NGI Technical

About NGI Technical

NGI is an independent international centre for research and consultancy in engineering-related geosciences, integrating geotechnical, geological and geophysical expertise. In this podcast NGI's experts discuss research and solutions required to solve some of the most important challenges facing the world related to climate, environment, energy and natural hazards to strengthen societal security.

Publisher

Norwegian Geotechnical Institute

Category

science · technology

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

14 Jul 2022

Latest episode

7 May 2025

Latest episodes

2 of 9 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   7 May 2025TRANSCRIPT

   #9: Robert Thurner, Tone Smaavik and Georg Erharter on Onshore Geotechnics, Quick Clay, Sustainability, Scandinavian Working Culture and the Importance of Fun at Work!

   Episode Description In this episode, the two NGIers Tone Smaavik and Georg H. Erharter talk with Robert Thurner from Keller about onshore geotechnics in Scandinavia. The conversation starts with a discussion about specialities of Scandinavian ground conditions and typical construction methods. We then head on to new standards like the new EC7 and sustainability. Finally we talk about working culture in Scandinavian geotechnics including contractor – client interaction and the importance of having fun at work! SPEAKERS Dr. Robert Thurner is originally from Austria and finished his PhD at the Institute of Soil Mechanics, Foundation Engineering and Computational Geotechnics at the Graz University of Technology in 2000. He then started working at the construction company Keller, built up a R&D department in South-East Europe and worked for the company as regional manager in various European countries. From 2014-2018 he was the technical director for Keller in the Middle East. Since 2018 he is the head of the technical office and special projects and vice VD for Keller Grundläggning in Sweden. Tone Ratcliffe Smaavik MSc is a geotechnical engineer from Norway who holds a master's in civil engineering from the University of Bristol (UK). After doing offshore geotechnical site investigations for the former company GEMS, she moved to NGI in 2012 and has been department head in the field of onshore geotechnics since 2021. Dr. Georg H. Erharter is an engineering geologist at NGI where he is working in a broad range of fields from tunnelling to offshore wind foundation design. He holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from the Graz University of Technology (Austria) where he was dealing with machine learning for geotechnics and he is generally engaged with using modern technology to solve long standing problems of the field. Robert Thurner LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-thurner-0a605743/ ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Robert-Thurner-2 Tone Smaavik LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tone-ratcliffe-smaavik-2333633/ Georg H. Erharter LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georg-h-erharter-b514b4125/ Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=fb3-U50AAAAJ&hl=en Contact: georg.erharter@ngi.no Special Issue in the journal “Geomechanics and Tunnelling”: Volume 18, Issue 2, April 2025: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/18657389/2025/18/2

2. 

   31 Mar 2025TRANSCRIPT

   #8: Prof. Kenichi Soga and Dr. Zhongqiang Liu on Data-Driven Geotechnics and the Future of Infrastructure

   In this episode, NGI's Dr Zhongqiang Liu speaks with Prof. Kenichi Soga from the University of Berkeley California, who just delivered the 63rd Rankine lecture on March 19, 2025. They discuss how emerging data and sensing technologies can enhance the safety and cost-effectiveness of infrastructure assets, constitutive models, and geotechnics from the micro to macro scale. The conversation also highlights major advancements and research gaps in geotechnics.

3. 

   21 Feb 2025

   #7: Suzanne Lacasse - her story and geotechnical legacy

   "My career is a consequence of opportunities," says Suzanne Lacasse, a highly esteemed engineer in the field of geotechnics. Lars Andresen, CEO of NGI, interviews his predecessor and colleague, Suzanne Lacasse. Together, they dive into her fascinating life story, why she chose to work at NGI, and how her work has fundamentally shaped modern geotechnics, particularly in applying probabilistic and risk-based methods to geotechnical problems. Hear her views on how significant geotechnical advancements have transformed geotechnical work, gaps we should be aware of, and why, long after retirement, she prefers work from retirement. This episode is also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lq1sWc7jDjM

4. 

