Linking design to construction, pitfalls and opportunities by Mr Tony O‘Brien (Mott MacDonald)

Seminar overview:
It is often stated that "Geotechnics is an Art and a Science". What does this mean in the age of advanced analysis, and is it still relevant? A series of examples will be given ,for: pile design; tunnelling; ground improvement and retaining wall design, of why it is important to think carefully about how construction activities may influence ground behaviour, and ground-structure interaction. Some of the case histories illustrate the added value that good Geotechnics can deliver, in terms of cost, programme and carbon savings, whilst others will illustrate the
catastrophic consequences of getting it wrong. The case histories include several different geological and hydrogeological settings, and projects from around the UK and globally, and include both small and mega projects.

Biography:
Tony is Mott MacDonald's Global Practice Leader for Geotechnics. He is currently involved in several large projects in North America, Asia Pacific and Australia. In
the UK he has provided technical inputs into Crossrail, and currently into the Northern Line Extension, and Thames Tideway projects. He also acts as an Expert Witness, working with Barristers , on construction disputes. Tony also takes an active interest in applied research (mainly focussing on rail geotechnics and ground-structure interaction), he is Visiting Professor at Southampton Univ, and is currently commencing an applied research project with Cambridge Univ. He actively contributes to the work of professional committees and providing industry guidance, including CIRIA guides and the ICE Manual of Geotechnical Engineering (lead author for foundation design section). Internationally he is active in the development of the new Eurocodes (Chairs task force for retaining wall design) and the ISSMGE technical committee for deep foundations.

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