NZGS JW Ridley Geomechanics Paper Award

The JW Ridley Geomechanics Paper Award is bestowed on the author(s) of papers that are distinguished in their contribution to the development of geotechnics in New Zealand.

The JW Ridley Geomechanics Paper Award is awarded every three years and is presented at the Society’s Annual General Meeting. The award is made to the Society member or members producing the adjudged “best” published paper during the three years ending 31 July preceding the date of the Award, in any publication at the discretion of the Management Committee. The winning paper will be that considered to be distinguished in its contribution to the development of geotechnics in New Zealand.

JW Ridley was the first chair of the “New Zealand National Society for Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering” which later became NZGS. He was also the first recipient of the NZ Geomechanics Award, for which he gave a lecture on The Economics and Correct Use of Natural Materials.

All Society members who are authors of any paper published within the previous three years shall be eligible, provided that at least one author is a member and a member nominates the paper in writing during the year of the award.  The award is a sum of money to be determined by the Management Committee for the purchase of books, plus a certificate.

Previous winners

  • 2021 – Mark Stringer for his paper “Separation of pumice from soil mixtures” published in Soils and Foundations, 59(4): 1073-1084 (August 2019).
  • 2018 – Chris McGann, Brendon Bradley, Merrick Taylor, Liam Wotherspoon and Misko Cubrinovski for their paper “Development of an Empirical Correlation for Predicting Shear Wave Velocity of Christchurch Soils from Cone Penetration Test Data” (published in Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering Volume 75, August 2015)
  • 2015 – Tam Larkin and Chris Van Houtte for their paper entitled “Determination of site period for NZS1170.5:2004” (published by NZ Society for Earthquake Engineering in March 2014)
  • 2008 – Misko Cubrinovski for his paper entitled “Pseudo-static analysis of piles subjected to lateral spreading”