Currently, I am a geomechanics engineer working as a solo consultant to the mining industry. Project work is primarily of a review nature, but frequently involves the application of fundamental rock mechanics and earth science principles to the development of new techniques to solve problems. This work has been greatly facilitated by having worked in the past as a researcher. Due to the importance of maintaining an in-depth knowledge of the state of research for consulting purposes, I continue to be engaged in research through collaboration between academics in the mining department at Queen’s, and industry.
Previously, my research was split into two main components: industry driven problems, and fundamental work. I maintained close ties with industry-based rock mechanics practitioners as this helped to identify problems that were the drivers for practical research. However, many problems could not be solved using existing techniques and required a more fundamental approach. Therefore, a significant portion of my research fell into the category of basic earth science. I remain particularly interested in the effects of geological structures on stress fields, and also mining-induced seismicity – both of which are gaining importance as mines progress to ever deeper and more complex orebodies.
I have benefited from many valuable collaborations while at Queen’s, and through these, still have the following appointments:
- Professor, Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering, Queen’s University.
- Visiting Professor, Department of Mining and Geotechnical Engineering, Lulea, Sweden
More details of my research, graduate students, papers, and resources can be found by following the navigation links at the right.