   20 Nov 2024

   #6: Georg H. Erharter and Herbert Einstein on Tunnel Design Methods

   NGI's Dr. Georg H. Erharter and Prof. Herbert Einstein from MIT discuss ancient to modern tunnel design methods, including AI and research gaps, to inform future tunnel engineers.

5. 

   11 Oct 2024

   #5: A global perspective on geotechnical challenges and solutions for offshore wind

   Offshore wind has grown on a massive global scale. The growth of offshore wind is now more than a European, Chinese, or American story as 'emerging markets' across Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and more European countries are embracing offshore wind as a solution to providing clean, affordable power. NGI is an international leader in offshore geotechnics and a renowned advisor for the offshore industry related to field development and operations. Focusing on the geotechnical aspects, what are the market trends? What differences do we find in soil conditions, and how is NGI helping the industry deal with new materials? How can regional technical insight bring relevant knowledge into projects and ensure we don't reinvent the wheel? Thomas Langford, Noel Boylan and Catalina Maldonado represent NGI's global leadership team of the offshore energy market. In this episode, we will touch upon, amongst others: The differences between floating and bottom-fixed wind technology, and also how we see some similarities in foundation and anchor concepts. How do regional geohazards and risks, like earthquakes and tsunamis, require specific expertise? The importance of desk studies in supporting critical project decisions like foundation concept and how ground models are used through the project lifecycle as a tool to inform stakeholders and facilitate design. The importance of different instrumentation and measurement systems, reflecting on the different project stages where these can play a role.

6. 

   30 Aug 2024

   #4: Georg H. Erharter and Tom F. Hansen on the future of rock mass classification

   In this episode NGI’s Georg H. Erharter and Tom F. Hansen talk about rock mass classification for tunnel construction and other applications. We start with a look back into early developed rock mass classification systems and then move forward up to state of the art applications of machine learning for rock mass classification and characterization that can be used today and perhaps will shape the future of this field. SPEAKERS Georg H. Erharter and Tom F: Hansen are both engineering geologists working in the rock engineering department of NGI. Tom F: Hansen has substantial practical experience ranging from rock engineering in coal mining at Svalbard up to engineering geological work for the Norwegian public railway authority. Today, he is finishing a PhD about the application of machine learning for rock engineering. Georg H. Erharter has brought practical experience from large alpine tunnel projects such as the Brenner- or Semmering Base tunnels to NGI and today is working in both engineering geological consultancy and research. He holds a PhD in Civil Engineering where he dealt with machine learning for geotechnics, and he is generally engaged with using modern technology to solve long standing problems of the field. Georg H. Erharter LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georg-h-erharter-b514b4125/ Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=fb3-U50AAAAJ&hl=en Tom F. Hansen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-f-hansen-62ba0878/ Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=aqo4kowAAAAJ&hl=en Contact: georg.erharter@ngi.no 1st international Rock Mass Classification Conference (RMCC): https://www.rmcc2024.com/ MENTIONED PUBLICATIONS: Bieniawski, Z. T. (1973): Engineering Classification of Jointed Rock Masses. In Civil Engineer in South Afrika, pp. 335–343. Erharter, G. H.; Hansen, Tom F.; Qi, Shengwen; Bar, Neil; Marcher, Thomas (2023): A 2023 perspective on Rock Mass Classification Systems. In Wulf Schubert, Alexander Kluckner (Eds.): Proceedings of the 15th ISRM Congress 2023 & 72nd Geomechanics Colloquium. CHALLENGES IN ROCK MECHANICS AND ROCK ENGINEERING. 15th ISRM Congress 2023 & 72nd Geomechanics Colloquium. Salzburg / Austria, 9.-14. October 203. Austrian Society for Geomechanics, pp. 758–763. Available online at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374554022_A_2023_perspective_on_Rock_Mass_Classification_Systems Erharter, Georg H.; Bar, Neil; Hansen, Tom F.; Jain, Sumit; Marcher, Thomas (2024): International distribution and development of rock mass classification - a review. (IN REVIEW). Hansen, T. F.; Aarset, A. (2024): Unsupervised machine learning for data-driven classification of rock mass using drilling data: How can a data-driven system handle limitations in existing rock mass classification systems? (NON PEER REVIEWED PREPRINT); Available online at http://arxiv.org/pdf/2405.02631v1. Hansen, Tom F.; Liu, Zhongqiang; Torresen, Jim (2024): Predicting rock type from MWD tunnel data using a reproducible ML-modelling process. In Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology 152, p. 105843. Available online at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S088677982400261X?via%3Dihub. ISO 14689:2018: Geotechnical investigation and testing Identification, description and classification of rock NGI (2015): Handbook The Q-system. Rock mass classification and support design. Available online at: https://www.ngi.no/en/research-and-consulting/infrastructure-container/tunnels-and-the-q-system/ ÖGG (2010): Guideline for the Geotechnical Design of Underground Structures with Conventional Excavation. Ground characterization and coherent procedure for the determination of excavation and support during design and construction. Translated from version 2.1. 2.1th ed. Salzburg. Available online at https://s3.nl-ams.scw.cloud/assets.oegg.at/attachments/ckdy7segc00o218lmcntn1266-geotech-rili-10-engl-endg%C3%BClitgeversion.pdf

