GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING CENTRE
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND
Enquiries: Professor David Williams
Golder Professor of Geomechanics & Centre Director
Email:
D.Williams@uq.edu.au
CRICOS Provider No 00025B
Geotechnical Engineering Centre
New Geotechnical Engineering
Programs @ UQ
• Commenced February 2012
• Funded by Golder Associates, Rio Tinto,
AngloGold Ashanti and BHP Billiton, in
partnership with UQ
– Industry Partners each contributing ~$150,000/year
– Matching funding from UQ
– Total funding of $6 million over 5 years
– 3 new academic appointments, making a total of 7:
• Professor of Rock Mechanics (to be appointed)
• Lecturer in Rock Mechanics (appointed)
• L/SL in Hydrogeology (to be appointed)
– Plus supporting PostDocs
CRICOS Provider No 00025B
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Geotechnical Engineering Centre
The University of Queensland
• UQ is among top few universities in Australia, and
ranks in top 100 worldwide
• UQ performs very well in both Teaching and
Research, and is among leading universities
nationally in Teaching Awards and competitive
Research Funding
• Within EAIT, the School of Civil Engineering is
noted for its Water Resources Centre and
Geotechnical Engineering Centre
CRICOS Provider No 00025B
3
Geotechnical Engineering Centre
The GEC Vision
• New Civil & Geotechnical Engineering and Mining
& Geotechnical Engineering Dual Major Programs
will produce:
– Civil and Mining Engineering graduates with a
specialisation in Geotechnical Engineering, unique in
Australia! (Canada has 5 or 6 such programs, e.g.,
making their graduates much sought after by Australian
companies)
– Graduates in high demand from Geotechnical and
Mining Engineering Consultants, Mining Companies,
and Civil and Mining Contractors
– New Programs will have ~60 graduates/year
CRICOS Provider No 00025B
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Geotechnical Engineering Centre
Civil & Geotechnical Engineering
4-Year Program
2 (6%) Soil Mechanics
Courses → 10
(31%) Geotechnical
Engineering Courses
(in Green)
CRICOS Provider No 00025B
2nd
1st
2nd
1st
2nd
1st
2nd
1st
Semester Semester Semester Semester Semester Semester Semester Semester
SEM
BE Civil & Geotechnical Engineering
1
ENGG1100
Introduction to Engineering
Design
MATH1051
Calculus & Linear Algebra 1
First Year Elective
First Year Elective
(Recommended: ERTH1501
Earth Processes &
Geological Materials for
Engineers)
2
ENGG1200
Introduction to Engineering
Problem Solving
MATH1052
Multivariate Calculus & ODEs
ENGG1400
Statics & Dynamics
First Year Elective
(or MATH1050, to make up
for MATHS C)
3
CIVL2330
Structural Mechanics
MATH2000
Calculus & Linear Algebra II
CIVL2410
Traffic Flow Theory and
Analysis
4
CIVL2340
Introduction to Structural
Design
CIVL2210
Fundamentals of Soil
Mechanics
CIVL2360
Reinforced Concrete
Structures
STAT2201 Analysis of Eng &
Sci Data
CIVL2130 Env Issues,
Monitoring & Assessment
CIVL2131
Fluid Mechanics
EXISTING
NEW
5
CIVL3340
Structural Analysis
CIVL3140
Catchment Hydraulics
CIVL3210
Geotechnical Engineering
(Applied Soil Mechanics )
MINE3121
Mining Geomechanics
(Fundamentals of Rock
Mechanics ) or ERTH1501
6
CIVL3350
Structural Design
CIVL3141
Catchment Hydrology
CIVL3420
Transportation Systems
Engineering
ERTH3250
Hydrogeology (New)
MINE4120
Mine Geotechnical
Engineering
(Applied Rock Mechanics)
Geo Elective or
Geo Project/Thesis
(CIVL4560 or CIVL4580) or
MINE3121
CIVL4520
Civil Engineering
Management
ERTH2004
Structural Geology or
Geo Elective or
Geo Project/Thesis
(CIVL4560 or CIVL4580)
NEW
7
CIVL4511 or CIVL4512
Civil Design
8
5
NEW
NEW
CIVL4270
NEW Geotechnical
NEW
Investigation
NEW
and Testing (New)
NEW
CIVL4280
Advanced Rock Mechanics
(New)
Geotechnical Engineering Centre
Mining & Geotechnical Engineering
4-Year Program
5 (15%) Mining
Geomechanics
Courses → 12 (38%)
Geotechnical
Engineering Courses
(in Green)
CRICOS Provider No 00025B
2nd
1st
2nd
1st
2nd
1st
2nd
1st
Semester Semester Semester Semester Semester Semester Semester Semester
SEM
BE Mining & Geotechnical Engineering
1
ENGG1100
Introduction to Engineering
Design
MATH1051
Calculus & Linear Algebra 1
(or MATH1050, to make up
for MATHS C)
First Year Elective
EXISTING
2
ENGG1200
Engineering Modelling and
Problem Solving
MATH1052
Multivariate Calculus
& ODEs
(or MATH1051 Calculus &
Linear Algebra 1)
ENGG1400
Statics & Dynamics
First Year Elective
(or MATH1052 Multivariate
Calculus & ODEs)
3
MINE2105
Introduction to Mining
MINE2101
Fluid Mechanics
4
CIVL2210
Fundamentals of Soil
Mechanics
MINE2210
Physical & Chemical
Processing of Minerals
5
MINE3120
Resource Estimation
6
NEW
STAT2201 Analysis of Eng &
Sci Data
MINE2123 Structural
Mechanics in Mining
