Decision-focused perspectives for owners, contractors and engineering teams.
9 insights
Code-based seismic parameters are sufficient for many projects, but critical or unusual infrastructure may require site-specific hazard characterization. This article explains when probabilistic and deterministic seismic hazard analyses, deaggregation, site response and project-specific design spectra become necessary.
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Tailings dam breach analysis should not be treated as a water-dam exercise with different material properties. Credible failure modes, stored water, liquefaction potential, tailings rheology, breach development and downstream terrain can all control runout and consequence. This article explains what should be tested, where uncertainty matters, and how breach analysis supports consequence classification and emergency preparedness.
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Construction noise monitoring should distinguish baseline conditions, source activity, receptor sensitivity, duration and applicable project criteria. This article explains how to interpret Leq and maximum levels, validate apparent exceedances, attribute sources and define practical response actions.
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Construction vibration monitoring is most useful when measurements are tied to the source, receptor, frequency content, building condition and project-specific response criteria. This article explains how to validate exceedances, interpret PPV and frequency, and decide when engineering action is required.
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Settlement monitoring only becomes useful when the data are connected to asset performance, measurement uncertainty, movement rate and predefined engineering actions. This article explains how to establish reliable baselines, interpret trends, set project-specific trigger levels and respond to apparent exceedances near infrastructure.
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Data centres place demanding serviceability requirements on foundations, slabs and buried infrastructure. This article explains how settlement criteria, ground variability, foundation selection, ground improvement, construction control and monitoring should be integrated into a performance-based geotechnical strategy.
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Tailings can be managed as conventional slurry, thickened, paste or filtered material and stored in impoundments, stacks, mined-out pits or integrated mine-waste systems. This practical guide explains the main options, how embankment raise methods differ, and which geotechnical, water, seismic, operational and closure factors should drive selection.
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Before a tailings storage facility expansion or raise proceeds, the project team should verify whether the existing facility, foundation, seepage regime, monitoring record and proposed raise method support the next stage safely and defensibly. This article provides a practical geotechnical framework for that decision.
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A risk-based framework for deciding when independent geotechnical peer review adds value, what it should examine, and how to structure review around consequence, uncertainty and complexity.
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