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Professor Stephen Priest

Phone: +61 8 830 4543
Email: stephen.priest@adelaide.edu.au
Room: EM109, Engineering Maths Building

Personal | Publications | Research | Teaching | Consulting

Personal

Academic Qualifications

BSc (Hons) University of Bristol
PhD University of Durham
Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers (UK)
C.Eng.

Biographical Summary

After taking a first class honours degree in Applied Geology at the University of Bristol in 1972 and completing a PhD in Engineering Rock Mechanics at the University of Durham in 1975, I worked in Tunnels Division of the Transport and Road Research Laboratory in England, conducting research on rock tunnelling projects in the UK. During this period I undertook part-time study for the British Council of Engineering Institutions Part II Examinations, to extend my professional training in the area of Civil Engineering and qualify to become a Chartered Engineer. I then moved to the Royal School of Mines at Imperial College, London where I worked for nine years as a Lecturer in Rock Mechanics, contributing to undergraduate and postgraduate courses in rock mechanics, mining engineering, civil engineering and engineering geology.

In 1986 I was appointed Senior Lecturer in Geomechanics in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Adelaide, where I worked until I joined the University of South Australia in 1991 as Professor and Head of Mining Engineering. I took on the additional duties of Head of School from July 1996 until the end of 2002. Following a period of sabbatical leave in 2003, in 2004 I was appointed Dean of Research in the Division of Information Technology Engineering and the Environment at UniSA (0.7 fraction), while continuing as Professor of Mining Engineering (0.3 fraction) in the School of Natural and Built Environments. Following the closure of the mining engineering program in 2006, I left the University of South Australia on 1 May 2008. I returned to the University of Adelaide on 1 September 2008 to take up the position of Professor in the School of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering.

I have extensive experience as a consultant in rock mechanics for the mining and civil engineering industries of Europe, South America, South Africa and Australia, focusing on the areas of site investigation, rock testing, instrumentation and rock slope design. My research interests include the analysis of rock face stability, rock slope analysis and design, the applications of computer methods and probability theory in geomechanics, determining the influence of fractures on rock mass properties, and the design and use of rock reinforcement. I have published some 50 technical papers and have attracted nearly $2m in research funding to the institutions at which I have worked. I have written two sole-author text books focusing on the applications of rock engineering, my most recent being a 500 page monograph entitled 'Discontinuity Analysis for Rock Engineering' which was published by Chapman & Hall in early 1993.

Principal Publications

Note:
(a) books and monographs
(b) refereed journal publications
(c) conference papers
(d) other papers and reports

Priest S.D. 1976 (b)
Ground movements caused by tunnelling in chalk. Proc. Instn. Civ. Engrs., Part 2, Vol 61, 23-39.

Priest S.D. and Hudson J.A. 1976 (b)
Discontinuity spacings in rock. Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. & Geomech. Abstr., Vol. 13, 135-148.

Hudson J.A., McCaul C. and Priest S.D. 1977 (b)
A high load tunnel jacking test, Ground Engineering, May 1977, 22-26.

O'Rourke T.D., Priest S.D. and New B.M. 1978 (c)
Some observations of machine tunnelling at the Keilder Aqueduct. 19th US Symposium on Rock Mechanics, Lake Taho, Nevada, 362-369.

Hudson J.A. and Priest S.D. 1979 (b)
Discontinuities and rock mass geometry. Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. & Geomech. Abstr., Vol.16, 339-362.

Priest S.D. and Hudson J.A. 1981 (b)
Estimation of discontinuity spacing and trace length using scanline surveys. Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. & Geomech. Abstr., Vol. 18, 183-197.

Hudson J.A. and Priest S.D. 1983 (b)
Discontinuity frequency in rock masses. Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. & Geomech. Abstr., Vol.20, 73-89.

Priest S.D. 1983 (b)
Computer generation of inclined hemisphere projections. Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. & Geomech Abstr., Technical Note, Vol. 20, 43-47.

Priest S.D. and Brown E.T. 1983 (b)
Probabilistic stability analysis of variable rock slopes. Transactions Instn. Min. Metall. Vol. 92, A1-12.

Priest S.D. and Samaniego J.A. 1983 (c)
A model for the analysis of discontinuity characteristics in two dimensions. Proc. 5th ISRM Congress, Melbourne F199-F207.

