2022 Australian Geomechanics Society Victorian SymposiumProceedings

The Victorian Chapter of the Australian Geomechanics Society (AGS) is pleased to announce the 2022 AGS Victorian Symposium titled “Digital Geotechnics” to be held on 26 October 2022.

The symposium forms part of the continuing program of events organised by the Victorian Chapter of the AGS. The event aims to showcase recent developments in digital geotechnics and applications of digital geotechnics in practice. This symposium is to be held as a full-day face-to-face event in Melbourne.

The Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector is undergoing a digital revolution with the array of digital technologies quickly gaining momentum within the civil space – but what role will the geo- profession play? Will it remain largely on the periphery or a pioneer in the adoption of digital data and digital technologies?

Digital engineering as a practice area is rapidly evolving and characterised by large quantities of unstructured data/information and many new and emerging technologies that may include; UAVs, photogrammetry and 3D scanning, sensing technologies, common data environments, BIM, CAD and GIS, digital twins, augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), machine learning, artificial intelligence, parametric and algorithmic modelling and advanced simulations. Recognising the value to the engineer/geologist and successfully implementing these technologies within a ground engineering organisation is a significant challenge at this time.

Despite these challenges, new forms of digital data such as drone survey, LIDAR, InSAR and instrumentation data are becoming commonplace on geotechnical projects and being integrated with ‘traditional’ forms of geotechnical data such as borehole records, survey data, CPT logs etc. Those in the geoprofession, from practitioners to contractors, are increasingly recognising the importance of geodata capture, storage, visualisation, analysis and data sharing in the success of their ground engineering projects.

Integrated digital data on geotechnical projects have the potential to unlock improved geotechnical characterisation, increased collaboration, improved visual representation and sophistication in the ground model and advances in the efficiency of numerical simulation and the extent of the design space explored. Realising these benefits is leading many to recognise the importance of efficient and accurate digital geodata acquisition methods and the need for standardised approaches for data exchange. The days of the paper log are fast coming to an end.

This symposium seeks to provide the geo-profession with insight into the world of digital engineering and will bring together practitioners, researchers, contractors and subject matter experts to share and discuss their expertise on the topic of digital engineering and its application to geotechnical engineering and engineer geology. Best practices, case histories and innovative methods adopted in the field of digital engineering will be presented and discussed.