GARETH SWARBRICK

Principal Geotechnical Engineer at PSM, Gareth Swarbrick has over 30 years’ experience in design and management of landfills, tailings dams and dredged ponds. Recent experience includes tunnelling, mine subsidence and mining infrastructure.

Gareth worked as the principal researcher and coordinator for the AMIRA-funded project 86/P833, coordinating work from five separate mine sites in Weipa Queensland, Hamersley Iron Western Australia, Mt Newman Western Australia, Riverside Queensland, and Wambo NSW. The tailings deposition model that was developed has been used in the design of tailings storages, such as the Comalco Weipa tailings dams.

An active researcher in landfill gas biofiltration, Gareth co-authored the current NSW handbook for the design, construction, operation, monitoring and maintenance of a passive landfill gas drainage and biofiltration systems.

Gareth has lectured extensively in geotechnical engineering and presented postgraduate courses in the design and operation of landfills and tailings dams, foundation engineering, site investigation and geo-environmental engineering. He has authored and co-authored over 60 journal and conference papers in his fields of expertise.

He is an active member of the Australian Geomechanics Society on the Editorial Board of the International Journal Waste Management and Research. He is a frequent speaker at symposia in Australia and overseas.

Fields of expertise include:

• Landfill design and analysis including gas and leachate management
• Tailings management including consolidation and desiccation
• Mine subsidence impacts
• 3D geometric and geomechanical modelling
• Multiphase modelling of air, water, oil and heat.