Samaniego J.A. and Priest S.D. 1984 (c)
The prediction of water flows through discontinuity networks into underground excavations. Proc. ISRM Symp. Design and Performance of Underground Excavations, Cambridge, UK. 157-164.

Priest S.D. 1985 (a)
Hemispherical Projection Methods in Rock Mechanics. George, Allen and Unwin, London, 123p

Samaniego J.A. and Priest S.D. 1985 (d)
Simulation of fluid flow in fractured rock; a probabilistic approach. Final Report No. DOE/RW/85.132. Imperial College, London.

Rao G.V., Priest S.D. and Selvakumar S. 1985 (b)
Effect of moisture on strength of intact rocks and the role of the effective strength principle. Indian Geotechnical Journal.

Priest S.D. 1986 (d)
A critical review of the data requirements for fluid flow models through fractured rock. Final Report No. DOE/RW/86.054. Imperial College, London.

Priest S.D. and Samaniego J.A. 1988 (c)
The statistical analysis of rigid block stability in jointed rock masses. Proc. 5th Australia-New Zealand Conference on Geomechanics, Sydney.

Conley, N. and Priest S.D. 1992 (b). Evaluation of a new fibre reinforced plastic rock bolt, Colliery Guardian, March 1992, 72-80.

Meyers, A. G. and Priest S.D. 1992 (b). A micro-processor controlled pump for triaxial cell pressure control, Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. & Geomech. Abstr., Technical Note, Vol 29, No. 2, 187-91.

Meyers, A. G. and Priest S.D. 1992 (b). A technique for moulding cylindrical discontinuous models, Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, Technical Note, Vol 25, No 3, 207-14.

Priest S.D. 1993 (a) Discontinuity analysis for rock engineering. Chapman & Hall, London, 473p.

Priest S.D. 1993 (b). The collection and analysis of discontinuity orientation data for engineering design, with examples. Comprehensive Rock Engineering, Volume 3: Site and Rock Characterisation, Testing and Monitoring.

Simpson A. R. and Priest S. D. 1993 (b). The application of genetic algorithms to optimisation problems in geotechnics. Computers and Geotechnics, Vol 15, 1-9.

Meyers, A. G., Priest S.D. and Walker D. J. 1993 (c). The determination of rock mass discontinuity geometry files for slope stability analysis. Proc 6th Mining, Drilling and Blasting Seminar, BHP, Cairns April 1993, 77-92.

Downing, A. R., Notley K. R., Priest S. D., Trigg C. R. and Walker D. J. 1993 (c) Engineering Systems: an integrated project and communication based introduction to engineering. Proc Australasian Association for Engineering Education, 5th Annual Convention and Conference, Auckland, December 1993.

Winsor, C.N. and Priest S.D. 1995 (b) The Quality Industry Linked Learning (QUILL) mineral programme for Gartrell School undergraduates. Australian Journal of Engineering Education, 6 (1) 57-69.

Meyers, A.G., Kaggwa W.J. and Priest S.D. 1996 (c) The Determination of rock mass strength for engineering design. Proc. 7th Australia-New Zealand Conference on Geomechanics, Adelaide.

Winsor, C.N. and Priest S.D. 1996 (c) Interpretation of discontinuity data at selected sites in the Adelaide region. Proc. 7th Australia-New Zealand Conference on Geomechanics, Adelaide.

Cropley, D.H., Priest S.D. and Cropley A.J. 1997 (c) Fostering creativity and innovation in engineering students. Proc Australasian Association for Engineering Education, 9th Annual Convention and Conference, Ballarat, December 1997.

Priest S.D. and TaeChin Cho 1999 (a)
Hemispherical Projection Methods in Rock Mechanics (in Korean). Department of Exploration Engineering, Pukyong National University, 244p

Meyers, A.G. and Priest S.D. 2000 (c) Generating discontinuity orientation data for use in probabilistic models for modelling excavations in rock. In Proceedings Geo Eng 2000, November 2000.

Priest S.D. 2003 (d) Discontinuity Size Analysis, seminar and paper presented at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, May 2003.

Agustawijaya, D., Meyers, A.G. and Priest, S.D. 2004 (b) The engineering properties of Coober Pedy soft rocks. Australian Geomechanics, 39 (1) 19 - 27.

