Priority Research Centre for Geotechnical Science and Engineering in Newcastle, New South Wales | Educational research centre

Priority Research Centre for Geotechnical Science and Engineering

Locality: Newcastle, New South Wales

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• Educational research centre

24.01.2022 PRCGSE Principal Researcher Dr Brett Turner spoke to the Port Stephens Examiner last week about his research to create a world-first solution to eradicate the toxic PFAS chemical. https://www.portstephensexaminer.com.au//another-breakthr/

21.01.2022 Congratulations to Centre Director Anna Giacomini and Principal Researcher Jinsong Huang on their promotions to Professor effective January 2020. Well-deserved recognition of their scholarly achievements and international reputations.

20.01.2022 Congratulations to Anna Giacomini and the Hunter WISE team on winning the 2019 Excellence Award: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. This award recognises their outstanding contribution to improving participation and engagement of high school girls in STEM activities, with the aim to increase the number of women pursuing and succeeding in STEM careers through valuable networking opportunities and mentoring.

20.01.2022 Higher Degree Research (HDR) Student Success Congratulations to PRCGSE current HDR student Davide Guccione and former HDR student Davide Casagrande on their recent Australian Geomechanics Society awards. These prestigious awards are great recognition for our emerging researchers, and excellent evidence of the high-quality training delivered by the PRCGSE.... On 8th of July 2020, Davide Ettore Guccione won the AGS NSW Research Award 2020. The Sydney and Newcastle Chapters of the Australian Geomechanics Society offers the AGS NSW Research Award for research in Geotechnical Engineering or Engineering Geology. The award aims to provide a forum for research students from NSW universities to showcase their research to the wider Geotechnical Community. More details are at https://australiangeomechanics.org//ags-nsw-research-awar/ On 11th December 2019, the Australian Geomechanics Society awarded the D. H. Trollope Medal to our former student Dr. Davide Casagrande. The medal recognises the contribution of David Hugh Trollope as one of the pioneers and leaders of Australian geomechanics research and teaching. The medal is awarded to the author of an outstanding paper on either theoretical or applied Geomechanics. Davide was awarded for the paper A New Stochastic Approach to Predict Peak and Residual Shear Strength of Natural Rock Discontinuities. published in Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering (51(1)-2018) (DOI: 10.1007/s00603-017-1302-3) about the research work he conducted at UoN. Davide is currently Senior Engineering Geologist at PSM (Sydney).

19.01.2022 PRCGSE Principal Researcher Professor Stephen Fityus speaks to the ABC about how drought and climate change are impacting the safety of our homes and buildings. https://www.abc.net.au//house-cracks-widen-as-unp/11854734

19.01.2022 In a world first, Dr Brett Turner and his team from the Priority Research Centre for Geotechnical Science and Engineering are using naturally occurring proteins from hemp to attack the global problem of PFAS contamination. These dangerous man-made chemicals are contaminating food, soil and water in over 40,000 sites worldwide and pose a significant risk to people and wildlife. htthttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A2kDFY_v7gA&feature=youtu.beps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A2kDFY_v7gA&feature=youtu.be

18.01.2022 PRCGSE Principal Researcher, Emeritus Professor John Carter, has been selected as Convenor of the Built Environment Panel in Hong Kong’s Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2020. Professor Carter will lead a panel of 18 internationally recognised scholars and is a reflection of his high esteem in the Geotechnical Engineering field. Administered by Hong Kong’s University Grants Committee (UCG), periodic RAEs are conducted as part of their commitment to assessing the performance... of the UGC-funded universities with the intention to encourage world-class research and drive excellence. Non-Hong Kong based colleagues may be interested to know that their RAE 2020 now includes research impact as part of the assessment, with a view to encouraging the conduct of research of broader social relevance with high economic and social benefits. Congratulations, John, on this testament to your international reputation.

14.01.2022 Congratulations to Professor Stephen Fityus, A/Prof Anna Giacomini and Professor Olivier Buzzi on the NIER Research Awards 'Best Practice Industry Engagement Team' Award.

10.01.2022 The Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment’s Excellence Awards for 2020 were announced last week. Congratulations to all recipients, including three PRCGSE Principal Researchers: Research Supervision (to Higher Degree by Research candidates); Klaus Thoeni Outstanding Research Achievement (within last 12 months); Jubert Pineda Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (championing, promoting, and fostering EDI); Stephen Fityus... It is fantastic that your quality work has been recognised and celebrated through these awards.

10.01.2022 PRCGSE PhD student, and newly appointed Research Associate, Dr Soheil Tahmasbi, was awarded her Doctorate in June 2020. Soheil’s thesis is on ‘Finite element modelling of chainlink drapery for rockfall protection' and her research focused on improving the design of chainlink draperies for rockfall protection through numerical simulations, extending the understanding of Rockfall drapery systems’ performance and dynamic response upon impact. Congratulations Soheil another female joining the STEM community exploring, innovating and expanding Geotechnical Engineering expertise to reduce the risk to life and infrastructure from rockfall.

09.01.2022 PRCGSE Director Professor Anna Giacomini discusses gender diversity in mining, HunterWiSE and how "this problem-solving attitude doesn't have a sex" in this article in Saturday's Daily Telegraph and Advertiser: https://ausprint.meltwater.com/print_clip_preview/244357564

07.01.2022 Farzaneh Farahbakhsh is visiting the PRCGSE until July 2020. Farzaneh is currently in her 3rd year as a PhD student with the Department of Civil, Geotechnical Engineering, Kharazmi University. The topic of her research is Development an Analytical Solution for Active Earth Pressure of shored Mechanically Stabilized Earth walls considering Arching Effects. She is mainly interested in arching Mechanically Stabilized Earth walls and excavation shoring systems. While in Newcastle she will undertake research activities related to her thesis and is working under the supervision of Associate Professor George Kouretzis.

07.01.2022 PRCGSE Principal Researcher, Dr Jubert Pineda, was the guest speaker at an Engineers Australia Newcastle event on Tuesday 17 March 2020. Dr Pineda’s presentation focused on the work carried out at the Ballina soft soil Field Testing Facility (NFTF), established near the town of Ballina (NSW) by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Geotechnical Science and Engineering (CGSE). The testing facility is aimed at carrying out fundamental research for providing solutions to problems ass...ociated with energy and transport infrastructure in Australia. Development of the field testing facility was driven by challenges with soft soil engineering at the nearby Ballina Bypass motorway project. The state road authority, the contractor and the designers helped to create the concept which was developed and delivered by the CGSE. The main findings, lessons learnt, and the legacy of the NFTF for local and international researchers and practitioners were discussed. Following COVID-19 restrictions of physical-distancing, the event was predominately attended via Webinar participants with over 300 registrants. Dr. Pineda joined the University of Newcastle in 2012 and has been involved in several research and consulting projects related with unsaturated soil mechanics, stability analysis of dams founded on argillaceous rocks as well as with high-quality sampling in soft soils.

04.01.2022 Our congratulations to PRCGSE Principal Researcher Associate Professor George Kouretzis, who has recently been appointed to the role of Assistant Dean, Research Training (ADRT) for our Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment. This follows George's highly effective term as Assistant Dean, Postgraduate Coursework (ADPGCW) for the past three years. UoN's Pro Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty, Professor Brett Ninness, thanked George for his service as ADPGCW, stating "During his time he took a keen interest in the success and retention of our postgraduate students, and played a pivotal role in developing support tools to help international students in particular transition to postgraduate study. I know George will bring the same energy to the Research Training portfolio, and I look forward to working with him."