Abstract We describe the development, curriculum content and pedagogic context of the Master of Engineering Geology (MEG) programme at the University of Auckland. This programme is in its 5th year, and is currently one of the few active postgraduate engineering geology programmes in Australasia. Since…
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…
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…
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…
Key words – light-weight fill, gravel raft, settlements, numerical modelling Abstract The use of Mainmark’s Terefil as an alternative to reinforced gravel raft for liquefaction mitigation and to minimise total static settlements and foundation differential performance under the building loads over soft cohesive and loose…
The project The New Dunedin Hospital (NDH) comprises two main buildings, the 11 storey Inpatient Building and the smaller five storey Outpatient Building, located on two adjacent city blocks on a new site near the existing hospital. With a price tag greater than $ 1…
ABSTRACT The Standard Penetration Test (SPT) is used worldwide and is perhaps the most common in situ soil test. A recent paper published in the June 2022 edition of Geomechanics News highlighted the use of the test in current New Zealand practice. This paper explores…
1. Introduction Further to the paper presented in NZ Geomechnaics News, Issue 98 in 2019 (Brook et al., 2019), there has been further progress in our research into naturally-occurring zeolitic mineral fibres such as erionite in New Zealand. This article is in response to several…
Background In 2016 I retired after fifty years involvement in civil and geotechnical engineering, having witnessed major changes in the techniques available to us and our knowledge of engineering geology and geotechnical phenomena. During that period, I was involved in some very interesting projects that…
