RALPH CAMMACK

Ralph Cammack is a Principal Engineering Geologist with over 16 years experience in his field. A New Zealand native, Ralph moved to Australia at the start of his career to work on large scale civil infrastructure and mining projects. He has worked throughout Australia , New Zealand and South-East Asia.

During his career at PSM Ralph has been fortunate to have worked on several landmark tunnelling and motorway projects, and some of the largest open pit mines in Australasia and Asia. His consulting experience includes geotechnical investigation, modelling, analysis, design and construction phase support for a wide range of projects. He has provided geotechnical support to mines, tunnels, highways, landslide assessments, dams, railways and buildings across the full range of project life phases.

Ralph has spent the last 5 years designing and constructing the Transmission Gully motorway project through seismically active mountainous terrain in Wellington, NZ.

Ralph enjoys working on large, geotechnically challenging projects whose success relies on accurate and useful geotechnical models.  Ralph has a keen interest in soil and rock mechanics, and enjoys developing models and parameters that can allow realistic and non-conservative analysis.  He also appreciates seeing geotechnical designs and models being applied and verified through onsite involvement in civil construction projects and operating mines.

In 2012 Ralph completed his Masters in Geotechnical Engineering at the University of New South Wales (UNSW).  He has continued to contribute to academia, including lecturing post-graduate courses at UNSW, and providing supervisory assistance for Engineering Geology post-graduate research studies at the University of Canterbury.

Ralph is an active member of AGS, NZGS and ISRM and is a regular attender and presenter at geotechnical conferences. He has published and presented technical papers related to Engineering geology, landslides, civil infrastructure design and rock mechanics.

Ralph specialises in geological and geotechnical studies for major projects. His fields of special competence include:

• Geotechnical site investigation and interpretation of laboratory testing
• Development of complex and large scale geotechnical models
• Slope stability assessments
• Geotechnical design of open pit mines
• Geotechnical design of highways
• Seismic engineering
• Landslide investigation and risk assessment
• Construction or operation phase geotechnical support