7. 

   2 Dec 2022

   #3: What would be different had Rachel Carson discovered PFAS rather than DDT?

   Sixty years ago, the American writer, scientist, and ecologist Rachel Carson published her book, Silent Spring, exposing the hazards of the pesticide DDT on the environment. For the first time, the need to regulate the industry to protect the environment became widely accepted, and environmentalism was born. Sarah Hale and Hans Peter Arp lead the EU research and innovation project ZeroPM to tackle pollution from thousands of hazardous PM substances. They ask: What would be different had Rachel Carson discovered PFAS rather than DDT? And what key lesson should be learned to avoid more Silent Springs from happening?

8. 

   14 Jul 2022

   #2: The development of Suction Bucket foundations for offshore wind turbines

   NGI's Per Sparrevik was in 2015, with two NGI colleagues, inducted into the Offshore Energy Centre's Hall of Fame in Galveston, Texas, USA for his work on suction anchors. He has been part of the development of suction buckets foundations from the early days in oil and gas projects to today's use for offshore wind turbines. Rasmus Klinkvort has talked with Per about suction buckets in general and the transition from oil and gas to offshore wind turbine projects. If you are interested in suction caisson design for offshore wind turbines this is the podcast for you.

9. 

   14 Jul 2022

   #1: The PISA project and how that changed monopile design

   The PIle Soil Analsis (PISA) project was a big joint research project performed some years ago. Today the project is finalized and the outcome of the project is reported as open access article. The project has had a big influence on the industry and how we design monopiles today. Rasmus Klinkvort has talked with the academic leader of the project Professor Byron Byrne from the University of Oxford.  He explains the principle and findings of the projects and also looks ahead to where new research on cyclic loading is heading. If you are interested in monopile design for offshore wind turbines this is the podcast for you.

Inside a recent episode

#9: Robert Thurner, Tone Smaavik and Georg Erharter on Onshore Geotechnics, Quick Clay, Sustainability, Scandinavian Working Culture and the Importance of Fun at Work!

Published 7 May 2025 · Transcript excerpt

[…] So that's the danger that it can quite quickly change the sort of strengths or in reality how it appears in nature yeah which leads also to the fact that you have to think about for example how you have to pretreat this soil before you can excavate it at all which is for sure a difference then in many other areas. […]

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2,784,084

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Spotify

4.8 / 5

4 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 31 / 100

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15

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0

YouTube

86

Engagement

32

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