Society News
AGS YGPC 2020 conference
Deadline for nominations & abstracts has been extended to 16th August
The Australian Geomechanics Society and the New Zealand Geotechnical Society invite you to attend the 13th Young Geotechnical Professionals Conference (13YGPC Cairns)
Held every 2 years, the Young Geotechnical Professional Conference (YGPC) events are unique 3 day conferences facilitated by a joint initiative of the Australian Geomechanics Society (AGS) and New Zealand Geotechnical Society (NZGS).
Call for abstracts
Please complete the nomination form attached to this call for abstracts.
Nominations of delegates must also be supported by a senior mentor and include an abstract of 200 words on a topic that is related to geotechnical practice or research. Positions are limited to 50 attendees and all successful nominations will be expected to present their technical paper at the conference. Co-authored papers will be accepted but only one author may present at the conference. The Don Douglas Youth Fellowship Award and the Young Geotechnical Professional Fellowship will be awarded to the best Australian paper and the best New Zealand paper, respectively, during the conference.
Sponsorship Prospectus
Gold, silver and bronze sponsorship packages will be allocated only on receipt of a signed booking form. Packages will be allocated on a ‘first come, first served’ basis except where multiple sponsorship applications are received on the same day for the same sponsorship package. If this oversubscription occurs we will contact the sponsors to resolve the allocation.
Tender for the platinum package from interested organisations may be directed to the AGS Secretariat prior to 27 September 2019.
Landslides in Pakistan, India and China and a volcano in Russia!
The 55th issue of the IAEG Connector E-News is available online.
IAEG Connector E-News
The 54th issue of the IAEG Connector E-News is available online.
AGS-SA/ICE Short Video Competition
Collaboration between industry and academia can drive innovation and progress in many industries, including Civil Engineering. To encourage thought about this matter the SA/NT Chapter of the AGS, the SA branch of the ICE and Aurecon invite students and young practitioners of Civil Engineering to make a 2 minute video addressing one of the topics below:
Topic 1
Can new fields of study and activity (e.g. artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology, biotechnology, etc) have a major impact on civil engineering practice unless there is good collaboration between industry and academia?
Topic 2
Is it safe in for a Civil Engineering Organisation not to innovate? What are the risks in innovation and how can they be managed?
Topic 3
What systems, frameworks and/or programs can be put in place to promote better collaboration in research between industry, academia and government?
Videos will be judged on the criteria below:
- Relevance
- Practicality
- Originality
- Succinctness
- Engagement
Requirements
- Applicants must be a Civil Engineering student or a practising civil engineer with less than 10 years of experience
- Format of video to be MP4
- Maximum size of video file to be 30MB
- Aspect ratio is 4:3
- Maximum duration of video is 2 minutes
- Deadline for submission of video file, name and contact details of contestant and authorisation form is 5pm Wednesday 10 July 2019
Prizes
The prizes are donated by Aurecon. The best video wins a $200 prize. The runner up wins $100. The winning video will be announced at AGS SA/NT Young Geotechnical Professionals and Students Evening starting at 6pm Monday 15 July 2019 in Room 132, Engineering North Building, at the University of Adelaide. Best 5 videos to be shown at this event. This event will be attended by some of Adelaide ‘s leading geotechnical engineers.
Submission of video
To enter please email a download link for the video and your contact details to Richard Herraman using your hosting service of choice (e.g. Google drive, Dropbox etc). You will also need to obtain an Author Declaration form from Richard Herraman, fill it in and submit it. Videos submitted without an Author Declaration form will not be considered. By submitting a video you have the opportunity to have your work seen by potential employers.
AGS Tasmania Radar Interferometry Workshop, early 2020
Seeking Expressions of Interest:
AGS Workshop on INSAR and its Applications for Understanding Ground Movement
For more information and to register your interest, please see the Expression of Interest flyer.
