richard brehaut

Richard Brehaut is a Principal Engineering Geologist at PSM with over 16 years' experience in engineering consultancy. He specialises in engineering geological and geotechnical model development, with a particular focus on rock engineering, slope design, landslide and terrain evaluation studies for large civil, tunnel, dam and open pit mining projects. He has worked in a variety of complex geological environments throughout Australia, New Zealand, SE Asia and Papua New Guinea.

Richard has refined terrain evaluation skills and excels in the development of engineering geological models where the use of 3D visualisation tools is at the forefront of delivery. This includes extensive use of both terrestrial and airborne photogrammetry and LiDAR techniques. He has a particular interest in landslide risk and is experienced in the application of the Australian Geomechanics Society (2007) risk assessment frameworks. Richard is an accredited Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) Slope Risk Assessor.

Richard brings extensive site-based experience in civil construction and mine operations, enabling the development and effective communication of practical solutions for technical problems.

Richard graduated from the University of Canterbury with a Master of Science with First Class Honours in Engineering Geology.  He has presented at various technical conferences and contributes to academia as a guest lecturer at the University of Canterbury, University of New South Wales and the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø.

Richard is a member of the Australian Geomechanics Society (AGS) and actively contributed to the International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment (IAEG) Commission C25 Guidelines on the development and use of engineering geological models.

Richard’s fields of special competence include:

• Slope Design and Remediation
• Slope Risk Assessments
  • Quantitative landslide risk assessment
  • Accredited NSW TfNSW Slope Risk Assessor
  • Highly proficient in application of both AGS 2007 and NPWS 2023 landslide risk assessment guidelines.
• Geotechnical Site Investigations, Instrumentation and Monitoring
• Terrain and Landslide Evaluation
• Geotechnical Models
• Rock Mechanics
• Operational Management – Open-Pit Mining
• Construction Phase Services – Civil and Tunnelling