The revised Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering Practice modules (MBIE/ NZGS, 2021) have been issued under section 175 guidance of the Building Act (2004) and summarise current best practice in earthquake geotechnical engineering with a focus on New Zealand conditions, regulatory framework, and practice. Module 1 provides an overview of the module series and seismic hazard values for geotechnical design. Version 1 of Module 1 includes significant interim changes to the PGA and Earthquake Magnitude values for geotechnical design in some areas of New Zealand, while the National Seismic Hazard Model is under review.
Since the issue of the revised Modules, NZGS received several questions and comments, especially related to Version 1 of Module 1. Therefore, NZGS and the Module 1 authors will run a live webinar on Module 1, Version 1 on
7 July 2022 to assist with its application. The webinar will include:
- Overview of the Module by Prof. Misko Cubrinovski, University of Canterbury.
- Overview of how the NZSEE, SESOC and NZGS advisory “Designing for Uncertainty – Interim Seismic Hazard Guidance” expected to be issued in June 2022, relates to Module 1 Version 1 by Stuart Palmer, Tonkin & Taylor Ltd.
- Live Q&A session with input from NZGS members to lead authors.
Webinar time will follow…….
Abstracts close for the ANZ2023 Conference in Cairns, 2023
Cairns, Australia.
ANZ2023 – 14TH Australia and New Zealand Conference on Geomechanics, Cairns, 2-5 July 2023
Key Dates:
Abstract Submissions open 3rd May 2022
Abstract Submission closes 29th August 2022
Early Bird Registration open 1st July 2022
Standard Registration deadline 30th June 2023
Register free HERE
Geotechnical practitioners typically use a variety of software tools during investigations, including Geographical Information Systems (GIS). While the value that GIS brings to the investigation is generally accepted, many practitioners do not know how to use this technology themselves. The fully subscribed GIS for Geotechs courses run by myself over the last 4 years, proves there is strong interest amongst our community in Australia and NZ to improve this situation. The GIS course I run uses an open-source product called QGIS (or Quantum GIS), that has an advantage for the registrant of not needing to purchase a license and which can be installed on private (or corporate) computers, running natively on 3 major operating systems. QGIS has become very popular world-wide for a variety of applications, has excellent online resources and the pace of development is staggering! In the last few years, I have increasingly used QGIS for my routine work. The purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate workflows I developed to solve particular problems using QGIS. Besides the use of GIS software, these workflows also include other tools such as spreadsheets, databases, drillhole software, structure from motion software, digital stereoscopes, etc. For those wishing to improve their generic GIS skills or just spectators, I am hoping my webinar will demonstrate what is possible with these tools. For those already expert in GIS (regardless of what software solution you use), I am hoping the examples will be of interest, as every project poses a unique set of challenges to overcome, and there can be many ways to solve these. The examples I present will be based around three recent projects I have been heavily involved in:
- regional landslide susceptibility mapping for planning applications
- linear risk-assessment along a tourist railway
- site specific investigation and remediation of an active landslide
Key aspects under discussion will include;
- the importance of thematic-based data models and authority tables
- using symbology compatible with local standards (e.g. AS1726:2017 Geotechnical Site Investigations)
- cartographic tools for detailed map presentation
- accessing global data through web services
- georeferencing plans and orthorectification of historic aerial photographs to understand site history
- working with digital terrain models to understand and model landscapes
- raster modelling using published (open-source) algorithms and bespoke python scripts to develop geotechnical models
About the Presenter Colin Mazengarb completed a MSc in geology from the University of Auckland and spent the following 20 years working as a regional geologist with the NZ Geological Survey and successor organisations. He migrated to Tasmania in 2003 to work as an engineering-geologist with the Tasmanian State Government, primarily undertaking landslide zoning. He was an early adopter of desktop GIS and the skills he has developed has been of great advantage throughout his career. Colin and his partner Janet have 3 children and one grandchild, all living in Hobart.