Radar interferometry (InSAR) is a rapidly expanding technique that offers valuable insight into ground deformation for a range of applications, particularly in the field of geotechnics. Due to advancing radar technology and increasing numbers of satellites, the quality and frequency of spaceborne radar coverage available for InSAR is continually improving. An increasing range of radar datasets are becoming freely available, further increasing application potential in geotechnical studies of various scale. However, InSAR is a technically complex technology necessitating appropriate planning, processing, and interpretation. This workshop is aimed at providing end-users and those commissioning imagery a basic understanding of the technique and its limitations in order to improve success and avoid disappointment. Those interested in conducting their own processing using commercially available software require further
theoretical and applied background that is beyond the scope of this workshop.
Presenters
Dr. Bernhard Rabus is a Professor in the School of Engineering Science, Simon Fraser University, Canada. He has a geophysics background and is an internationally recognised expert in InSAR technology and processing with numerous academic publications to his credit, plus prior experience in government and industry roles. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in synthetic aperture radar applications, including InSAR, and undertakes a range of radar-based research activities.
Dr. Nicholas Roberts is a natural hazards geologist in the Geological Survey Branch of Mineral Resources Tasmania. He has strong interests in landslides and Quaternary geology with a range of academic publications and previous industry and government roles. Nick is also an Adjunct Professor at Simon Fraser University and collaborates with Dr. Rabus as an end-user to apply InSAR to a range of geological applications in diverse settings, including Tasmania.
Register Interest
The course will be offered in late January or early February 2020 in Hobart, Tasmania. Please register your interest by completing the Expression Of Interest form.
50th IAEG Connector
ISRM News Journal Volume 21, 2018 issue
The 2018 issue of the ISRM News Journal is available online.
ISSMGE News & Information Circular May 2019
The ISSMGE News & Information Circular for May 2019 is available online.
Along with a link to the ISSMGE Bulletin, there is a webinar on Unsaturated Soils, and a survey to assess the consistency of calculation models and design methods for a variety of geotechnical structures and, where possible, to compare the results with full-scale tests and reliability analyses.
4th International Conference on Transportation Geotechnics – Call for abstracts
The 4th International Conference on Transportation Geotechnics (4th ICTG) will be held in Chicago, Illinois, on August 30–September 2, 2020. This is the main conference event of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) Technical Committee (TC) 202 on Transportation Geotechnics and it is organized every four years. The primary focus of TC202 is to apply broad engineering to bridge the gap between Pavement/Railway Engineering and Geotechnical Engineering.
Abstracts submissions are now open, see the 4ICTG flyer for details.
The abstract and paper submission is through the ICTG2020 conference Web page:
http://www.conferences.illinois.edu/ICTG2020
The deadline for submission is June 16, 2019 has been extended to July 12, 2019.
48th IAEG Connector newsletter
The 48th IAEG Connector newsletter is now online.
47th IAEG Connector
The 47th IAEG Connector newsletter is available now, online.
2019 SA-NT AGS Seminar, sponsorship opportunities
The SA-NT Chapter of the Australian Geomechanics Society (AGS) and the Australian Tunnelling Society (ATS) are pleased to announce the 2019 Seminar titled “Tunnelling under Adelaide”, which is to be held on Monday 28th October 2019.
The Seminar forms part of the continuing program of technical events organised by the SA-NT Chapter of the AGS and aims to provide the engineering profession with a comprehensive introduction to the geotechnical aspects of tunnelling in soil in urban areas, including best practice techniques and recent developments.
The South Australian Government is currently considering the viability of tunnelling options for the two remaining sections of the strategic North-South Corridor between River Torrens to Anzac Highway and Anzac Highway to Darlington and plans to submit a business case that includes tunnel options to Infrastructure Australia for review. Design and construction of the remaining sections will be the biggest single infrastructure project in South Australia’s history.
The seminar will bring together professional engineers, researchers, specialist contractors, regulators, educators and students to share and discuss their experiences on the topic of the geotechnical aspects of the design and construction of TBM tunnels and their associated challenges and opportunities.
