Selected Engineering Case Studies
The case studies below summarise the type of technical problem, method and engineering judgement applied on a selection of Australian and New Zealand infrastructure and resource-sector projects. Descriptions are anonymised and do not disclose confidential client information, sensitive locations, unpublished report contents, exact design parameters or dam safety-sensitive detail. Where a project name is already publicly associated with the relevant employer, it is referenced cautiously and at a general level.
Tailings, Dams and Mining Infrastructure Support
Project Overview
Ongoing support for tailings, dams and mining infrastructure assessments for Australian resource-sector projects, with exposure to seepage, slope stability, water balance and dam safety review tasks.
Problem
Resource-sector clients required continuous technical support to manage seepage, slope stability and water balance risks across tailings storage facilities and associated infrastructure, operating within a dam safety governance framework.
My Role
Geotechnical / tailings engineer contributing to review, assessment and modelling-support tasks alongside senior tailings and dam safety practitioners.
Methods
Seepage assessment, slope stability review, water balance considerations, and inputs into dam safety review processes, coordinated with multidisciplinary technical teams.
Outcome
Contributed to modelling-informed risk assessment and design decision-making that supports the safe and defensible management of tailings and water infrastructure.
Tools Used
GeoStudio (SEEP/W, SLOPE/W); spreadsheet-based water balance methods; PLAXIS where required.
Engineering Judgement / Risk Considerations
Tailings facilities carry consequence-of-failure implications beyond typical geotechnical works. Assessments are framed conservatively and within the relevant governance and regulatory context, rather than as isolated technical calculations. Specific facility names, factors of safety and dam safety-sensitive details are not disclosed.
Mine Site Pad and Access Road Design
Project Overview
Geotechnical design support for a mine site operational pad and associated access road.
Problem
The client required bearing capacity and pavement support recommendations for a new pad and access road, based on limited site investigation data in a remote, mine-adjacent setting.
My Role
Lead geotechnical engineer for the pad and road design task, coordinating directly with civil designers.
Methods
DCP interpretation, empirical bearing capacity assessment, derivation of geotechnical design parameters, and constructability review with the civil design team.
Outcome
Defensible design parameters and technical reporting were delivered, enabling construction to proceed within the client’s program.
Tools Used
Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP) testing, empirical correlation methods, calculation spreadsheets, technical reporting.
Engineering Judgement / Risk Considerations
Judgement was required to balance appropriate conservatism against constructability and cost pressures typical of mine-adjacent works, while accounting for the limited coverage of the available site investigation.
Embankment Seepage and Stability Assessment
Project Overview
Assessment of an embankment exhibiting observed seepage, to evaluate the seepage mechanism and longer-term stability.
Problem
Observed seepage on an embankment raised concerns about potential internal erosion mechanisms and the implications for long-term stability.
My Role
Geotechnical engineer responsible for interpreting the seepage mechanism and reviewing stability.
Methods
Seepage mechanism interpretation, interface layer assessment, laboratory strength interpretation, empirical correlations, and long-term stability review, leading to a set of remediation options.
Outcome
Risk-based recommendations were provided that distinguished between mechanisms requiring more urgent remediation and those suitable for ongoing monitoring.
Tools Used
GeoStudio (SEEP/W, SLOPE/W), laboratory test interpretation.
Engineering Judgement / Risk Considerations
Interpretation was judgement-led given inherent uncertainty in subsurface conditions. Exact stability outputs, coordinates and facility identifiers are withheld; the case study focuses on method and reasoning rather than specific numerical results.
North East Link Project, Victoria — Bridge Abutments & Retaining Structures
Project Overview
Geotechnical inputs for bridge abutment and retaining wall systems on a major Victorian transport project.
Problem
Variable ground conditions and close interaction with structural elements required carefully coordinated abutment and retaining structure design.
My Role
Geotechnical engineer providing numerical modelling and design inputs to the structural design team.
Methods
PLAXIS 2D/3D modelling of abutments and retaining structures, pile foundation assessment, and ground-structure interaction analysis.
Outcome
Robust design parameters and supporting reporting were delivered for construction of the bridge abutments and retaining structures.
Tools Used
PLAXIS 2D/3D, WALLAP, L-Pile.
Engineering Judgement / Risk Considerations
Close coordination with structural teams was essential, with particular attention to the sensitivity of settlement predictions to soil parameter selection.
M4 Watermain Project, Melbourne — Settlement & Deformation Assessment
Project Overview
Settlement and deformation assessment associated with micro-TBM and slip-lining watermain works beneath existing infrastructure.
Problem
Micro-tunnelling and slip-lining works beneath existing pavement required assessment of surface settlement and pipe deformation risk.
