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BANIBRATA MUKHERJEE
Principal Geological Engineer
Years of Experience
17 ( approx 2 years in Australia with PB, 15 in India, Bhutan, Nepal with others)
Residence Language
Australia; India English, Bengali, Hindi
Contact Address
4/8 Underhill Avn.
Indooroopilly, Brisbane, Queensland 4068. AUSTRALIA
Hand phone: +61 448 850 093;
E-mail: bani_mukherjee@rediffmail.com; bani_mukherjee@hotmail.com;
Education
Master of Science (Applied Geology), Indian Institute of Technology, India;
Bachelor of Science, University of Burdwan, west Bengal, India
Professional Affiliations
International Association of Engineering Geology and Environment: Member; International Society of Rock Mechanics: Member; Indian Society of Geological Sciences: Member; Australian Geomechanical Society: Member
International society of Rock Mechanics: Member
Key Qualifications
Mr. Mukherjee has more than 17 years experience in underground construction and related designs in Australia, Sweden, India, Bhutan, and Nepal. He has long valuable contribution in tunnels in large hydro projects, water transport tunnels in irrigation, and subway/metro tunnels relating to large rock caverns like powerhouse caverns, large storage caverns for fuels, deep subway stations and bus terminus, large span tunnels in difficult ground and cross over structures. He has lead teams in the planning and execution of geological–geotechnical and geological investigation campaigns using advanced geological and geophysical techniques including state-of-the-art 2-D and 3-D geological ground modelling software. He has produced technical reports on ground investigation and interpretation. His other areas of expertise include construction supervision, active design during construction / design optimisation, geotechnical instrumentation (planning, execution, monitoring, data production, interpretation), and project management (design coordination, planning, and delivery).
Apart from his core technical competence, Mr. Mukherjee has complementary exposure in contracts management, tendering, and business development experience.
Career Objective
To achieve a leading technical presence in geotechnics in the Australian and Regional Market place fulfilling the key senior role within the geotechnical group with long term commitment, and providing leadership and technical advice to the team members including other teams when required. Instilling best practice through the work process, skill development, innovation and technical excellence, leading by example and to act as a mentor to function staff to ensure that they benefit from working with an engineer of recognized standing in the industry
Aspire to be trained directly in depth for the new technical & management packages / modules (company’s In-House / globally practised: software, approach plan, best management practises).
Overseeing the delivery of projects to meet or exceed time, quality and budgetary targets in line with Clients’ expectations. Marketing the Company’s services through meetings with Clients, bid and proposal preparation and general promotional activities. Seek opportunities and encourage work packaging internationally. Fulfil other internal company roles as mutually agreed from time to time.
Project Experience
Road/Traffic Tunnels
• Airport Link Project, Brisbane, Thiess – John Holland Joint Venture.2008-2009. Principal Engineering Geologist, detail design submission for 5.8billion AUD combined toll road and busway project.
Project is part of Brisbane’s key TransApex strategic development plan and includes 3.5 km of dual three-lane and two-lane road tunnels with complex ramp cross overs (totaling more than 12 km of TBM driven and road header driven tunnel). Airport Link toll road, a PPP project, will provide a primary orbital function for traffic to bypass Brisbane’s central business district via North–South Bypass Tunnel and Inner City Bypass. It will also deliver a secondary radial traffic function between south central and northern suburbs, Brisbane Airport and Australia TradeCoast precinct. Where it connects with existing surface road infrastructure at its three major interchanges it includes multiple large span shallow ramps, bridge, and cut-and-cover structures, and large ventilation buildings. Northern Busway design and construction includes approximately 1 km of shallow large span busway tunnel provisioned for two new bus stations and stops on a 3 km long two-lane, two-way bus-only facility.
