QUALIFICATIONS &AFFILIATIONS:

• B.E.(Hons.) University of Sydney, 1963
• Fellow, Institution of Engineers, Australia [Registered Specialist Professional Civil Engineer No. 477861]
• Member, Australian Geomechanics Society
• Member, College of Investigative & Remedial Consulting Engineers
• Registered Professional Engineer Queensland [R.P.E.Q. 4904]
• ACEA / CIRCEA representative on Standards Australia Committee No. CE32 [Earth Retaining Structures : now published as AS 4678-2002]]

EXPERIENCE:

To reflect more accurately the Firm's sphere of expertise and work patterns, Shirley Partners Pty Ltd was re-grouped in a new consulting practice in July 1994. Some of the recent projects carried out by Mr Shirley have included:

1. Extensive investigations & advice in regard to cause of the Thredbo landslip on behalf of the families of the victims [commissioned by the NSW Attorney General's Department], including evidence to the Coronial Inquiry.
2. Mine subsidence & related building damage investigations at Chain Valley Bay on behalf of the residents of the area - commissioned by the Legal Aid Commission of NSW].
3. Investigation of damaged buildings [including a total building collapse] and excavation failures at Glebe, Cronulla, Manly, Ambarvale, Prospect, MacMahons Point, Drummoyne & Tempe for various insurance groups and the Workcover Authority of NSW.
4. Investigation & advice in regard to causes of landslip & associated drainage / retaining wall failures at Kenmore Shopping Centre, Queensland.
5. Investigation, advice on causes of failure / required remedial works of a 13 metre high Soil Nailed wall at Noosa Heads, Queensland.
6. Investigation, development and adaptation of overseas practice to the Australian market of reinforced soil retention systems using geosynthetics and polyesters in conjunction with Austress Freyssinet Pty Ltd.
7. Investigation of the causes of failure of the reinforced earth walls [metal straps] associated with the parallel runway project at Sydney Airport, related investigations of the geotextile performance & strap corrosion, and subsequent advice on appropriate remedial works on behalf of the project insurers.
8. Investigation and advices on causes of failure of sheet pile shoring systems for a retail & apartment developments in Mooloolaba [Queensland], Rushcutters Bay, Elizabeth Bay and Manly in NSW.
9. Investigation and advice as to the causes of failure of a sheet pile coffer dam associated with the Sydney Airport railway near the Cooks River bridge [Tempe NSW] on behalf of the Workcover Authority of NSW.
10. Investigation and advice on causes of failure of contiguous pile walls at Elizabeth Bay [deep sand] Rushcutters Bay [sand], Kingsford [sand], Pennant Hills [clay & shale], Bellevue Hill [sand].
11. Coastal cliff hazard / planning studies at Copacabana & Norah Head using abseiling techniques for Gosford & Wyong Councils.
12. Regional mapping & preparation of 1:25,000 scale land stability hazard assessment maps for the entire Gosford City Council area [area extended from Patonga to The Entrance and to Wiseman's Ferry].
13. Investigation of cliff stability & detailed design of rock fall netting protection systems at Bondi, Arncliffe, Bexley, Palm Beach & Earlwood for protection of residential properties from rocks falling from a shattered cliff.
14. Investigations of damage & advice on remedial works to a residential buildings due to expansive clays in Moree, Wagga Wagga [22 homes], Turramurra, Dubbo & the western suburbs of Sydney.
15. Investigation of causes of reinforced soil wall movements associated with clay soils and recommendations on remedial works at Parramatta [NSW] and North Laverton [Victoria].
16. Investigation of Tailings Thickener Tank failure in Kalgoorlie WA and advices as to insurance group as to design / construction aspects of parties involved.
17. Design & construction review of geomembrane to act as an environmental protection barrier under a new sulphuric acid complex in Kalgoorlie WA.
18. Investigation of causes of "construction" failures of waste water treatment plants at Apollo Bay & Lorne [Victoria] and advice in relation to possible responsibility of design / investigation engineers.
19. Design of On-Site Detention systems for stormwater control in various Dual Occupancy developments in the Sydney region.
20. Investigation, design and construction review of earthworks and reinforced soil walls for major residential developments at Palm Beach and Newport NSW.
21. Investigation, design and construction review of subsoil drainage systems to stabilise soil instability at Hardy's Bay, Terrigal & Killcare NSW. Feasibility studies for improvement of golf course drainage at Woolooware and recreation reserve drainage over reservoir at Centennial Park.

Mr Shirley has also provided evidence for and attended court to give expert evidence in a variety of court jurisdictions including the Supreme, District & Local Courts of NSW, the Coroner's Court of NSW, the Supreme Courts of Victoria & QLD, the Industrial Relations Court of NSW. In addition, Mr Shirley's work on the Standards Australia committee for Earth Retaining Structures [now published as AS 4678] included the presenting seminars on the standard to technical groups as well as the authoring of the sections on drainage, investigation, design and soil design parameters.

