HIGHIGHTS FROM THE 2024 AGS PERTH SYMPOSIUM

Julia Bota, our Principal Engineering Geologist, attended the 2024 AGS WA Symposium in Perth last week. Julia was also part of the AGS WA Chapter organising committee for the event, so she had a special interest in the day’s events going off without any glitches! More than 130 of Perth’s geotechnical professionals gathered to explore the symposium topic : Optimizing the Project Life Cycle: The Role of the Geotechnical Professional.

Julia reported back that:

It was fantastic day of collaboration, knowledge sharing and discussions. Attendees included ground investigation contractors, geotechnical engineers, engineering geologists, construction specialists, operators, and clients. It was brilliant to have so many facets of the industry represented at the symposium. A few of the highlights were:

?Identifying and controlling moral hazards

Jiri Herza , HATS Director and Principal Consultant, opened the symposium with his keynote presentation “Moral Hazards in the Project Life Cycle”. A moral hazard refers to a situation where one party takes on undue risks because they do not bear, or they do not believe that they bear its full consequences.

Moral hazards can result in extraordinary costs, commonly borne by the wider society.? Despite the widespread occurrence of moral hazards and sever consequences, they are not well recognised by professionals and remain largely unmanaged.

Recognising and resisting moral hazards is a challenge which requires knowledge, awareness, and personal courage.

This was a thought-provoking presentation!

Engineering geology presentations

Michael Page , Worley Consulting Principal Engineering Geologist, shared some fascinating insights into the use of palynology to assist with geological interpretation. His presentation “Bedrock Distribution from Scarp to Sea: New Insights from Boreholes and Palynological Data between Armadale and Alkimos, Perth Basin” introduced the idea of using marine and terrestrial microfossils to establish the age of geological formations and how this can assist in the understanding of the project stratigraphy.

Interpreting geology purely from a handful of boreholes can be a real challenge. ?This method could prove to be a useful tool to consider where interpretation of the basement geological formations of Perth is proving difficult.

The presentation “Kununurra Diversion Dam Abutment Strengthening – Case History” given by Mark Orr Principal Engineering Geologist (Worley Consulting) demonstrated how important the geological model was for the dam’s abutment strengthening that was completed between 2019-2021 and gave some terrific examples of collaboration between the consultant and the contractor. ?

Alluvium was twice as thick at the right abutment as it was at the left abutment, and there were distinct vertical and lateral variations within the Alluvium deposit to consider for the design. Where the Alluvium was shallower at the left abutment, the design was able to take advantage of the shallower bedrock. However, the solution for the right abutment incorporated stone columns, as excavation of a deep cut off trench to remove Alluvium could not be considered for this location due its proximity to the highway embankment.??

Mark mentioned how it can be difficult to source suitable materials in remote locations such Kununurra. During the construction work the contractor presented some alternative more local material sources for some of the construction material. The design team was able to adapt the design and work with the contractor to incorporate more readily available materials as aggregate. They were also able to reduce some of the rockfill zone volumes because the contractor compacted the adjacent zone of shingles to a higher level than the design had assumed.

Collaboration is key

Something that really came through in several of the presentations, and particularly during the panel discussion in Session 4 of the symposium “Constructive Success: Collaborative Dialogue among Consultants, Contractors and Clients”, is that when we don’t work together, things can go wrong. The panel discussion really articulated the benefit that when contractors and consultants come together as an alliance and that collaboration is much easier to achieve. These alliances are typically more common in the public works sector. A challenge for us all going forwards is how we can foster better collaboration in other sectors, such as in the mining sector?

The AGS Perth Symposium 2024 was not only an opportunity to learn but also a reminder of the depth and diversity of expertise within our community. The event highlighted how geotechnical professionals play a pivotal role in all project stages, from decision-making to sustainability-focused designs. It was wonderful to see so many industry leaders and professionals coming together to share their knowledge and experiences.

Thank you to the Australian Geomechanics Society (AGS) for organizing such an impactful event and to all the speakers who made the day memorable.