Geotechnical Failures: A Personal Perspective

Presenter: Barry Lehane, Professor in the School of Engineering, UWA

Abstract: Geotechnical engineering is both an art and a science as it combines the application of scientific principles with engineering judgement. Such judgement is required because of incomplete and uncertain information but is also critically dependent on the experience of the engineer for any particular application. Experience is greatly enhanced by the lessons learnt from past mistakes. However, all too often, engineering mistakes are not commonly advertised because of reputational damage to the companies involved or to ‘deals’ emerging from litigation. To address this deficiency, this talk describes simple examples of ‘geotechnical failures’ that the author has had direct experience of during his 40-year career as a geotechnical engineer. Particulars related to companies and projects are omitted as the talk’s primary aim is to highlight examples that can assist practitioners to avoid a repeat of previous failures. Standard ‘text book’ type problems are rarely the cause of failure and the examples selected are those that highlight aspects often under-appreciated in standard practice. Given the broad nature of geotechnical design and construction, focus is placed on onshore building projects where the author was involved as a post-incident reviewer or expert witness. The lessons learnt are equally applicable to large scale civil projects and offshore engineering.

Bio: Professor Barry Lehane has worked as a practitioner and academic in geotechnical engineering since 1984. Barry obtained his Civil Engineering degree from University College Cork and then worked with Arup Geotechnics in London until he began his PhD at Imperial College London in 1989. Following completion of his PhD in 1992, he again worked with Arup in London and Hong Kong before taking up a lecturing position at Trinity College Dublin in 1994, where he was awarded a fellowship in 2000. He moved to Perth in 2002 and has remained as a Professor at the University of Western Australia since then. Barry has published 350 technical papers in international journals and conferences. His research interests are varied but are generally of a practical nature relating to building and civil infrastructure. He continues to consult widely on onshore & offshore projects around the world.

Note: This lecture is very similar to the one given to the Australian Geomechanics Society in 2023.