Mr Shirley established the Firm in 1974 [originally known as Andrew Shirley & Associates Pty Ltd] and has been responsible for a wide range of Civil & Ground Engineering Projects, Geotechnical Investigations and the design & supervision of engineering works related to industrial and domestic construction. Some of the more substantial projects undertaken by the Firm included:

1. Geological Appraisal, advices on tunnel construction techniques, design and construction supervision of various 2.3 m diameter service tunnels in the Sydney Basin Geological District, including projects at Gosford, Erina, Budgewoi, Norah Head, Pyrmont, Redfern, Penrith and Coledale.
2. Ground Engineering studies, design & construction inspection of basements for major building projects, including dewatering systems and ground support [both temporary & permanent] , at Double Bay, Haymarket, Campsie, Spit Junction, Newtown, Wynyard, Chatswood and Terrigal.
3. Investigation of basement construction alternatives and design of major excavation involving diaphragm walling and 'top-down' construction for the Atrium Hotel Development in Double Bay.
4. Investigation of cliff stability and design of rock fall netting protection systems at Bondi for protection of residential properties from rocks falling from shattered cliff.
5. Investigation into Lime Treated Breccia road pavement materials and causes of poor performance; instigation of extensive laboratory and field trial programs to determine methods of improving performance.
6. Investigation & advice re: rehabilitation of former Service Station sites [oil waste] in the Sydney area and treatment of filled quarries [domestic & industrial waste] at Cronulla, Artarmon & Canterbury.
7. Investigation and design of residential subdivisions near Campbelltown, Picton, Newport, Umina, Niagara Park and Lisarow.
8. Terrain Evaluation & Geotechnical Investigations for Urban subdivisions at Teralba, Speers Point, Camden, Campbelltown, Bateau Bay, Narara, Penrith, Kurrajong, Queanbeyan, Grafton, Wyoming and Minchinbury.
9. Investigation and design of remedial works for rail embankment subsidences near Newee Creek, Otford, Stanwell Park, Coalcliff and Gosford NSW.
10. Investigation and design of landslip remedial works for road failures on Bulli Pass, NSW and Capricorn Highway, Bogantungan QLD. Project Management of Landslide remedial works at Bowral, Umina, Bayview, Newport & Toowoon Bay, NSW.
11. Investigation and advices to Insurance Companies & Loss Adjusters for various defective structures, incl. an earth dam at Leura, a major retaining wall at Gosford, a landslide at Gundagai, and various shoring failures and basement excavation collapses in Sydney Region, a landslide at Kenmore Qld and a shoring failure at Mooloolabah Qld.
12. Investigations into job-site construction safety and provision of expert advices in regard to cliff stability adequacy of construction systems at Bathurst & Burrendong Dam NSW [Workcover Authority of NSW].
13. Development of excavation techniques and mining methods at the Nammuldi Iron Ore deposit in Western Australia & the first mining study for the Vickery Coal Deposit near Gunnedah, NSW.
14. Economic investigation and engineering feasibility of future mining operations of the Pioneer Tin Mine, Pioneer, Tasmania. Investigation and design of Mine Access Haul Road to Hartley Valley Colliery near Lithgow. Advice in regard to mine waste tailings disposal at Londonderry and Castlereagh (NSW) & Pioneer (TASMANIA).
15. Geotechnical investigation and engineering advices relating to Pipe Jacking in Budgewoi, Rosehill & Bondi, NSW and Launceston TASMANIA.

During 1983-1987 Mr Shirley undertook a number of theoretical and experimental studies on artificial ground support techniques and in 1987 lodged a patent application for the 'Integrated Support System' which is a development of the Soil Nail technique. This system is now the subject of Australian Patents and has been installed in over 20 building sites around Sydney.

Appointed Manager of Geotechnical Section in 1970. Responsible for the undertaking of site investigations and operation of the Firm's Materials Testing laboratory, civil engineering design & construction supervision of various earth dams, roadworks, pipelines & the design of mine waste disposal areas. Projects carried out under Mr Shirley's direction included:

1. Design of earth dams for water supply to mining operations at Emmaville (15 m high) and Stanwell Park (10 m high) NSW and route selection for water supply pipelines. Project management of the construction of Stanwell Park Dam.
2. Open Pit Mining & Environmental Engineering Studies at Marulan, NSW (Limestone) and Emmaville NSW (Alluvial Tin) and design of Mine Refuse Disposal areas at Marulan (limestone) and Coalcliff (coal washery refuse).
3. Environmental studies for Mines at Coalcliff and Marulan.
4. Investigation, design and construction supervision of remedial works for landslides at Coalcliff and Newport, NSW.
5. Investigation, design and construction supervision of Service Tunnels in Sandstone at Roseville and George Street, Sydney.

In addition, Mr Shirley advised the Firm's Structural & Civil Engineers on design concepts to be used for a wide range of domestic, industrial and mining structures.

Responsible to Sydney Manager for establishment of site & foundation investigations section at Thiess's Taren Point Office to assist in the development of the new Thiess foundation construction (KATO) division. Undertook estimation and project contract work for a number of pile construction contracts [South Eastern Freeway & Heyington Bridge in Melbourne] and site investigations within NSW.

Responsible to the Project Manager [Talbingo (Snowy Mountains Area) Diversion Tunnel Project] for all facets of the project associated with the manufacture and installation of concrete lining in the 1,000 metre long, 7 metre diameter tunnel. Work included setting up of all batching and concreting equipment and design of tunnel concrete placement systems.

Responsible for the investigation, design and preparation of plans and specifications for various major and minor projects. Major Projects included the investigation and design of Malpas Dam, Armidale, NSW (35 m high earth / rockfill dam) and Aropa-Boku Road in the New Guinea Highlands.

Project Construction Engineer for the construction of Stage 1 of the US Navy VLF Station at Exmouth, WA; duties included project scheduling, costing and day to day management of Central Transmitter Helix Building and Hammerhead Pier Construction.

Projects worked on included the Snowy-Geehi Tunnel, Island Bend Dam and Gungarlin Weir, Khancoban Dam & Murray 2 Power Station Excavation and Jindabyne-Island Bend Tunnel.