Presenter: Gennaro G. Marino, Ph.D., P.E., D.GE., F.ASCE (Marino Engineering Associates, Inc. Saint Louis, MO)
LINK TO FOLLOW
Abstract: This presentation covers key aspects of mine subsidence engineering, a subject that is not well understood, and embraces a number of engineering disciplines. It focuses on the causes of mine subsidence and how mine stability relates to the resulting ground movements. Different mining and geologic conditions determine the mode of failure of the mine. The mode of mine failure in turn affects the resulting subsidence movement. Prediction of subsidence and damage potential are also key aspects of subsidence engineering. Case histories will be presented which illustrate different ground movement and damage scenarios. This presentation will be presented in a manner that will be understandable to anyone that would be interested in learning more about mine subsidence.
Short Biography: Dr. Gennaro G. Marino received his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering in 1985, from the University of Illinois. His thesis topic was related to mine subsidence and structural response to subsidence over room and pillar mines. Dr. Marino presently has a P.E. license in 28 states. He is the recipient of several awards, including the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association of the University of Illinois, and the Central Illinois ASCE Civil Engineer of the Year. Working in the area of mine subsidence for over 40 years in various ore fields in the U.S., Dr. Marino has authored over 100 articles and publications on subsidence engineering topics and consulted on all aspects of subsidence engineering with government agencies, engineering and architectural firms and other stake holders.
Early Bird deadline to Tuesday 15 March 2022
Register HERE
Lessons to be Learnt | 1 – Abbotsford Landslip Disaster
Landslides in the urban environment remain common. Hundreds of houses are damaged every year. Over the Telethon weekend of 30 June to 1 July 1979 more than 100 houses were damaged by rainfall triggered landslides in Auckland. With the damaged houses dispersed over a wide geographic area there was very little media interest. The Abbotsford landslip a month later was much more dramatic and photogenic, and it captured the interest of not only the media, but politicians as well.
About the presenter:
Nick Rogers QSO, MSc (Hons), a geomorphologist and geotechnical specialist recently retired from Tonkin + Taylor, takes us back to August 1979 and explains the impact the Abbotsford Landslip disaster had on urban land stability assessments. Nick is a specialist in natural disaster assessment and management, and has attended most of the natural disasters in New Zealand from Abbotsford in 1979 to the floods in Westport in 2021. Nick was a Director of T+T for 20 years, and at the time of his retirement in January 2021 was a Technical Director.
Link to registration HERE
Speaker: Professor Junichi Koseki
Abstract:
Multiple occurrence of sand liquefaction has been reported in the past case histories worldwide, including those on the 2010-2011 Christchurch Earthquakes in New Zealand and on the 2011 Off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake in Japan. In order to reveal the multiple-liquefaction behavior, a series of 1-g shaking table tests on level ground and another series of cyclic stacked-ring shear tests on hollow cylindrical specimen with/without initial static shear are conducted. It is observed that, though overall densification is observed in the two series of tests, the response of sands during the current liquefaction stage is more predominantly affected by the liquefaction history in the immediate-past stage. In case of the cyclic stacked-ring shear tests with initial static shear, significant effect of anisotropy induced by the immediate-past liquefaction history is also observed.
Dr. Junichi Koseki is a professor at Department of Civil Engineering, the University of Tokyo (UTokyo), Japan. He obtained his Bachelor, Master and Doctoral degrees from UTokyo. During the period of 1987-1994, he worked as a researcher at Public Works Research Institute, Ministry of Construction, Japan. In 1994, he moved to UTokyo as an associate professor at the Institute of Industrial Science. After promotion to professor in 2003, he moved to his current position in 2014. His research fields include liquefaction and its countermeasures, deformation and strength properties of geomaterials, and seismic behavior of earth structures. He received the C.A. Hogentogler Award from Committee D-18 on Soil and Rock, ASTM in 2000 and 2004, and the Best Paper Award from the Japanese Geotechnical Society in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2016 and 2021. He was also the 2010-2011 Mercer Lecturer endorsed jointly by the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) and the International Geosynthetics Society, and the 2019 Bishop Lecturer of ISSMGE.