Unsaturated soil mechanics in engineering practice
Adrian Russell
In this presentation, Adrian will focus on the uptake of unsaturated soil mechanics in engineering practice. He will outline industry changes and trends in Australia, including good practices and commonly made mistakes. He will then give examples of research outcomes related to strength and stability calculations and show how they can be applied routinely in commercial software. Adrian will also outline areas where additional knowledge is needed.
About the speaker
Adrian Russell Professor, Australian Research Council Future Fellow Centre for Infrastructure Engineering and Safety School of Civil and Environmental Engineering UNSW Sydney, NSW, Australia
Adrian Russell completed his PhD at UNSW in 2004, was a lecturer at the University of Bristol in the UK until 2007, then returned to UNSW. His research interests and industry interactions have seen him: (i) produce the first stability charts for slopes comprising partially saturated soils, derived using slip line theory; (ii) relate field measurements of water retention in unsaturated soil slopes to stability; (iii) develop practical guidelines for in situ determination of unsaturated soil and tailings properties using the CPT; and (iv) analyse and observe experimentally the way retaining walls and shallow foundations interact with unsaturated soils. His recent and ongoing industry interactions include a secondment to Pells Sullivan Meynink Pty Ltd in 2019 and reviews of tailings storage stabilities incorporating unsaturated soil mechanics. His is a member of TC106 and TC221, the Technical Committees concerned with unsaturated soils and tailings within the ISSMGE. He is also a Sydney Chapter Committee Member of the AGS.
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