My Role
Geotechnical engineer responsible for modelling and construction-phase risk management.
Methods
PLAXIS 2D/3D modelling of tunnelling-induced ground movement and pavement settlement, supported by real-time, on-site decision-making during construction.
Outcome
Supported construction risk management and on-site decisions that kept settlement and deformation within acceptable limits.
Tools Used
PLAXIS 2D/3D.
Engineering Judgement / Risk Considerations
Judgement was required to balance modelling predictions against real-time construction observations, with particular attention to third-party asset risk associated with existing pavement and utilities.
Rawdon Pumped Hydropower Tunnel Project, Queensland — Tunnel Design
Project Overview
Tunnel design support in complex mountainous geology for a pumped hydropower project.
Problem
Complex, variable rock mass conditions required careful assessment of tunnel stability and ground support requirements.
My Role
Geotechnical engineer supporting tunnel modelling and design development.
Methods
PLAXIS 2D/3D and RS2/RS3 modelling, ground support design, and engineering judgement applied across variable geological conditions.
Outcome
Contributed to a tunnel design that supports stability across a range of encountered geological conditions.
Tools Used
PLAXIS 2D/3D, RS2/RS3.
Engineering Judgement / Risk Considerations
Given the high consequence of tunnel instability and comparatively sparse geological data in places, engineering judgement played a significant role alongside numerical modelling outputs.
Gisborne District Council Cyclone Landslip Remediation, New Zealand
Project Overview
Geotechnical risk assessment and remediation design for cyclone-induced landslips affecting council road infrastructure.
Problem
Cyclone events triggered landslips affecting road infrastructure, requiring rapid risk assessment and development of remediation options.
My Role
Geotechnical engineer.
Methods
Slope stability analysis, geotechnical risk assessment, remediation design, and consideration of longer-term climate resilience.
Outcome
Delivered remediation design options balancing cost, resilience and risk for council infrastructure.
Tools Used
GeoStudio (SLOPE/W), site-based geotechnical assessment.
Engineering Judgement / Risk Considerations
Repeat-event, climate-driven risk was a key consideration, requiring a balance between short-term reinstatement and longer-term resilience within council budget constraints.
North East Link Project, Victoria — Pavements, Hardstands & Piling
Project Overview
Pavement and hardstand design and piling inspection support on a major transport alliance project.
Problem
Large-scale pavement and hardstand areas required geotechnical design inputs, alongside piling works requiring integrity verification, within a fast-paced Tier-1 alliance construction program.
My Role
Geotechnical engineer.
Methods
Pavement and hardstand design, piling inspections, pile integrity testing, and construction compliance verification.
Outcome
Supported construction progress through timely, defensible verification of piling and pavement works.
Tools Used
Pile integrity testing equipment, design calculation tools, AutoCAD.
Engineering Judgement / Risk Considerations
A high-volume, fast-paced construction environment required consistent quality assurance and clear, timely communication of verification outcomes to construction teams.
Quarry and Fill Monitoring Projects
Project Overview
Fill monitoring, certification and geophysical survey support for active quarry projects.
Problem
Quarry operators required certification of fill placement and ongoing geotechnical confidence to support continued operations.
My Role
Geotechnical engineer.
Methods
Fill monitoring and certification, Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI) geophysical surveys, and construction safety review.
Outcome
Delivered certified fill records and design confidence supporting continued quarry operation.
Tools Used
ERI geophysical survey equipment, field monitoring, technical reporting.
Engineering Judgement / Risk Considerations
Ongoing operational safety was balanced against the need for operational continuity, requiring practical, field-based geotechnical assurance.
Research-Based Finite Element and Computational Modelling
Project Overview
PhD and postdoctoral research applying finite element analysis and computational modelling to problems in biomedical engineering, with methods directly transferable to geotechnical practice.
Problem
Understanding material behaviour, deformation and porous media response in complex systems required advanced modelling and validation frameworks.
My Role
PhD researcher and postdoctoral research fellow.
Methods
Finite element analysis, porous media modelling, solid mechanics and biomechanics, validation against experimental data, sensitivity analysis, and scientific programming.
Outcome
Peer-reviewed publications, and a modelling and validation skill set directly transferable to geotechnical numerical modelling problems such as soil-structure interaction, seepage and deformation.
Tools Used
ABAQUS, ANSYS, COMSOL, MATLAB, Python.
Engineering Judgement / Risk Considerations
This research instilled a disciplined approach to model validation and sensitivity analysis — understanding what a model can and cannot reliably predict, and communicating that uncertainty appropriately — a mindset carried directly into geotechnical modelling practice. See Research & Computational Modelling for further detail.