Ravi Salimath | Intermediate
Geotechnical Engineer
Qualifications and
professional memberships
PhD (geotechnical), NZGS
membership
Key Skills
Shallow and deep foundations,
retaining structures, rail
formation design, ground
improvement works, ground
anchors, slope stability, deep
excavations, basements,
highway embankments, soil-
structure interaction,
geotechnical earthquake
engineering, earthquake
resistant design of foundations
and retaining structures, ground
engineering risk assessment.
Proficient in industry softwares
Plaxis 2D/3D, Slope/W, LPile,
WALLAP, GRLWEAP, Settle
3D, ALLPile, DEEPSOIL, .
Years in industry
6.5
Geotechnical Engineer with ability to conceptualize and deliver
efficient geotechnical design solutions addressing the ground
engineering risks. Ability to work independently liaising with
clients, civil and structural engineers and assisting in business
cases, Masterplanning, ground engineering risk management.
Embraces modern principles and practices of geotechnical
engineering with an interest in numerical modelling of
geotechnical problems.
Project Experience
WORK EXPERIENCE
Aurecon, Wellington, New Zealand
Intermediate Geotechnical Engineer April 2018 to present
T2UH Track Upgrade Works and Underpass with Basement, KiwiRail
(ongoing)
 Track settlement analysis (Plaxis 2D) and formation design for the proposed
Trentham to Upper Hutt upgrade works for KiwiRail.
 Preparation of construction specifications and QA requirements for the track
formation construction and drainage recommendations.
 Geotechnical assessment and foundation recommendations for the underpass
structure, foundations, design of associated retaining structures and construction
staging.
Manawatu Gorge Replacement Highway, NZTA (Successful Tender Design -
2019)
 Preliminary design of MSE walls, embankment slopes and box culverts seismic
conditions (Plaxis 2D). The proposed highway corridor has 2 seismic active
faults and is in zone of high seismic hazard risk.
 Carry out site specific response analysis (Plaxis 2D and DeepSoil) and
determine ground motion parameters, review of available investigation data and
developing design soil parameters.
Mason Clinic Masterplanning, Waitemata District Health Board (Ongoing)
 Proposed new developments works at the existing Mason Clinic site in
Auckland. The site area is around 80000m2 and has complex geology with
shallow basalt in the central portion and very shallow groundwater table across
the site.
 Planning and organizing geotechnical and geophysical investigation works
across the whole site.
 Review of the existing information and assessment of geotechnical risks.
 Assisting architect/civil and structural engineers by contributing ground
engineering risks in the business case to the client.
 Review and preliminary recommendations involving effects of hydrostatic uplift,
dewatering and drawdown settlement, possible building foundation options,
retaining structures, etc and reviewing the feasibility/constructability of the
proposed masterplan staging and building footprints.
Ravi Salimath | Geotechnical Engineer

Central Interceptor Project, Watercare (Tender Design, 2018)

 Plaxis 2D/3D finite element modelling for analysis and design of deep vertical
shafts and temporary retaining works. The depth of the shafts varied from 8 to
40m below ground.

 Construction staging of the shafts and associated ground risks.

Other Projects

 Design of foundations for spark towers with heights varying from 9 to 50m in
liquefiable and seismic risk zones.

 Preparation of geotechnical design reports for proposed track upgrade works at

Henderson Station for City Rail Ltd (CRL), pipeline foundations and feasibility for
Mobil, etc.

 Preparing proposals, planning investigation and preliminary design

recommendations for Rail upgrade works, Housing New Zealand developments
and other building projects.

Tonkin + Taylor, Auckland, New Zealand

Geotechnical Engineer Nov 2016 – Nov 2017

Puhoi to Warkworth Motorway, NZTA

 Design of reinforced embankments on soft soils, settlement risk using GeoStudio

and Settle 3D software.

 Design of retaining walls and slope stability analysis.

 Developing geotechnical design parameters for embankment and slope stability

analysis and sensitivity checks.

 CBR assessments for pavements and onsite testing specifications.

Pacifica Residential Tower, Auckland

 Pile design for the 187m high Pacifica tower in Auckland. The tower is subjected
to large base shear and seismic loading.