Major role played in APL project (PBA JV: a joint venture between PB & Arup) consisted of:
• Planning and execution of comprehensive ground investigation campaign including extensive ground geological mapping, drilling, RAAX and acoustic probing, in-situ and laboratory testing of rock and soil, pile testing, assisting in hydro-geological charactierisation
• Quality screening, data collation and building up of the ground investigation of database; presentation of database using GIS, gINT,
• interrogation and interpretation geological database; characterization of ground and its behavior to the tunnel & other structures; modeling of the global project geology base upon 2-D and 3-D analysis (using CADD, VULCAN, Google sketchUp)
• development of rock mass classification system and interrelating it to the rock material parameters for seamless interfacing with tunnel design system and numerical modeling
• assisting in developing the project construction supervision manuals and quality procedure for ground inspection, characterization and tunnel mapping
• supervising, training and mentoring of the junior team members
• Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India, Northern Railways.2004-2006. Coordinator and Project Geologist. Responsible for detail design and construction supervision for 11-km-long railway tunnel design in Himalayan geology (deep shear zone, karstic topography, high overburden over 2,000 m) using NATM concept, tendering, and evaluating of contractors. Works included geological mapping, geotechnical and rock mass assessment, technical parameters for tunnel design and support system.
• Delhi Metro Subway Corridor MC1a, New Delhi, India, Client: Delhi Metro Railway Corporation.2002 – 2004. As Manager - Rock Support and Geology. Responsible for detail designing and construction execution of 4.5-km-long stretch of underground metro corridor including four underground metro stations using top-down and cut-and-cover method and active design optimisation during construction. Carried out detail geotechnical and geological investigation, factual and interpretive geotechnical report preparation, geotechnical inputs for designing of cut-and-cover rock slopes, pile foundation characterisation, and soil stabilisation. Complete campaign for geotechnical instrumentation for the project from design to implementation, including data acquisition and processing.
• Delhi Rapid Transit Underground Metro Corridor, New Delhi, India. 2001. Responsible for contractors’ bid design, geotechnical site characterization, risk assessment and construction methodology.
• Rohtang Hillroad Highway Road Tunnel, Manali, Himachal Pradesh, India. 2007. External Expert to contractor’s bid design and tender input. Carried out risk assessment for 8.8-km-long road tunnel at high altitude Himalayan snow-bound area with extremely high overburden over 2,000 m. input for tunnel construction, and evaluation of TBM/mined tunneling option.
Large Span Rock Cavern
• Unlined Rock Storage Cavern Storage of Crude Oil, Visakhapatnam, India.2006 -2008.
Client: Engineers India Ltd., Ministry of petroleum & Natural Gas, Govt. of India. Assignment included tender design, detail design verification and construction supervision. Worked as Principal Geologist & Assistant Project Director being responsible for geotechnical aspects, technical coordination and invoicing / payments. The project used advanced 3rd generation design concept of hydrological confinement of hydrocarbons with modified cavern floor avoiding sludge formations in an unlined rock storage cavern 50m below the groundwater table, average 75m below ground.
Project involves 2.33-million-metric-tonne capacity underground unlined crude oil storage cavern with 1.8-million-cubic-metre underground rock excavation for five caverns of cross section of 600 m², 3 caverns 840m long and 2 of 320m. Other components: 2x95m deep 75 m² main shafts, 3x 80m deep inlet shafts, 1750m access tunnel, 1350m long water curtain tunnels; 80 m long water curtain bore holes. The project is situated in Archean gneissic craton in eastern coast of India adjoining creek and shear zone. Job also involved contractors’ bid evaluation and recommendation. The project is presently under construction and scheduled for completion in 2010.
• Detailed Feasibility Study For Unlined Rock Storage Cavern Storage Of Crude Oil, Multiple locations in India (Mangalore, Mumbai, Vizag) for storage volume of 0.5 million metric ton to 2.5 million metric ton.2000 -2001.
Client: Engineers India Ltd., Ministry of petroleum & Natural Gas, Govt. of India. As Lead Geologist, carried out detailed feasibility study of strategic storage of crude oil at sites being responsible for geotechnical investigation campaign, geological mapping and geo-hydrological characterisation, drilling and geophysical studies, preparation of Geotechnical Baseline Reports, compilation of final Detailed Feasibility Report.
