AGS VIC Symposium 2016

Excavations and slope stability in Melbourne geology: experiences and recent developments

The Victorian chapter of the Australian Geomechanics Society (AGS) is pleased to announce a half-day symposium titled “Excavations and Slope stability in Melbourne geology: experiences and recent developments” to be held on 16 November 2016.

The event will be held in Melbourne and will bring together geotechnical and other civil engineering professionals to meet, share and discuss their knowledge and experiences related to excavations and slope stability.

Overview of the 2016 Symposium

Since the publication of the “Engineering Geology of Melbourne” in 1992, both the geotechnical profession and Melbourne has undergone significant change. Urban sprawl over the past few decades has seen increasing development in the hillside areas in the Dandenong and Mornington Peninsula regions. This coupled with changes to the regulatory environment and the introduction of the Landslide Risk Management Framework by the AGS in 2007 has changed the way in which local and state government as well as geotechnical practitioners manage and assess slope stability.

In addition to development in hillside areas, significant development in the inner parts of Melbourne has posed many challenges for excavations not just in the soft soils of the Yarra Delta but also the weak rock of the Melbourne Formation.

This symposium will bring together practitioners from consulting, construction and academia to share and discuss their experiences on the separate, but related, topics of excavation and slope stability. Best practices, case histories and innovative solutions for dealing with these challenges will be presented and discussed, with a particular emphasis on local geotechnical issues.

About the Keynote Speakers

Rob Day

Technical Director – Ground Engineering
AECOM

Rob is a Technical Director of Ground Engineering and Tunnelling with AECOM Australia Pty Ltd. He is a geotechnical engineer with over 30 years’ experience in in geotechnical design and site investigation, project management and construction supervision. A large proportion of his career has been spent in the delivery of geotechnical and groundwater solutions for major transport infrastructure projects in role as investigator and designer for both conventional construct only and design and construct projects, and as an independent reviewer on public private partnership projects. For most of this career he has been based in Melbourne giving him and extensive knowledge of the geology and geotechnical issues in Victoria, but he has also worked on underground road/rail and tunnelling projects across Australia, South East Asia and the Middle East giving him an international perspective.

Some of the deep excavation projects Rob has worked on where groundwater was a key consideration include: a design or review role on three of Melbourne’s major road tunnel projects (CityLink, Eastlink and East-West Link); lead geotechnical designer on four separate underground metro rail projects (Perth Metro as the project geotechnical design lead, Bangkok Metro and Delhi Metro as station cut and cover designer, and Riyadh Metro Lines 1 and 2 as geotechnical designer of eleven cut and cover station excavations); Geotechnical Independent Reviewer for the Victorian Desalination Project including launch shafts and inlet/outlet tunnels and risers; and tender design of Brisbane’s Inner City Bypass.

Gary Chapman

Principal – Geotechnical Engineering
Golder Associates

Gary has more than 30 years’ experience in geotechnical engineering working as either a piling contractor or a geotechnical consultant and is one of Australia’s recognised experts in the design and installation of deep foundation systems and ground improvement. He has worked with many major contractors providing tender advice for projects providing deep foundations both on land and in the marine environment. Since commencing at Golder Associates, Gary has taken a lead role in the design of deep foundations and basement retention structures. He is involved in leading the operations of the Golder New Zealand construction group’s ground improvement business. In 2012, Gary was awarded the prestigious Australian Geomechanics Society’s “Geotechnical Practitioner of the Year” award, for services to Australian Geotechnical Engineering.

Gary has carried out design and analysis of retention systems for deep basements in challenging soil conditions in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth including assessment of excavation induced soil movements outside of the excavations, wall deflections and anchor forces. He is experienced in the design and installation of diaphragm walls for deep shafts and basement retention and has also worked on the design of cement bentonite mixes and the installation of cement bentonite and CSM walls for hydraulic cut off walls. In addition, he has extensive experience in deep foundations, ground improvement techniques and has provided legal and expert witness advice for a range of projects.

* Keynote paper has been co-authored with Jim Finlayson, Principal, Golder Associates

Sponsorship

The event is being sponsored by:

Event location

Engineers Australia members participating in AGS technical sessions can record attendance on their personal CPD logs. Members should refer to Engineers Australia CPD policy for details on CPD types, requirements and auditing guidelines.