This seminar will present overviews of current design practice, state of-the-art practices, novel technologies and innovative solutions, and case studies demonstrating applications of advanced techniques and cost-effective solutions in the design and construction of TBM tunnels in clay, with a focus on the geotechnical challenges associated with the completion of the North-South Corridor between the River Torrens and Darlington.
The seminar will cover the following topics:
Planning and Investigation
- Contract models
- Risk management and Health & Safety
- Ground investigation strategy and techniques
- Tunnel alignment design
- Ground hazards
- 3-D geotechnical models and digital engineering
- Geotechnical Baseline Reports
Geotechnical Design
- Segmental and shotcrete lining design
- Tunnel induced ground movements and their impacts on existing infrastructure
- Instrumentation and monitoring
- Ground treatment
Excavation and Construction Methods
- TBM selection and performance
- Cross passage design and construction
- Shaft sinking
- Crossover structures
- TBM launch and reception pits
- Groundwater control
- The role of tunnel engineers during construction and the use of the observational method
Sponsorship and Exhibition
Without sponsorship the committee of the AGS would be unable to provide you with these events at such competitive prices. We are therefore indebted to our sponsors and urge potential sponsors to consider supporting the event. There are three levels of sponsorship: Platinum; Gold; and Silver.
Platinum Sponsor
$2,000 (excluding GST)
- Two free delegates
- Opportunity to give a brief talk about their organisation
- One full page of advertising space in the proceedings
- Promotion of company logo on the day and with prior advertising of this event.
Gold Sponsor
$1,000 (excluding GST)
- One free delegate
- One full page of advertising space in the proceedings
- Promotion of company logo on the day and with prior advertising of this event.
Silver Sponsor
$500 (excluding GST)
- Half page of advertising space in the proceedings
- Promotion of company logo on the day and with prior advertising of this event.
Interested?
Interested parties are to complete the Order Form on the following page and return to Peter Robinson via [email protected] at the Australian Geomechanics Society Secretariat.
Notification and payment are required by Friday 27 September 2019. If you have any queries relating to sponsorship, please contact [email protected].
2019 SA-NT AGS Seminar, call for abstracts
The South Australian-Northern Territories Chapter of the Australian Geomechanics Society (AGS) and the Australian Tunnelling Society (ATS) are pleased to announce the 2019 AGS Seminar titled “Tunnelling under Adelaide” which is to be held on Monday 28th October 2019.
The seminar forms part of the continuing programme of events organised by the SA-NT Chapter of the AGS and aims to provide the engineering profession with a comprehensive introduction to the geotechnical aspects of tunnelling in soil in urban areas, including best practice techniques and recent developments.
For more information see the Call For Abstracts flyer.
The Event
South Australia has seen significant investment in transport infrastructure in recent years. The development of a dedicated non-stop North-South Corridor for Adelaide is a direct result of a strategic objective to reduce Adelaide’s urban road congestion. The North-South Corridor is one of Adelaide’s most important transport corridors and is the major route for north and southbound traffic including freight vehicles running between Gawler and Old Noarlunga, a distance of some 78 km. Many of the associated projects involve complex geotechnical challenges.
The South Australian Government is currently considering the viability of tunnelling options for the two remaining sections of the strategic North-South Corridor between River Torrens to Anzac Highway and Anzac Highway to Darlington and plans to submit a business case that includes tunnel options to Infrastructure Australia for review. Design and construction of the remaining sections will be the biggest single infrastructure project in South Australia’s history.
This seminar will present overviews of current design practice, state-of-the-art practices, novel technologies and innovative solutions, and case studies demonstrating applications of advanced techniques and cost-effective solutions in the design and construction of TBM tunnels in clay, with a focus on the geotechnical challenges associated with the completion of the North-South Corridor between the River Torrens and Darlington.
The seminar will bring together professional engineers, researchers, specialist contractors, regulators, educators and students to share and discuss their experiences on the topic of the design and construction of TBM tunnels and their associated challenges and opportunities.