Priest S.D. 2004 (b) Determination of discontinuity size distributions from scanline data. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, 37 (5) 347-368

Priest S.D. 2005 (b) Determination of shear strength and three-dimensional yield strength for the Hoek-Brown criterion. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, 38 (4) 299-327

Priest S.D and Hunt S.P. 2005 (b) Application of a new three-dimensional yield criterion for argillaceous rocks. Alaska Rocks 2005, The 40th U.S. Symposium on Rock Mechanics: Rock Mechanics for Energy, Mineral and Infrastructure Development in the Northern Regions, Anchorage, Alaska, June 25-29, 2005.

Melkoumian N., Priest S.D. and Hunt S.P. 2008 (b) Further Development of the Three-dimensional Hoek-Brown Yield Criterion, Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering in press.

Prizes and Distinctions

Priest S.D. 1976 (b)
Ground movements caused by tunnelling in chalk. Proc. Instn. Civ. Engrs., Part 2, Vol 61, 23-39.
Runner up in the first Harding Prize competition, British Tunnelling Society, Institution of Civil Engineers, 1975.

Priest S.D. and Brown E.T. 1983 (b)
Probabilistic stability analysis of variable rock slopes. Transactions Instn. Min. Metall. Vol. 92, A1-12.
Consolidated Golf Fields gold medal and premium 1983; jointly with Professor E.T. Brown. Awarded by the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy.

Rao G.V., Priest S.D. and Selvakumar S. 1985 (b)
Effect of moisture on strength of intact rocks and the role of the effective strength principle. Indian Geotechnical Journal.
IGS-HEICO Prize for the best paper on rock mechanics published in the Indian Geotechnical Journal. Awarded September 1988.

The School of Engineering, The School of Physics and Electronic Systems Engineering, and Ms Mary Ayre. 1998 Institution of Engineers, Australia, National Engineering Excellence Award, Winner in the Education Sector for the Inclusive Curricula Program in Engineering at the University of South Australia

Research

Research and Consultancy Interests

Measurement and characterisation of rock structure for rock engineering.
Application of rock mechanics principles to the analysis and design of underground and surface excavations in rock.
Application of three-dimensional yield criteria to the analysis of rock mass strength.
Design and implementation of rock reinforcement and instrumentation systems.
Design and interpretation of on-site and laboratory rock testing programs.
Analysis of fluid flow through fractured rock masses and mine dewatering.
Open pit mine design using Whittle Four-X.
Blast design for underground and open pit mines.
Mineral economics and financial analysis for the minerals industry.

Principal Research Grants (>$50,000)

The determination of rock mass strength for engineering design. (Jointly with Prof. 'Blue' Evans SAIT). ARGS $100,000, 1987-90.

The prediction of rock mass strength and deformability for engineering design. ARC, $135,000, 1991-93.

The determination of input parameters for rock slope stability models. BHP, Raw Materials Research Group, $120,000, 1991-93.

Quality University Industry Linked Learning (QUILL) for the minerals industry. National Priority Reserve Fund, $55,000.

An Associate for teaching occupational health and safety for the minerals industry. Mining and Quarrying Occupational Health and Safety Committee, $226,000, 1992-94.

The validation of a method for the prediction of rock mass yield strength. ARC, $153,000, 1994-96.

Validation of a method for the prediction of rock mass yield strength by application to the high wall in the ETSA Leigh Creek coal mine. (jointly with Dr. Anthony Meyers) ARC Collaborative Grant with ETSA, $240,000, 1994-96.

Discontinuity predictions in variable geological settings. (jointly with Dr. Colin Winsor) ARC Small Grant, $60,000, 1994-96.

Discontinuity analysis and prediction in polydeformed areas. (jointly with Dr. Colin Winsor) ARC, $117,000, 1995-97.

An Associate for teaching occupational health and safety for the minerals industry. Mining and Quarrying Occupational Health and Safety Committee, Renewal, (jointly with Mr. Barrie Collison) $50,000, 1995-97.

An Associate for teaching occupational health and safety for the minerals industry. Mining and Quarrying Occupational Health and Safety Committee, Renewal, (jointly with Mr. Barrie Collison) $114,000, 1998-00.

Teaching

To be advised