SCIENCE AT THE SHINE DOME canberra 6 - 8 may 2009
New Fellows Seminar
Thursday, 7 May 2009
Professor John Carter FAA
Pro Vice-Chancellor and Professor of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, University of Newcastle
John Carter was educated at the University of Sydney and Kings’ College London. He has held academic appointments at the Universities of Cambridge, Queensland, Sydney, Hong Kong, at Cornell University and Technical University Graz. In 2006 he was appointed as pro-vice-chancellor, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment at the University of Newcastle. He is a Fellow of Engineers Australia and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. In 2006 he was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia for his contributions to civil engineering through research into soil and rock mechanics and as an adviser to industry. John has more than 30 years experience in teaching, research and consulting in civil, geotechnical and offshore engineering. He is a director of Advanced Geomechanics, an engineering consultancy based in Perth, and a director of Newcastle Port Corporation.
Modelling in geotechnics – is too much analysis barely enough?
The very ground we stand on often provides interesting and sometimes quite difficult challenges for engineers and scientists. Understanding exactly what the ground is composed of, its mechanical behaviour, and the key properties that determine the response of the ground to various forms of disturbance, for example excavation and construction, provides a fascinating set of challenges for researchers in the field of geotechnics. This presentation will provide a brief overview of how research using a mix of experimental investigation and computing technology, particularly computer modelling, has helped to advance both the state of knowledge and the decision making processes necessary for safe and reliable design in the field of geotechnical engineering. These issues will be illustrated by considering a number of significant practical examples.
