The Myer Centre Deep Basement

35 years of history

Dr Peter W Mitchell

The Myer Centre in central Adelaide, was constructed between 1988 and 1992. It was the first development in Adelaide to incorporate a deep basement, comprising four levels of underground carparking. The engineering and construction considerations of providing deep basements in the Adelaide CBD had never been implemented at that time.

Peter Mitchell will describe the geotechnical aspects of the retention system from a 35-year perspective. The retention system comprised a secant piled wall temporarily anchored during construction and designed to allow for destressing of the anchors after construction of the carpark suspended floors, which now provide the permanent horizontal wall restraint.

Dr Peter W Mitchell

Peter Mitchell is a geotechnical engineer with over 53 years’ experience of involvement in major geotechnical projects throughout Australia, South-East Asia and the South Pacific, working for several large national consulting firms. He holds an Honours, Masters, and PhD degrees from the University of Adelaide where he is now an Adjunct Professor. He is a former Chair of the SA Geomechanics Group, the SA Footings group, and is a past Chair of the National Committee of the Australian Geomechanics Society. Peter has authored or co-authored 115 published papers, including 18 published in Australian Geomechanics. He has given 109 technical presentations to AGS chapters and associated bodies. He has gained several awards including the 1979 Engineering Excellence Award by Engineers Australia; a 1980 Churchill Fellowship; the 1992 RW Chapman Medal from Engineers Australia; the 2008 National Geotechnical Practitioner of the Year; and in 2020 was awarded Life Membership of the Australian Geomechanics Society recognising his “contributions of the highest order over an extended period”.

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