OUR PUBLICATIONS

We are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of professional knowledge to achieve extraordinary outcomes in geology, hydogeology, geotechnical, tunnel and underground engineering design in South Africa.
Our staff are driven by the work we do and clients value our deep expertise and new thinking.

Published technical and project articles written by our staff, including those written during their studies or at previous employers are included herein. Full references and acknowledgements are provided in-text.

The design of multi-anchored tieback soldier pile walls in Sandton is typically based on either empirical methods...

Stability of The Temporary Excavation Between Soldier Piles In Unsaturated Residual Granites In Sandton CBD

Author: F.H van der Merwe and J.H. Engelbrecht.

Proceedings: In Proceedings of the AYGE Conference, Cape Town, October 2019.

This paper discusses key observations and lessons learnt from the geotechnical investigation, design and construction for the...

Mount Edgecombe Interchange – Investigation, Design and Construction Of A Complex Geotechnical Project

Author: Pequenino,F.P. Van der Merwe,F.H. Purchase,C. Warren-Codrington,C.J.

Proceedings: In Proceedings of the 17th African Regional Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, October 2019.

A survey was conducted to assess the current design practice of multi-anchored walls in South Africa and...

Digging Deeper – A Review of South African Practice On Deep Excavation Design In Urban Areas

Author: F. H. van der Merwe, and D. Konstantakos.

Proceedings: The South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE), 2020.

Mechanically Stabilised Earth (MSE) walls have a growing application in place of conventional retaining systems for varying...

The Problem with MSE Walls-A Case Study In Support Of Integrated Geotechnical Engineering Design

Author: F. H. van der Merwe, C. Warren-Codrington and F. Pequenino.

Proceedings: The South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE), 2017.

Technical paper discusses the geotechnical investigation and design of various aspects relating to some of the geotechnical...

Case Study: Geotechnical Investigation for Upgrades To National Route 2 Section 26 From Mt Edgecombe Interchange To Tongaat Toll Plaza

Author: F. P. Pequenino, S. C. A. Van Haute.

Proceedings: In Proceedings of the 7th Young Geotechnical Engineers (YGE) Conference, August 2011. Published South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE).

Article discusses the increased use and applicability of the Continuous Surface Wave Test by example from three...

Some Practical Applications of CSW Testing in South Africa

Author: F. P. Pequenino, F.H. van der Merwe.

Proceedings: South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE), April 2013.

Technical paper discusses the design and design verification of Screwed-in-Casing Augered Piles (SICAP) for the Mt Edgecombe...

Testing of Screwed-In-Casing Augered Piles Using the Osterberg Load Cell at The Mt Edgecombe Interchange

Author: F.H. van der Merwe, F.P. Pequenino. SMEC South Africa.

Proceedings: In Proceedings of the 8th Young Geotechnical Engineers (YGE) Conference, September 2014. Published South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE).

Article discusses the use of an innovative Mechanically Stabilised Earth (MSE) wall system on the Balito Drive...

Stabilising Technology (Tensar Tw1) Introduced to South Africa

Author: S. Naidoo, F.P. Pequenino, F.H. van der Merwe.

Proceedings: Published South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE), April 2015 & Construction World, Sep 2015.

The first phase of the upgrade of the N2 Freeway Section 26 saw extensive geotechnical works. A...

N2 Upgrade – Taming the Umdloti

Author: F. P. Pequenino, F.H. van der Merwe and SMEC South Africa.

Proceedings: Published South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE), April 2016.

A centrifuge model study was carried out investigating the effects of the inclusion of geogrid reinforcement in...

A Qualitative Model Study on The Effect of Geosynthetic Foundation Reinforcement In Sand Overlying Very Soft Clay

Author: B. R Jones, S.W Jacobs and J.L van Rooy.

Proceedings: Journal of the south African Insitution of Civil Engineering, vol 58(2), 2016.

The vadose zone typically comprises soil underlain by fractured rock. Often, surface water and groundwater parameters are...

Assessing Geotechnical Centrifuge Modelling in Addressing Variably Saturated Flow in Soil And Fractured Rock

Author: B. R Jones, L.B Brouwers, W.D van Tonder and M.A Dippenaar.

Proceedings: Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2017.

It is essential to understand the properties and behaviour of rock mass, mainly in a hydrogeological context...

On the Influence of Varying Aperture On Flow Mechanisms In An Initially Dry Vertical Smooth Parallel Fracture Under Free-Draining Conditions

Author: K. P. Segole and J.L. Van Rooy.

Proceedings: In Proceedings of the 9th YGE Conference, Durban, September 2017.