75% of the World’s sandy beaches are stable or growing Analysis of satellite derived shoreline data indicates that 24% of the world’s sandy beaches are eroding at rates exceeding 0.5 m/yr, while 28% are accreting and 48% are stable. Coastal zones constitute one of…
Feed the world In our last issue we featured an article outlining current research into sea level rise and its likely effects in New Zealand and another offering ideas for reuse of old unwanted tyres. While our interest as engineers is focussed on the fun…
Geotechnical engineering is the first and most important aspect of any infrastructure or urban development project. The engineering geologist usually hits the ground first and is charged with developing a geotechnical ground model that makes sense to the engineer who will be designing the structure…
Professor A.W .Bishop – Two Major New Books The Bishop Method – Laurie Wesley Whittles Publishing, Caithness, Scotland, 2019. £35. ISBN 978-184995-439-6 A very interesting and wonderfully readable book, subtitled: The life and achievements of Professor Alan W Bishop, soil mechanics pioneer. The book is…
Updating NZGS (2005) Kevin Hind published a detailed article in the December edition of NZ Geomechanics News (p106 -110) including a call for an update of NZGS (2005). His main thrusts related to properties of fine-grained soils, in particular plasticity, and their classification highlighting inconsistencies…
Biggest ever meteorite collision in the UK Evidence for an ancient (1.2 billion years old) meteorite strike was first discovered in 2008 near Ullapool, NW Scotland by scientists from Oxford and Aberdeen Universities. The thickness and extent of the debris deposit they found suggested the…
If the last six months have felt busy to you, you’re not the only one. Despite notable failures, overall the construction sector continues to grow strongly, and forecasts suggest this will continue for some time yet. The National Construction Pipeline Report (MBIE, 2019), anticipates continued…
The 21st Symposium of the New Zealand Geotechnical Society will take place between 14 and 18 October 2020 in Dunedin. In this Symposium we will strive to explore the challenges and opportunities of our future by learning from the failures and achievements of our past….
A huge thank you to all of you who entered the annual photo competition. As usual, it is hard to choose a winner but these are the top five as chosen by our judging panel. Keep the photos coming – this is an annual competition…
Louise Vick completed a PhD in rockfall modelling at the University of Canterbury in 2015, then worked in Auckland for Ormiston Associates. In 2017 she began a three-year postdoctoral fellowship in Tromsø (at UiT The Arctic University of Norway). Tromsø is in Northern Norway, high…
