Prof. Stephen Fityus

Biography

Dr Fityus has made many contributions to a wide range of research areas with a large number of co-researchers. His research interests are spread across fields in geomechanics, geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering and engineering geology. Geomaterials studied include granular soils, soft/estuarine soils, expansive/cracked clay soils, unsaturated soils and residual soils. Issues studied include foundation movements, foundation capacity, slope stability, contaminant transport, permeability and hydraulic conductivity, in situ and laboratory testing and the origin of soils and soil deposits.

Whilst Dr Fityus's significant contributions and multidisciplinary expertise are recognised by his frequent invitation to review papers for a wide range of esteemed scholarly journals (Engineering Geology, ASTM Geotechnical Testing Journal, ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, Canadian Geotechnical Journal, Computers and Geotechnics and Water Resources Research), his diversity of research interests have prevented his specific impact in any particular research area.

Dr Fityus is currently looking to focus his research interests on a smaller number of areas, limited to expansive soil foundations, engineering geology and minesite geotechnics.

Qualifications

• PhD, University of Newcastle, 2000
• Bachelor of Science (Geology), University of Newcastle
• Bachelor of Engineering (Civil)(Honours), University of Newcastle, 1989

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Research

Research keywords

• Engineering Geology
• Estuarine Deposits and Soft Soils
• Expansive Soils
• In Situ Testing
• Laboratory Testing
• Minesite Rehabilitation and Geotechnics
• Particulate Soils
• Slope Stability
• Unsaturated Soils

Research expertise

Research expertise is mostly centered around field study and laboratory testing of geomaterials including unsaturated soils, expansive clay soils, silica sands, soft clays and weak sedimentary rocks. This work has extended to include the formulation and development of site condition models for different geological environments and behavioural models for geomaterials. Research has focussed more on practical application than on theoretical developments. It is also intentionally cross-disciplinary, aimed at enhancing the state of knowledge in the different disciplines by combining it with what is known from other disciplines.

Specific contexts include better prediction models for predicting foundation movements in expansive soils, better characterisation of expansive soils, mechanisms of slope stability related to geological structure, the structure and properties of soft soils in estuarine environments, the geotechnics of minespoil and foilure mechanisms of plate anchors in sand.

Fields of Research

Code	Description	Percentage
090501	Civil Geotechnical Engineering	90
040399	Geology Not Elsewhere Classified	5
050399	Soil Sciences Not Elsewhere Classified	5

Centres and Groups

Centre

• ARC Centre of Excellence for Geotechnical Science and Engineering
• PRC - Priority Research Centre for Geotechnical and Materials Modelling

Memberships

Body relevant to professional practice.

• Member, Representative to National Committee, Local Chapter Treasurer. - Australian Geomechanics Society
• member - Mine Subsidence Technological Society

Other

• member - Rail Technological Society of Australia

Appointments

Vice President The University of Newcastle Sports Union (Australia)	01/11/1996 - 01/05/1999
Chair of Organising Committee, Engineering Geology and Geotechnical Engineering of the Hunter Valley. Australian Geomechanics Society (Australia)	01/03/1997 - 01/11/1998
Invited Coordination Group member of Newcastle (Earthquake Risk Assessment) Project Geoscience Australia (Australia)	01/02/2000 - 01/09/2002
Member of University of Newcastle Industry Scholarship Scheme University of Newcastle (Australia)	01/03/2001
Board Member NUsport P/L (Australia)	01/05/2004
Judge, Newcastle Division Engineering Excellence Awards. Engineers Australia (Australia)	01/05/2004 - 01/08/2006
Member of Academic Senate University of Newcastle (Australia)	01/03/2006
National Committee Australian Geomechanics Society (Australia)	01/04/2006

Awards

Recognition.

2005

Best Paper in Australian Geomechanics 2005 The Australian Geomechanics Society (Australia) The Australian Geomechanics Journal gives an award for the best paper in each year. This award is judged by a committee of senior members of the Geotechnical Engineering Profession. It was given for FITYUS, S., HAWKINS, G., DELANEY, M. and MORTON, S (2005) An Overview of Engineering Geology and Geotechnical Challenges in the Newcastle Region. Australian Geomechanics 40/1: 5-28.

Invitations

Geology Department and invited consultants Budapest University of Technology and Economics., Hungary (Invited Seminar to Professional Group)	2003
Research Institute for Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest , Hungary (Invited Seminar to Professional Group)	2003
seminar South Australian Footings Group, Australia (Invited presentation to technical society)	2004
Department of Civil Engineering and invited consultants Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary (Invited seminar to professional group)	2003

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Administrative

Administrative expertise

Representative on Academic Senate, member of the University of Newcastle Industry Scholarship Scheme (UNISS) Executive group, coordinator of UNISS scholarships in Civil Engineering, formal liason with Civil Engineering laboratory staff, participant in the Science and Engineering Challenge. More broadly, past Vice President of the former University of Newcastle Sports Union, long term Director of NUsport, member and past treasurer of the Australian Geomechanics Society, Newcastle Chapter representative to AGS National Committee.

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Teaching

Teaching keywords

• Engineering Geology
• Geotechnical Engineering
• Soil Mechanics
• Transportation Engineering
• Unsaturated Soils

Teaching expertise

Teaching expertise includes a wide range of topics within civil and geotechnical engineering. Teaching in Transportation Engineering includes topics such as pavement engineering, pavement materials, geometric design, traffic analysis and traffic control. Teaching in soil mechanics includes soil classification, the fundamentals of stress, pore pressure and permeability, consolidation, laboratory testing and application to practice. Teaching in Geotechnical engineering includes applied desigh methods such as deep and shallow foundations, pile design, retaining wall design, in situ testing, site investigation and contaminated site assessment. Teaching in Engineering Geology includes basic rock types and description, fundamental geological processes, geological structures, weathering and geological mapping. Teaching in geotechnical engineering involves simulated integrated design excercises accross all aspects of the discipline with emphasis on professional practice. Teaching in unsaturated soils involves fundamentals of soil particles and soil structure, soil suction and its measurement and basic unsaturated soil behaviour.

Teaching interests

• Soil Mechanics
• Engineering Geology
• Geotechnical Engineering Design
• Transportation Engineering
• Unsaturated Soils Fundamentals