Geo-Conversation roundtable discussion on “Confidence in Building Industry Sector – Geotechnical Perspective”

Pannellists: Ms. Jenny Austin, Mr. Jim Yang, Mr. Bruce McPherson, Mr. Woodie Theunissen, Mr. Ondrej Synac, Dr. Saman Zargarbashi, Mr. Mehdi Hajian and A/Prof. Behzad Fatahi

Unacceptable performance and excessive repair cost of many rather new buildings across the country has put the building industry under the spotlight. The public has been demanding explanation and various authorities have been looking at ways to improve the building design and construction practices significantly. Geotechnical investigation and design play a pivotal role in building and development projects. While there might have been various structural or construction related issues resulting in major building failures, rigorous geotechnical assessment and design of excavations and foundations for superstructures and surrounding buildings is required, and insufficient investigation or poor design may contribute to the problem. In this roundtable discussion, key geotechnical issues and challenges in the building projects and possible solutions to reduce the potential for unsatisfactory performance of buildings will be discussed openly. Panellists with relevant expertise and experience will share their views and experiences.

Ms. Jenny Austin Associate, ARUP

Mr. Jim Yang Senior Technical Director, Arcadis

Mr. Bruce McPherson Principal, Douglas Partners

Mr. Woodie Theunissen Principal Associate, JK Geotechnics

Mr. Ondrej Synac Senior Principal Geotechnical Engineer, CMW Geosciences

Dr. Saman Zargarbashi Principal Geotechnical Engineer, WSP

Mr. Mehdi Hajian Engineering Manager, GFWA

A/Prof. Behzad Fatahi Head of Discipline-Geotechnical and Transportation Eng, UTS and AGS moderator

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.