Innovative, practical and efficient specialist solutions to complex issues
Specialist Services Include:
- Engineering geology
- Forensic investigations
- Monitoring
- Photogrammetry
- Borehole imaging
- 3D modelling
- Discrete Fracture Network (DFN) Modelling.
Proven track record in temporary and permanent large underground rail, road and mining projects throughout Australia, Africa and Asia, including some of the largest-spanning tunnels in Australia.
CAPABILITIES
ENGINEERING GEOLOGY
FORENSIC INVESTIGATIONS
SEISMIC AND EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING
MONITORING
PHOTOGRAMMETRY
BOREHOLE IMAGING
3D GEOLOGICAL MODELLING
DISCRETE FRACTURE NETWORK (DFN) MODELLING
ENGINEERING GEOLOGY
Our extensive knowledge and experience provides an invaluable resrouce in developing accurate and appropriate engineering geology investigations, models and design solutions.
Services include:
- Site investigation programs (design, supervision and completion)
- Engineering geology, geomorphological and structural mapping
- Geological and structural modelling
- Geological hazard assessment including landslide and earthquake hazard and related phenomena (i.e. liquefaction)
- Adverse ground conditions advice.
We use sophisticated tools and techniques, including:
- Remote sensing including the latest photogrammetry techniques and drones to inspect and photograph difficult access sites
- GIS applications for mapping, geohazard assessments, and modelling
- Televiewer and geophysical data interpretation
- 3D geological and structural models
- Discrete fracture network analysis (DFN)
- Drainage analysis to infer large scale structural and geological conditions
FORENSIC INVESTIGATIONS
Meticulous forensic investigation of geotechnical structural failures and catastrophic collapse.
Areas of forensic expertise include:
- Mine collapse
- Landslides
- Embankment collapse
- Damage to residential and commercial buildings from ground movement, foundation and retaining wall failures
- Damage caused by tunnelling, excavation, piling or other ground improvement works.
We also provide specialist advice in:
- Legal disputes
- Coronial inquests
- Remedial design and construction.
SEISMIC AND EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING
A proven track record in seismic assessment and earthquake engineering in diverse geological and hazard environments in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Mozambique, Russia and South America.
Services include:
- Regional seismic hazard assessments
- Seismic monitoring
- Slope and foundations seismic analysis and stabilisation
- Detailed analysis for specific civil and mining projects.
MONITORING
Extensive expertise in the monitoring of geotechnical and civil structures from tunnels and open pit mine slopes to basement excavations and buildings.
Geotechnical structures monitoring, including:
- Ground strain and deformation
- Groundwater levels and pressures
- Negative pore pressures
- Soil pressure.
Manufactured structures monitoring, including:
- Deformation
- Strain
- Stresses and loads
- Tilts
- Water inflows.
Tailored monitoring ranges from simple prism-based to complex real-time systems. PSM innovations include:
- Robotic real-time monitoring (Hume Highway overpass at Glenfield)
- Development and construction of a large displacement inclinometer
- Digital crack pin monitoring
- Laser convergence logging systems
We use in-house software to interpret results, applying corrections where appropriate. We frequently use verification monitoring of designs undertaken during construction to optimise design, improve production rates and reduce costs.
Our easy to implement monitoring plans incorporate appropriate triggers and responses to effectively monitor risk of ground movement.
PHOTOGRAMMETRY
Photogrammetry enables us to recover exact positions of surface points. We then use digital stereo image pairs to develop a 3D model from which we acquire structural and lithological information. This information is incorporated in the overall geotechnical design of a project.
BOREHOLE IMAGING
In excavated slopes the orientation and characteristics of structures is crucial in slope stability.
PSM uses borehole imaging in core loss zones and poor rock massses to:
- Obtain reliable data
- Detect bedding orientation
- Prepare a break-out analysis
- Inspect casing
- Take high-resolution caliper measurements.
Borehole imaging produces a 360 degree oriented image of the borehole wall using an optical televiewer (OTV) and acoustic televiewer (ATV).
OTV is a direct image of the borehole wall using a ring of lights and a charged-coupled device (CCD) camera. OTV can only be collected in air or clear water intervals.
ATV is a pseudo image of the borehole wall derived from a high-density grid of ultrasonic acoustic measurements. The amplitude of the reflected acoustic signal is recorded as photographic-like images and the transit time used to calculate detailed caliper logs. ATV can only be collected in borehole intervals where there is gas-free fluid.
3D model showing extrapolated solids amid Andesite host block before truncation
3D model showing triangulated surface profile of valley topography and lake bathymetry. Dam model and representative water level for scale and reference.
3D model showing boreholes displaying lithological units and downhole optical televiewer (OTV) structural halos.
3D model showing imported sections and georeferenced in space using control grid
3D GEOLOGICAL MODELLING
PSM’s 3D modelling is a powerful geology visualisation tool which enables us to query data, rotate, hide and review geological conditions.
DISCRETE FRACTURE NETWORK (DFN) MODELLING
- A discrete fracture network (DFN) approach involves numerical modelling that explicitly represents how defects may be spatially distributed through a rock mass.
- The approach utilises structural data in stochastic analyses to give a range of possible models that provides a tool for visualisation of a rock mass and indicates the potential large-scale slope or tunnel performance and stability.
- PSM have over 10 years of experience in the application of DFN modelling for geomechanical purposes. Example applications include pit slope stability, civil and mining underground tunnels, shaft development and understanding rock bridges for dam foundations.
Contact
About our Specialist Services
Our team has extensive capabilities to provide solutions for complex problems.
Reach out today to find out how we can help.
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