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Engineering Insights
Clear engineering thinking for the decisions that shape projects in New Zealand. Our team shares practical knowledge on ground risk, natural hazards, consenting, geotechnical testing, geophysics, structural design, civil design and land development.
These insights are written for owners, developers, builders and fellow professionals who need to understand risk early and make better project decisions.
Geophysics
Learn about Geophysics with us.
Two Seismic Design Standards, One Decision: What It Means for Your Project
New Zealand is in a transition between NZS 1170.5:2004 and TS 1170.5:2025 for seismic design. This article explains how the choice can affect earthquake performance, project cost, consent pathway, site classification, Vs30 testing, long-term asset value and design decisions.
8 min read
Earthing Design on Difficult Ground: Why Your Electrical Engineers Deserve a Better Ground Model
Earthing systems depend on the ground they discharge into. This article explains how resistivity testing, geotechnical investigation and better ground models help electrical designers understand soil and rock layers, groundwater, chemistry and seismic behaviour on difficult sites.
5 min read
Engineering for Tourism Infrastructure: Building in the Places People Visit
Tourism infrastructure is often built in dramatic but difficult places. This article explains how engineering supports walkways, viewing platforms, coastal structures, visitor buildings, access roads, carparks and servicing by assessing ground conditions, hazards, durability, build practicality and visitor safety early.
4 min read
Building New Zealand's Energy Infrastructure on Solid Ground
Energy infrastructure depends on the ground beneath it. This article explains how geotechnical investigation and geophysics help reduce risk on wind, solar, hydro, geothermal, transmission and substation projects by identifying ground conditions, natural hazards and earthing design constraints early.
7 min read
Checking What is Inside a Stopbank, Without Digging It Up
Shows how MASW, GPR, Vs30 profiling and electrical resistivity surveys identified stratigraphic changes, hidden culverts and weak zones in stopbanks to guide maintenance.
4 min read
Finding What's Beneath the Ground Before It's Disturbed: Detecting Unmarked Graves and Archaeological Features
Describes a 7,000 m² ground‑penetrating radar survey that found 27 potential unmarked graves, enabling planners to protect cultural heritage and adjust development plans.
4 min read
Finding the Voids Before They Find You: Detecting Cavities in Karst Ground
Explains how electrical resistivity tomography and targeted drilling mapped karstic voids beneath a quarry floor, allowing safe extraction planning and hazard mitigation.
4 min read
Mapping a Buried Landfill Before You Build Over It
Shows how resistivity, MASW and borehole data produced a reliable ground model of landfill boundaries, depth and potential leachate paths, reducing uncertainty and cost.
4 min read
Reading a Whole Site Before You Design It: Site Characterisation for Subdivisions
Describes a 60 ha subdivision study using resistivity, seismic and shear‑wave profiling to map geology, groundwater and bedrock depths, informing earthworks and foundation design.
4 min read
Checking for Voids Beneath a Dam Spillway, Before They Become a Dam Safety Issue
Learn how advanced geophysics, when integrated with targeted invasive testing, provides dam operators with a reliable, efficient, and non-disruptive method for safeguarding critical spillway infrastructure.
4 min read
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