Topics
The following are some suggested topics for the Seminar:
Planning and Investigation
- Contract models
- Risk management and Health & Safety
- Ground investigation strategy and techniques
- Tunnel alignment design
- Ground hazards
- 3-D geotechnical models and digital engineering
- Geotechnical Baseline Reports
Geotechnical Design
- Segmental and shotcrete lining design
- Tunnel induced ground movements and their impacts on existing infrastructure
- Instrumentation and monitoring
- Ground treatment
Excavation and Construction Methods
- TBM selection and performance
- Cross passage design and construction
- Shaft sinking
- Crossover structures
- TBM launch and reception pits
- Groundwater control
- The role of tunnel engineers during construction and the use of the observational method
Nominations
The SA-NT Chapter of the AGS, in conjunction with the ATS, invites local, national and international practitioners to submit abstracts on a topic related to the design and construction of TBM tunnels in clay. Abstracts are not to be more than 300 words and shall be prepared in accordance with the abstract submission guidelines outlined below. Completed abstracts should be sent to Abbas Taheri by Monday 20 May 2019 for consideration by the seminar organising committee.
Abstracts will be selected based on their quality and relevance to the theme and objectives of the seminar with the successful authors invited to submit a six-page paper for presentation at the seminar. We encourage submissions from the geotechnical engineering and tunnelling professions as well as academia.
Cost
The cost of the seminar is to be confirmed. Presenters will enjoy free entry to the seminar with discounts for co-authors.
Important Dates & Submission
Abstracts are to be submitted by Monday 20 May 2019.
Authors will be notified of acceptance of abstracts by Monday 3 June 2019.
Full papers are to be submitted by Monday 19 August 2019.
Final paper submission after addressing any reviewer’s comments by Monday 16 September 2018.
Abstract Submission Format
Please submit a word document with the following information for abstract submission:
Author’s full name(s)
e.g. Bob, A. Smith, David, S. Smith (font type: Times New Roman, font style: regular, font size: 10) * Please underline the presenting author.
Author’s full affiliation
Position, name of company/university, email address and contact number (font type: Times New Roman, font style: regular, font size: 10)
Title
Title of paper, maximum 100 characters (font type: Times New Roman, font style: bold, font size: 12)
Abstract
Abstract text, maximum 300 words (font type: Times New Roman, font style: regular, font size: 10)
Presenting author’s biography, maximum 150 words (font type: Times New Roman, font style: regular, font size: 10)
Further Information
For further information, please contact the Chair of the organising committee:
Abbas Taheri
The University of Adelaide
Phone: 0416 277 278
Email: [email protected]
IAEG Connector E-News
The recent IAEG Connector newsletter is online.
AGS members are encouraged to subscribe directly.
Call for Papers — Special Journal Issues (ASTM & MPDI)
Two special journal issues, sponsored by the Unsaturated Soils Committee of the Geo-Institute of the ASCE, have a call for papers.
Geotechnical Testing Journal (ASTM International)
Special issue on “Advances in Laboratory Experimentation for Unsaturated Soils,” (Guest Editors: Oliver-Denzil Taylor, Laureano Hoyos, John McCartney & William Likos).
Abstract submission deadline: March 30, 2019. (The first call for abstracts was sent out by the ASTM editorial staff a few weeks ago. If you need a brief extension, please contact the editorial office asap: [email protected].)
Geosciences (MPDI)
Special issue on “Behavior of Expansive Soils and Its Shrinkage Cracking,” (Guest Editors: Claudia Zapata, Idil Akin & Laureano Hoyos).
Paper submission deadline: June 30, 2019. (Accepted papers to be published free of charge. Paper format.)
ISSMGE News & Information Circular April 2019
The April 2019 ISSMGE News & Information Circular is now available online.
ISC’6 Abstract Submission Extended
Due to the technical problems, which occurred last weekend, we have decided to extend the submission deadline an additional 10 days. If you wish to submit an abstract for the conference, please visit the abstract submission page.