Hydropower Tunnels & Caverns
• 1,500-MW Nathpa Jhakri Power Project, Rampur/Simla, Himachal Pradesh, India, Nathpa Jhakri Power Corporation.1993 – 1998. Senior Engineering Geologist. Carried out rock mass classification for tunnel. Involved in stabilisation of slopes and foundations, and support recommendation using NATM concept. Responsible for geotechnical instrumentation, installation, monitoring and studies in tunnels and shafts during excavation, on-site validation of tunnel support design based on observed rock mass conditions during tunnel excavation.
• Tala Hydro-electric Project, Chukha, Thimpu, Bhutan, Tala Hydro Power Authority.1998 -2000. Senior engineering geologist for 1,020-MW project consisting of 7-km-long head race tunnel with access adit. Responsible for technical documentation of geological details encountered during excavation, providing back up for portal development, and optimising cycle time for construction. Monitored and interpreted geotechnical instrumentation for safety. Responsible for contract management.
• 60-MW Hanol-Tuini Hydropower Project, Dehradun, Uttaranchal, India, SunPower India Ltd. 2007. Engineering Geology Expert. Carried out geotechnical assessment of project components (barrage, tunnel alignment, in-ground powerhouse, construction adits), construction material and excavation methodology, preparation of detailed project report.
• 340-MW Teesta Hydro-power Project, Sikkim, India, National Hydro Power Corporation.2001. Project Tender Geologist. Carried out site geotechnical assessment, risk assessment, study of rock class distribution, suitability assessment for power house, water diversion structure, adit and portal location.
• 80-MW Middle Marsyangdi Hydro-power Scheme Stage II, Kathmandu, Nepal, Nepal Electricity Authority.2001. Project geologist for contractor’s bid submission. Carried site geotechnical assessment, risk assessment, study of rock class distribution, suitability assessment for power house, water diversion structure, adit and portal location.
• 240-MW Alaknanda Hydro-power Project, Badrinath, Joshimath, Uttaranchal, India, Malana Power.2007. Engineering Geology Expert. Assessed dam foundation, constructability, construction material.
• 750 x 2-MW Nyamjung Chhu (Stage I and II) Valley Hydro-power Development, Tawang, India, Bhilwara Malana Power Company.2007. Engineering Geology Expert. Responsible for study of virgin valley for development of cascade type hydropower projects. Assessed project components and optimisation of power production. Assessed geotechnical risks, and alignment of head race tunnel, dam foundation.
• Rapid Valley Assessment for Hydro-power Project Development, Spiti Valley, India, Bhilwara. Malana Power Company.2006 – 2007. Engineering Geology Expert. Assessed river valley for hydropower generation. Carried out rapid feasibility study of underground structures and foundation for various components of project, and construction material.
Contract Management
• Delhi Metro Subway Corridor MC1a, New Delhi, India, Delhi Metro Railway Corporation.2004. Contract Manager. Assessed subcontractor billing and claims, subcontract agreement finalisation, and settlement of dispute.
Bid/Proposal Management and Business Development
• Detail Feasibility Study for Road Tunnel Network, Various Locations, India, Himachal Pradesh Road and Infrastructural Development Corporation (HPRIDC).2005. Bid Manager. HPRIDC invited request for proposal for detail feasibility study assignment for decongestion of Simla, the capital city, by road tunnels underneath existing buildings etc.
• 320-MW Tapovan Vishnuprayag Hydropower Project, Uttaranchal, India, National Thermal Power Corporation.2006. Responsible for design, construction review and supervision of TBM tunnelling.
• 300-MW Devasari Hydropower Project, Dehra Dun, Uttaranchal, India, National Thermal Power Corporation.2007. Responsible for technical and financial proposal for detail project report preparation, detail design and construction supervision.
