Coffey Geotechnics

THE AUSTRALASIAN REGION AND THE

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY

THE PASTHarry G. PoulosCoffey Geotechnics

ISSMGE 75th Anniversary Celebration Session

OUTLINE Figures

Facts

Some personalities

Achievements

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Prof. Ted Brown

Prof. Neil Taylor

Mr. Sam McKenzie

Prof. Michael Pender

“Australian Advances in Geomechanics” E.T. Brown, 1991, Proc. IACMAG Conference, Cairns

SOME FIGURES

AUSTRALASIAN MEMBERSHIP OF THE SOCIETY

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 20150

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

Australia

New Zealand

Year

Nu

mb

er

of

Me

mb

ers

AUSTRALASIAN MEMBERSHIP OF THE SOCIETY

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 20150.00

2.00

4.00

6.00

8.00

10.00

12.00Australasian % of Total ISSMFE/ISSMGE Membership

Year

% o

f T

ota

l Me

mb

ers

hip

ANZ has 0.35% of the world’s population

SOME FACTS

ORIGINS OF THE AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY

First started as local groups of interested people in soil mechanics

First National Committee on Soil Mechanics & Foundation Engineering formed in 1947

6 Australians presented 9 papers in the 1948 Rotterdam International Conference

ORIGINS OF THE AUSTRALIAN GEOMECHANICS SOCIETY Systematic teaching of Soil Mechanics started in the

1950’s

D.H. Trollope – University of Melbourne, 1950

E.H. Davis – University of Sydney, 1952

(E.T. Brown, 1991)

ORIGINS OF THE AUSTRALIAN GEOMECHANICS SOCIETY Local groups held technical meetings in Sydney and

Melbourne

Occasional specialty seminars e.g. Foundations, Melbourne 1968

Poulos’ First Technical Talk :Sydney July 1963

Talk by E.H. Davis – 6 days later!

Specialty Seminar, ca 1968

THE AUSTRALIAN GEOMECHANICS SOCIETY

Formed in 1970

Sponsored jointly by Institution of Engineers Australia & Australasian Institute of Mining & Metallurgy

Serves as the National Society for ISSMFE/GE, ISRM & IAEG – integrated geotechnical professional Learned Society

NZGS has adopted a similar approach

THE AUSTRALIAN GEOMECHANICS SOCIETYChairmen

D.H. Trollope 1971-2 C.R. Longworth 1972-3 A.D. Hosking 1974-5 W.E. Bamford 1976-8 P.C. Hollingsworth 1979-81 H.G. Poulos 1982-4 P.W. Mitchell 1985-7 N.S. Mattes 1988-90 M.C. Ervin 1991-3

G.R. Mostyn 1994-5 A.B. Phillips 1996-7 C. Haberfield 1998-9 J.P. Carter 2000-1 A.R. Leventhal 2002-3 M.B. Jaksa 2004-5 M.A. Woodward 2006-7 Neil Benson 2008-9 Graham Scholey 2010-11 Sam Mackenzie 2012-13

THE NEW ZEALAND GEOTECHNICAL SOCIETY NZGS has adopted a similar approach to AGS The first meeting of the NZ National Committee was held on 17

July 1958. J.W. Ridley was elected Chairman and Dr. R. Northey Secretary. Statutes for the “New Zealand National Society for Soil

Mechanics and Foundation Engineering” were drawn up Subscription was set at ten shillings per annum The International Society and the Australian National Committee

were informed that the group was under way In 1972, the Society changed its name to the “NZ Geomechanics

Society” , and in 1996 to NZ Geotechnical Society.

Australasian Vice-Presidents of ISSMFE/GEYears Australasian V-P

1953-57 J.M. Lee (??)- not official

1957-61 G.D. Aitchison

1961-65 J. Birrell

1965-69 D.H. Trollope

1969-73 E.H. Davis

1973-77 P.W. Taylor

1977-81 A.D. Hosking

1981-85 R.D. Northey

1985-89 J.H.H. Galloway

1989-94 H.G. Poulos

1994-97 M.C. Ervin

1997-2001 M.F. Randolph

2001-05 J.G. Murray

2005-09 J.P Carter

2009-13 M.C.R. Davies

Australasian Bids for International Conferences 1965 – Unsuccessful – Mexico City (1969)

1977 – Unsuccessful – Stockholm (1981)

1987 – Unsuccessful – New Delhi (1994)

1991 – Unsuccessful – Hamburg (1997)

1995 – Unsuccessful – Istanbul (2001)

2013 – Sydney to bid for 2017

SOME PERSONALITIES

THE “FOUNDING FATHERS”

Gordon Douglas Aitchison (1918 - 2003)

Born6 March 1918Adelaide, South Australia

DiedJune 2003Mornington, Victoria

G.D. Aitchison

Major contributions to the mechanics of unsaturated soils

Developed a very strong group within the CSIRO Division of Geomechanics

Some Disciples: Prof. Ian Donald Dr. Brian Richards

Edward Hughesdon Davis FAA (1920 - 1981)