2019 Sydney Symposium – Sponsorship Opportunities
The Australian Geomechanics Society (AGS) Sydney Chapter is holding its 23rd annual symposium on Friday 15 November 2019, on ‘Innovations in Geotechnical Construction and Design’.
The symposium forms part of the continuing program of events organised by the AGS Sydney Chapter. It aims to keep the engineering industry informed of recent innovations in geotechnical engineering design and construction, as well as the challenges and opportunities out there.
The Symposium will offer owners, suppliers, contractors, engineering geologists, civil, geotechnical consultants a unique opportunity to promote their products and services to a wide cross-section of the
industry, through sponsoring the Symposium.
2019 AGS Victoria Symposium – Call for abstracts
The Victorian chapter of the Australian Geomechanics Society (AGS) is pleased to announce a
The event will be held in Melbourne and will bring together geotechnical and other civil engineering professionals to share and discuss their knowledge and experiences related to geotechnical characterisation and its
implications for design and construction.
The Event
Victoria’s construction industry is booming. Investment in both public infrastructure and commercial real estate is growing, and as our cities and infrastructure grow, so too does the need to develop parcels of land with challenging ground conditions. Economical and safe geotechnical design requires efficient and well thought through ground investigation and characterisation to identify and manage ground risks and opportunities.
This symposium will present overviews of current
The symposium will bring together professional engineers, researchers, specialist contractors, regulators, educators and students to share and discuss their experiences on the topic of ground characterisation. Best practices, case histories and innovative methods for assessing and characterising ground risk will be presented and discussed, with a particular emphasis on the
Suggested Topics
- Geotechnical site characterisation
- In-situ testing techniques and their interpretation
- Geophysical methods and remote sensing
- Laboratory testing, sampling and interpretation
- Ground exploration techniques – drilling, probing, excavation and in-situ testing techniques
- Liquefaction assessment
- Characterisation of non-standard soils such as; arid, collapsible, expansive soils, non-engineered fills, organics/peat soils,
sulfate /acid soils, soluble ground, residual soils - Groundwater / geo-environmental characterisation, testing, interpretation and its implications
- Application of statistical and
probabalistic techniques for geotechnical characterisation and design - Geotechnical characterisation and its effects on design and construction
- Managing ground risk in design and construction with an emphasis on geotechnical characterisation
Nominations
The Victorian Chapter of the AGS invites local and national practitioners, academics, contractors and other interested parties to submit abstracts on a topic related to geotechnical characterisation.
Abstracts should be not more than 300 words and prepared in accordance with the abstract submission guidelines outlined below. Completed abstracts should be sent to Ross Kristin at by 10 May 2019 for consideration by the organising committee.
Abstracts will be selected based on their quality and relevance to the topic of geotechnical characterisation with the successful author(s) invited to submit a six page paper for presentation at the
symposium. We encourage submissions from the geotechnical engineering profession as well as academia.
Cost
Presenters will enjoy free entry to the symposium with discounts for co-authors.
Important Dates & Submission
Abstract submission
Notification of accepted abstracts: 24 May 2019
Full paper submission: 30 August 2019
Paper acceptance notifications: 20 September 2019
Final paper submission & early bird registration deadline: 4 October 2019
Abstract Submission Format
Please submit a word document with the following information for abstract submission:
Authors’ full names
e.g. Bob A. Smith, David S. Smith (font type: Times New Roman, font style: regular, font size: 12) Please underline the presenting author.
Authors’ full affiliation
Position,
Title
Title of paper,
Abstract
Abstract text, maximum 300 words (font type: Times New Roman, font style: regular, font size: 12)
Further Information
For further information please contact the Co-Chair of the organising committee:
Ross
FSG Geotechnics & Foundations
Ground Floor, 1G Marine Parade
Abbotsford, VIC 3067
Phone: + 61 3 9417 4333
Email: [email protected]
Sponsorship
The organising committee is also looking for potential sponsors of the symposium, interested parties should send an Expression of Interest to Andrew Lochaden by 10 May 2019.