"Deep basement construction at Edinburgh St James" by Benjamin Smith & Corin Walford (Laing O'Rourke)

Seminar overview:

The Edinburgh St James development is a mixed-use development with 850,000 sq ft. of retail space, 150 residential units, hotel, leisure and car parking facilities scheduled for completion in 2020. Construction of the centre’s 20,000 sq. m three-storey basement car park has been one of the most demanding aspects of
the project. This talk will discuss the geotechnical challenges encountered which
have led to a number of unusual and interesting ground retention solutions to provide support to perimeter walls up to 22m deep.

Biography:

Mr Benjamin Smith: Ben Smith obtained his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering and Science from the University of Sydney before studying a Masters in Geotechnical Engineering and Geology at the University of New South Wales. He has traveled extensively throughout his career, working in Australia, New Zealand and the Far East, on bridges, buildings, mining, energy and offshore projects. Ben is currently a Senior Design Manager with Expanded Geotechnical and was lead pile designer for Google HQ in London and South Quay Plaza which will be the tallest residential structure in Europe. He also teaches Civil Engineering Design Studies at the University of Exeter.

MrCorin Walford: Corin Walford studied engineering at the University of Cambridge, before joining bridge consultancy Robert Benaim & Associates as a graduate structural engineer working on large highway structures. He then moved into contracting and is currently General Manager of the Temporary Works department at Laing O’Rourke, leading a team of 30 engineers providing in-house
engineering and constructability advice. He specializes in design for construction of structures that involve complex soil-structure interactions, top-down construction and deep basement propping.

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