ERTH1501
Earth Processes &
Geological Materials for
Engineers
MATH2000
Calculus & Linear Algebra II
MINE2106
Resource Geology &
Surveying
ERTH2004
Structural Geology
MINE3121
Mining Geomechanics
(Fundamentals of Rock
Mechanics )
EXISTING
MINE3122
Mining Systems
CIVL4270
Geotechnical Investigation
and Testing (New)
MINE3123
Mine Planning
MINE3123
Mine Ventilation I
MINE3125
Rock Breakage
ERTH3250
Hydrogeology (New)
7
MINE4120
Mine Geotechnical
Engineering
(Applied Rock Mechanics)
EXISTING
MINE4122
Mining Geomechanics
Research Project I
8
MINE4121
Mine Management
MINE4123
Mining Geomechanics
Research Project II
6
EXISTINGEXISTING
MINE4124
NEW Hard Rock
Mine Design &
NEW
Feasibility
MINE4125
Coal Mine Design &
Feasibility
NEW
NEW
NEW
MINE4128
Coal Mine Strata Control
NEW
CIVL4280
Advanced Rock Mechanics
(New)
Geotechnical Engineering Centre
Undergraduate Enrolments
• Civil & Geotechnical Engineering:
YEAR
Graduating
Male
Female
Sub-Totals
TOTAL
1
End 2015
2
3
5
2
End 2014
23
8
31
3
4
End 2013 End 2012/Mid-2013
14
2/9
1
1/15
12
63 (61%)
• Mining & Geotechnical Engineering:
YEAR
Graduating
Male
Female
Sub-Totals
TOTAL
CRICOS Provider No 00025B
1
End 2015
8
2
10
2
3
End 2014
End 2013
23
5
2
26
5
41 (39%)
7
4
Mid-2013
1
1
Geotechnical Engineering Centre
Undergraduate Enrolments
• Combined Geotechnical Engineering:
YEAR
Graduating
Male
Female
Sub-Totals
TOTAL
1
End 2015
11
4
15
2
End 2014
46
10
56
3
End 2013
19
1
20
104
4
End 2012/Mid-2013
2/10
1/13
• Geotechnical Engineering Enrolments:
1/12
COURSE
Enrolment
CIVL3210
246
2/12
CIVL4250
31
COURSE
Enrolment
CIVL4270
44
CIVL2210
382
MINE4000
144
CIVL4230
25
MINE3121
90
CIVL4280
38
MINE4120
57
ERTH2004
125
MINE4122
55
ERTH1501
491
ERTH3250
73
• Geotechnical Engineering Undergraduate
Scholarships (4/year) + Postgraduate Top-Ups
CRICOS Provider No 00025B
8
Geotechnical Engineering Centre
Postgraduate Research Students
• PhD students in Geotechnical Engineering:
– Currently 16
– Rising to over 20 by 2013
• Research topics include:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Mine tailings water cycle
Effectiveness of liners for water storage ponds
Settlement of high coal mine spoil
Flow in coal seams
Behaviour of screw auger piles in clay
Problematic clay-rich coal mine tailings
Mining below the groundwater table
Erosion of granular structures
Computational geomechanics
Development and application of spatial Time Domain Reflectrometry
CRICOS Provider No 00025B
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Geotechnical Engineering Centre
Research Collaboration and Funding
YEARS
RESEARCH PROJECT
GRANTING AGENCY
CASH ($)
2007-2012
Tailings water cycle
Cosmos Mine with Golder
200,000
2009-2011
Effectiveness of liners
ARC Linkage with QGC and Golder
322,000
2010-2013
Settlement of high spoil
ACARP
427,000
2011-2013
Flows in coal seams
ACARP with Golder
377,810
2011-2014
Screw auger piles in clay
ARC Linkage with Piling Contractors, Golder
and Insitu Geotech Services
330,000
2011-2012
Clay-rich coal tailings
ACARP
226,000
2012-2013
Flows in coal seams
ARC Linkage with ACARP and Golder
595,000
2012-2013
Mining below groundwater
2011 UQ CIEF with Rio Tinto and Golder
90,000
2012-2014
Erosion of granular structures
ARC Discovery
490,000
2012-2014
Computational geomechanics
DECRA
180,000
2012-2014
Spatial TDR
Queensland Smart Futures Fellowship
360,000
TOTAL
CRICOS Provider No 00025B
>$3,598,000
10
Geotechnical Engineering Centre
UQ Computational Geomechanics
Alliance
• Four themes:
– Coal Seam Gas (through new Coal Seam Gas Centre):
• Masters in Petroleum Engineering
• Research on CSG water management, fraccing, potential for
fault mobilisation and induced seismicity, production, etc.
– Deep Mining (Deep Open Cuts, Deep Underground
Mines, and Super Caves):
• Involving numerical modelling and field monitoring of
increasingly high stress regimes
– Heap and In Situ Leaching:
• Modelling and monitoring of leachate flow and ore breakdown
– Data Scale-Up and Field Monitoring, including Remote
Sensing
CRICOS Provider No 00025B
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Geotechnical Engineering Centre
CPD & Postgraduate Courses
• Continuing Professional Development, with future
conversion to Postgraduate credit:
– Coal Mine Geomechanics courses (given by Dr Ross
Seedsman) commenced June 2010 (2-year cycle):
– Mine Waste Management courses (with Golder) under
development
– Geotechnical Engineering being considered
– Courses will only be given by experts (academic and
industry)
• Interested practitioners are welcome to request
approval to attend undergraduate lectures –
Contact David in first instance
CRICOS Provider No 00025B
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Geotechnical Engineering Centre