Born16 December 1920Hendon, England

Died27 February 1981Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

E.H. Davis

Major contributions to soil mechanics, theories of plasticity and elasticity, consolidation theory

Developed a strong group at the University of SydneySome Disciples: Don Douglas Prof. Harry Poulos Prof. John Booker Prof. John Carter Prof. Kerry Rowe

Born9 March 1925Swansea, Wales

David Hugh Trollope AO (1925-2011)

Died8 March 2011Bendigo, Victoria

D.H. Trollope

Major contributions to arching in soils, “clastic mechanics” (the mechanics of discontinua)

Developed groups at the University of Melbourne and James Cook University

Some Disciples: Prof. Ted Brown Dr. Jack Morgan Dr. Dick Parry Dr. Kevin Rosengren

P.W. Taylor (1925-2011)

Born 1925

Died 2011

P.W. Taylor

Major contributions to geotechnical earthquake engineering and cyclic/dynamic soil behaviour

Developed group at the University of Auckland 4th NZ Geomechanics Lecturer, 1984

Some Disciples: Prof. Michael Pender Prof. Geoff Martin Dr. Bruce Menzies Dr. Terry Kayes

R.D. Northey (1924-2011) Born 5 April 1924

Died 16 November 2011

DSIR, New Zealand: 1950-81 Soil mechanics & foundations Geotechnical risk

3rd NZ Geomechanics Lecturer, 1979

A Key Disciple: Dr. John Hawley

R.D. Northey

A Characteristic of our Pioneers

They came on the scene in the early days of soil mechanics

Opportunities to advance knowledge were substantial

They focussed on building knowledge, and not primarily on publishing papers

They (generally) built teams and inspired their students & disciples

ANZ Conferences

1952 Conference – focused on shear strength of soils

Organized by D.H. Trollope in Melbourne

Now recognized as the FIRST regional conference of the International Society

Review of 1st ANZ Conference – Geotechnique March 1953

Review of 1st ANZ Conference – Geotechnique March 1953

Subsequent ANZ Conferences on Soil Mechanics & Foundation Engineering

1956 – Christchurch

1960 – Sydney

1963 – Adelaide

1967 – Auckland

Pattern established – 2 conferences in Australia, 1 in New Zealand

ANZ Conferences on Geomechanics – Series Started in 1971

Melbourne 1971 Brisbane – 1975 Wellington – 1980 Perth – 1984 Sydney – 1988 Christchurch – 1992

Adelaide – 1996 Hobart - 1999 Auckland – 2004 Brisbane – 2007 Melbourne - 2012

Early ANZ Geomechanics Conferences

SOME ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE AUSTRALIAN GEOMECHANICS SOCIETY

PUBLICATIONS

Australian Geomechanics Journal (1971-79) - annually

Australian Geomechanics (1980-present) – now quarterly

Example of Influential Issues

Australian Geomechanics Journal

Australian Geomechanics is the quarterly newsletter and journal of the Society since 1971

SOME ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE NEW ZEALAND GEOTECHNICAL SOCIETY

PUBLICATION

Geo News- bi-annually

SOME ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE AUSTRALIAN GEOMECHANICS SOCIETY

PRIZES & AWARDS John Jaeger Memorial Award – every 4 years, from 1980 E.H. Davis Lecture – every 2 years, from1985 D.H. Trollope Medal – PhD thesis – every 2 years – from

1988 Geotechnical Practitioner of the Year – every 2 years - from

2004 AGS – Don Douglas Youth Fellowship – every 2 years –

from 2000 The Australian Geomechanics Award – annually – best

paper – from 2003

Awards and Honours

AGS provide awards and honours in recognition of achievement in the practice of geomechanics

Letter from Mrs. Kitty Davis after E.H. Davis Award set up

John Jaeger Memorial Medal

Jaeger Medal Recipients

1980 – E.H. Davis

1984 – G.D. Aitchison

1988 – H.G. Poulos

1992 – B.G. Richards

1996 – D.H. Stapledon

1999 – D. Coffey

2004 – E.T. Brown

2007 – R. Fell

AUSTRALASIAN PARTICIPATION IN ISSMFE/GE TECHNICAL COMMITTEES

The region has been strongly involved in TCs: e.g.

Education Professional Practice Pile Foundations Ground Improvement Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering

CONCLUSIONS The Australasian Region has participated vigorously in

the activities of ISSMFE/ISSMGE

Membership per capita is the largest of the 6 regions

Regional conferences started in Australasia

Cooperation among ISSMFE/GE, ISRM & IAEG has been a hallmark of both AGS & NZGS

The future for the geotechnical profession is bright in this region, building on the strong foundation developed by the pioneers in both countries