In 1999, the late Dick Beetham and I wrote a short article for NZ Geomechanics News entitled “Geotechnical data at your fingertips”. In this article, we discussed how GIS data on the desktop can assist engineering and we outlined plans being formulated by our then…
Key words: Cyclone Gabrielle, KiwiRail, geotechnical, civil 1. Introduction As with a large portion of the North Island’s transport infrastructure, KiwiRail’s network was heavily impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle that occurred in February 2023. The Palmerston North to Gisborne Line (PNGL) was the most severely affected,…
Keywords Drone, landslide, cyclone, global, imagery Abstract The interpretation of aerial photographs has long been a valuable tool in terrain evaluation and identification of geomorphological features at a site. Publicly available aerial images for some parts of New Zealand date back to 1936 (such as…
Slope Assessed Risk Level Course(s) The first two courses were run in February in the middle of cyclone Gabrielle which provided additional realism and ‘in the field’ authenticity! It was certainly challenging ensuring the safety of the participants and providing access to suitable sites (as…
Abstract The recent update to the National Seismic Hazard Model has changed the approach to seismic site classification in New Zealand, with the time-averaged shear wave velocity over the top 30 m of the subsurface profile (VS30) at a site now being a key site…
We looked through the archives and found two landslip/land damage insurance related articles to jog the memory of the experienced and provide a history lesson for the not so experienced. The articles are topical with land damage from the recent major flood events, and replacement…
Keywords Liquefaction, risk assessment, planning, regional New Zealand 1. Introduction Since the Canterbury Earthquake Sequences (CES), liquefaction and its effects have been a focus for engineers and councils. There has been a significant amount learnt from these events in New Zealand due to the disproportionate…
Our research programmes are advancing the science and implementation pathways of earthquake resilience through system-level science with highly integrated collaborations coordinated across the physical, engineering and social sciences and across multiple research institutions. The research is principally organised into Disciplinary Themes, Inter-disciplinary Programmes and Coordination…
NZGS Research Scholarship A rupture of the Wellington Fault is widely considered to be the greatest seismic risk to Aotearoa. A MW 7.5 earthquake has been posited on the Wellington-Hutt Valley segment of the fault, with an estimated probability of 10-15% occurrence in the next…
This Year’s Student Poster awards as ever had the judges facing a difficult decision, however with winners from around the country placed in the top three, congratulations go to: 1st place Katharine Vincent: Identifying internal instability type with soil microstructure (PhD Student, University of Auckland) …
