and on the board of CMW Geosciences, a specialist geotechnical company with a presence in both Australia and New Zealand. Craig is enthusiastic about offering clients practical and efficient geotechnical designs. Whilst comfortable behind the wheel of a finite element model, Craig is a strong advocate of the benefits of engineering judgement and the application of common sense design that supports the practicalities of construction.

Abstract

The principle of ‘designing with the end in mind’ is crucial for tailings storage facility (TSF) design. Tailings—waste materials resulting from ore processing—are stored in engineered structures known as tailings dams or TSFs. Unlike water dams, which can be removed at the end of their operational life, tailings dams are to remain in place indefinitely. These facilities are designed for lifespans that extend from hundreds to a thousand years, far beyond the limit of reliable prediction. Given that most mining operations last in the order of decades, the impacts of TSFs far outlast the operational phase of the mine itself. This presentation explores how the concept of closure is integrated into the lifecycle of a TSF. It examines the balance between short-term operational needs and the imperative to develop sustainable landforms which are safe, stable and non-polluting in perpetuity.

Biography

Heather Thomson is a Principal Consultant and Director at SRK Consulting, with over 14 years of experience specialising in tailings engineering. Her expertise spans the design, construction, operation, and review of tailings storage facilities (TSFs). She has a particular interest in TSF closure design and surface water management. Heather is a Chartered Professional Engineer and holds a Master of Engineering Science (Civil) from UNSW.