NZ Geomecha december 2010 issue 80 N ics News ics NZ GeomechaNics News Newsletter of the New Zealand Geotechnical Society Inc. ISSN 0111–6851 ■ Darfield (Canterbury) Earthquake Darfield www.nzgs.org ■ IAEG 2010 Congress ■ Numerical Modelling ■ Student Awards Darfield (Canterbury) ■ To RQD or not to Earthquake IAEG 2010 Congress december Numerical Modelling 2010 Student Awards issue 80 To RQD or not to RQD NZGS NZGSDeccv_OUT.indd 1 25/05/14 12:18 pm NEW ZEALAND GEOMECHANICS NEWS CONTENTS DECEMBER 2010, ISSUE 80 21 70 99 Chairman’s Corner ............................................ 2 Website Review ............................................. 69 Editorial ................................................................ 3 IAEG 2010 Congress (4-10 September 2010) .. 70 The Secretary’s News ........................................ 6 Book Reviews Geotechnical Engineering in Residual Soils .... 72 Editorial Policy .................................................... 9 Letters to the Editors .......................................... 9 Conference Reports Observations of the IAEG Congress from a Roving International Society Reports Reporter for NZGS ........................................ 73 ISRM ............................................................ 11 Conversations with IAEG Key-note Speakers .. 76 IAEG ............................................................ 13 11th IAEG Congress, NZGS Stand ................ 79 NZGS Branch Activities..................................... 14 Students at IAEG 2010 Congress ................... 81 CETANZ Careering Ahead in 2010 ............... 82 Geotech Teaser ................................................. 19 2nd International Symposium on Cone Special Feature: 2010 Darfield EQ ................ 20 Penetration Testing (CPT’10) ......................... 83 Some Personal Accounts of the Earthquake ...... 22 Awards Two Books Documenting the Earthquake ....... 25 2010 Student Awards Winners - Abstracts ...... 84 Darfield (Canterbury) Earthquake, Photo Competition 4 September 2010 .......................................... 26 Another day in the office –Winner ................ 96 The Darfield Earthquake: personal observations .. 27 Foreign Correspondents Technical Articles Kate Williams – Global Wanderer ................... 98 State of the Art Site Investigation Techniques .... 30 Company Profile Numerical Modelling Is Not My Cup of Tea ... 40 102 To RQD or not to RQD ............................... 49 Hiway Geotechncial...................................... GHD ........................................................... 104 Project News Member Profiles Darfield (Canterbury) Earthquake .................. 56 Georg Winkler, LDE ................................... 107 Standards, Law and Industry News NZGS YGP .................................................. 65 New Zealand Geotechnical Society Inc IAEG 2010 YGPs go Sailing .......................... 67 Events Diary 108; June Teaser answers 109; Information RANKINE Lecture Review ........................... 68 110; Advertisers Directory111; Membership 112; New Zealand Geotechnical Society Inc. Publications 114; Brief Update on Retaining Wall Guidelines .... 68 Advertising Information 115; Geotech Crossword 116. Cover image: Darfield Earthquake Liquefaction, Tonkin & Taylor Ltd. New Zealand Geomechanics Neewsws CHAIRMAN’s CORNER He mihi mahana ki a koutou katoa! Warm greetings to all Philip is a Senior Geotechnical of you. Engineer at Golder Associates based in Nelson. Philip graduated Welcome to the final issue of the NZ Geomechanics News more than 20 years ago from the for 2010. This issue is also my last as NZGS Management University of Natal, Durban, Committee Chair. 2010 has been a very busy year, and I with a BSc in Civil Engineering. would like to take this opportunity to highlight several of After working in the field of the activities your Committee and members have been civil/geotechnical engineering for involved in. a few years, Philip returned to study at the University of California, Davis leaving with a NZ Geomechanics News MSc in Geotechnical Engineering and a focus on earthquake NZ Geomechanics News has been a valuable forum for engineering. Philip is a Member of IPENZ and a Chartered NZGS and its members. The NZ Geomechanics News Professional Engineer (CPEng). He has been involved in the published in December 2009 was a critically acclaimed design and construction of major infrastructure projects in New Special Edition. Its focus was the 30th Anniversary of Zealand, California, Hong Kong and Southern Africa. Abbotsford Landslide. June 2010 was a similarly outstanding issue. We have produced a CD containing the entire back catalogue of NZ Geomechanics News in searchable format. a winner and awarded $1000 for the design. The new logo