 Evaluation of lateral and vertical spring stiffness, the non-linear lateral load
displacement and moment – rotation response for pile foundations. Assessing
the ECBF rock quality and recommending pile termination depths.
Other Projects

 Building projects comprising of analysis and design of foundations (static and

seismic), retaining walls, underpinning and temporary shoring works.

 Construction monitoring and supervision of piling, excavation, slope stabilization,

ground anchors and quality control as per the design requirements.

 Assessment of liquefaction hazards, lateral spreading, land damage inspection

and remedial solutions for EQC.

Hyder Consulting India Pvt.Ltd. Bangalore, India

Senior Geotechnical Engineer July, 2011 – March 2012

 Damage assessment analysis of water/sewer pipelines and other utilities along

the existing and proposed railway layout, for Cross rail project in UK.
Ravi Salimath | Geotechnical Engineer

 Preparation of geotechnical reports and temporary/permanent retaining wall

designs for building and railway stations.
Geocon International Pvt.Ltd. Mumbai, India
Senior Geotechnical Engineer May 2010 – June 2011

Duties involved design of shoring works such as contiguous pile wall, both
cantilever and with ground anchors, design of shallow foundations, pile foundations
and piled-rafts for high rise structures using PLAXIS 3D foundations.

Ground improvement design work comprising of stone columns, soil nailing.

Sharaf Foundations and Construction Industries Dubai, UAE

Design Engineer (Geotechnical) May 2009 – May 2010

Preliminary and final design of pile foundations in rock, shoring systems

(contiguous piles, diaphragm walls, secant piles sheet piling), ground anchors,
struts and dewatering systems (deep wells and well points).

Key projects include design of pile foundations, contiguous pile and diaphragm
walls for Dubai maritime city, Meydan racecourse works, Shoring works at Saadiyat
beach resort at Abu Dhabi.

EDUCATION
University of Auckland, Auckland, NZ

Ph.D in Geotechnical Foundation Engineering (2018)

Recipient of fully funded Faculty of Engineering Doctoral Scholarship

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Mumbai, India

Master of Technology in Geotechnical Engineering; CPI 8.73/10 2008

GATE; All India rank: 329

RESEARCH
University of Auckland, Auckland, NZ

PhD (2018)

3D finite element modelling of shallow foundations on clay, subjected to moment in

addition to vertical load using PLAXIS 3D 2011 and developing the moment-
rotation response of footings with different L/B ratios.

Modelling lift-off and loss of contact of footing using interface element to simulate
realistic soil-foundation-structure interaction and incorporating the effects of soil
non-linearity in the existing design methods. Snap-back testing of shallow
foundations to study the effects of damping and dynamic response.

Presented at 12th Australia New Zealand Geomechanics Conference (ANZ 2015),

Wellington, 2015.
Ravi Salimath | Geotechnical Engineer

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Mumbai, India

Master of Technology 2008

Analysis of laterally loaded piles in stiff clay. Evaluation of ultimate lateral load and
effects of cyclic loading using moment area method and static/cyclic p-y curves
(Reese, 1975). Development of simplified p-y curve for laterally loaded pile in stiff
clay for both static and cyclic loading conditions. Pile driveability analysis using
GRLWEAP program to study effects of parameters like shaft and toe damping, pile
wall thickness, cushion stiffness, etc.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
1. Salimath, R.S., Pender, M.J. (2015). Moment-rotation behavior of shallow
foundations with fixed vertical load using PLAXIS 3D. Proceedings of 6th
ICEGE conference, Christchurch. Paper No: 258.
2. Salimath, R.S., Pender, M.J. (2015). PLAXIS modelling of moment-rotation
curves for shallow foundations on clay at constant vertical load. 12th ANZ
Geomechanics conference, Wellington, Ref: 089.
3. Salimath, R.S., Dewaikar, D.M., and Savant, V.A. (2009). A modified p-y curve
for the analysis of laterally loaded pile in stiff clay. Australian Geomechanics
Journal, Vol 44, No 3.

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP

Student membership, New Zealand Geotechnical Society, NZGS.

REFERENCES
Prof. Mick Pender (Current supervisor, PhD). University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Email: m.pender@auckland.ac.nz

Richard Apperley, Technical Director, Transport, Aurecon, New Zealand. Email:

R.Apperley@aurecongroup.com