All current members should have received a copy, and all has been fully implemented and we are very pleased with new NZGS member will receive a copy upon joining. our new look. Seismic Guidelines Local Branches A subcommittee of the NZGS launched Module 1 of NZ Wellington was the shining star. At the 10th August 2010 Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering Practice. They have meeting there were 60 attendees. Well done to the local begun to work on Module 2 of the guidelines which branch coordinators. We hope to see increasing numbers relates to retaining walls. Also, a working group has been of attendees from other locations. formed to collate and record recent information relating to the earthquake in Canterbury that could probably lead to Visiting Dignitaries and Courses future code and/or guideline revision. NZGS and NZSEE jointly hosted Professor Shamsher Prakash, an Emeritus Professor from Missouri, USA, in Young Geotechnicals Wellington in November 2009. His presentation was entitled, The NZGS Young Geotechnical Professionals group had Performance Based Aseismic Design of Rigid Retaining Walls. an active year with a quiz night, branch events, and an Also in that month, Clyde Baker, the current Terzaghi entire day scheduled with activities during the 11th IAEG Lecturer and recipient of the United States Premier Congress in Auckland. award, presented a talk on Uncertain Geotechnical Truth and Cost Effective High Rise Design. Professor Warwick The 11th IAEG Congress Prebble presented a Field Mapping Short Course on site The NZGS proudly hosted the 11th Congress of the at Beachlands, Auckland in December 2009. The course International Association for Engineering Geology and offered hands-on experience in engineering geological the Environment (IAEG) in Auckland in September 2010. mapping. It was a huge success and will be repeated again. Over 700 international and local delegates feasted on 5 NZGS offered a one-day short course series in Auckland, days worth of presentations and field trips. As part of Wellington and Christchurch, in May 2010 on Unsaturated our sponsorship we received several registrations which Soils and Ground Movement Control in Deep Excavations we were able to gift to retired/life members of NZGS. At and Tunneling by Professor Antonio Gens of Spain. In the Congress, we were very proud to see Ann Williams August 2010, Professor Scott Burns (USA) presented begin her term as the Vice President of the International Lessons Learned from Landslides. The British Geotechnical Association of Engineering Geology and the Environment Association’s 50th Rankine Lecture was jointly presented (IAEG) for Australasia. by NZGS and ICE in Auckland in October 2010 by Professor Chris Clayton on Stiffness at Small Strain – The New Logo Research and Practice. We held a concept design competition to find a new, identifiable, intelligent, and eye-catching logo. We selected 2 Newsletter of the New Zealand Geoteecchnical SocietySociety Inc.Inc. New Zealand Geomechanics News Closure Kate is an Engineering Geologist I have thoroughly enjoyed my term as Chairman of with Tonkin & Taylor Ltd in NZGS. Thank you to so many people who have shared Auckland. She graduated with their wisdom and support during my tenure. I would a BSc in Earth Science at the like to specifically thank Amanda for all of her efforts University of Waikato before and dedication to making this society and the NZ completing a MSc in Geology Geomechanics News top notch. I would also like to thank at Auckland University in all of the committee members for their time and efforts 2000. Kate is now working in that have made our accomplishments over the past years Christchurch as a part of the EQC possible. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve Recovery Team following the Darfield Earthquake. as Chairman of your Society. Philip Robins Paul is an Engineering Chairman, NZGS Geologist and Hydrogeologist at Email: [email protected] URS Auckland. He studied Engineering Geology at Auckland University and after completing EDITORIAL his MSc in 1993 worked for Earthtech Consulting for 3 years. Since the last issue, New Zealand has suffered its costliest Since then he has worked for ever natural disaster with the Darfield (Canterbury) URS, including 6 years in their Earthquake in the early hours of 4 September 2010, Santa Ana, California office. He currently leads the URS although miraculously there were no deaths. In June’s Auckland Geotechnical Team. editorial we reflected on Haiti’s catastrophic magnitude 7.0 earthquake and, ironically, noted “One thing is certain, events of this magnitude or greater will continue to occur Technical papers in this issue include: a paper on and sooner or later will happen in New Zealand”, numerical modelling,