• Strategic Storage of Crude Oil in Rock Cavern, Mangalore, Karnataka, India, Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Ltd and Engineers India Ltd.2008. Responsible for bid for tender design and construction supervision for 3.25 million metric tonnes capacity strategic storage.
Technical expertise
• Engineering geological and geotechnical studies for prefeasibility, detailed feasibility studies and detailed design phases using geophysical techniques (seismic studies, optical televiewing of bores, RAAX, acoustic sounding), core drilling, geological mapping and modeling, geo-hydrological testing & characterization (pump out tests, packer testing);
• Comprehensive geological database management and 3-D geological modeling; utilization of outputs from software like gINT, VULCAN, WELLCADD, SketchUP; AUTOCADD
• Monitoring, presentation, interpretation of geotechnical instrumentation;
• Generating technical reports for various stages of studies from prefeasibility, detailed feasibility studies to detailed design phases;
• Project scheduling, tasking, budgeting, deliverable management and leading the large team of geotechnical /geological engineers;
• Interfacing, coordinating with interdisciplinary aspects of design delivery, construction management, E&M, environment impact management;
• Project reconnaissance study and reporting, proposal preparation, tendering and coordination;
• Client liaison, budgeting, invoicing
Publications
• Mukherjee, B, Kunar, S & Hassan A 2001, ‘Geotechnical characterization of site for underground unlined cavern for crude oil storage’, paper presented to New Frontiers in Tunnelling Conference, Kathmandu.
• Mukherjee, B & Hakansson, U 2004, ‘Rock blasting in urban environment: New Delhi metro project’, paper presented to Bergmekaniks Dagen (seminar in rock mechanics), Stockholm.
• Mukherjee, B & Samanta. G, ‘Development of geological ground model for an urban tunnel project and its sequential optimization from conceptual to detail design stage: an useful tool for geotechnical risk identification and design inputs’ (World Tunneling Congress Montreal’ 2010; to be published)
Trainings
• Queensland Blue card holder for Construction safety, Queensland, Australia
• Safety tanning in confined space and rescue, Queensland, Australia
• Safety in Tunnels and underground construction, National Safety Council, India
Professional History
2008 – present Principal Engineer-Geology: Parsons Brinckerhoff Australia Pty Ltd
2006 – 2008 Asst. Project Director / Principal Geologist: Sweco International AB, Sweden/India
2004 – 2006 Country Manager: Geoconsult ZT GmbH, Austria/India
2004 – 2006 External expert in Engineering Geology: RSW, Canada & Indo -Canadian Consultancy Services Ltd, India
1999 – 2004 Senior Engineering Geologist: Skanska International Civil Engineering AB, Sweden/India
1998 – 1999 Senior Project Geologist: Larsen and Toubro Ltd, -Engineering and Construction Group, India
1994 – 1998 Asst. Manager-Geology: Impregilo s.P.a and HCC Joint Venture, India
1992 – 1994 Research Officer: Indian School of Mines, India
Summery of assignments and projects worked:
Service type code:
C: Construction / with Contractor
CDT: Contractor’s Design Team
DC: Design Consultant
Assignment type code:
FS: Feasibility Study
DFS: Detailed Feasibility Study
DD: Detailed Design
CS: Construction Supervision
TE: Tender Engineering
Project Name, Project type Location & Project Details Service Type & agency Assignment type
1. Airport Link, Northern bus way & Airport Round About
DD Brisbane DC
Parsons Brinckerhoff –Arup JV (deputed from PB) DD,
CS Investigation, Geological assessment & Interpretive reprts, rock characterization, 3-D geological modeling and support design as part of detail design submission
2. Strategic Storage of crude oil in unlined rock cavern Visakhapatnam, India DC SWECO International AB. DFS, TE Detailed feasibility report, Tender engineering & FEED.
3. Delhi Metro rapid transit system New Delhi, India
CDT Kumagai-Skanska-HCC JV (deputed from Skanska International) DD Detailed design of rock support; geotechnical instrumentation, active design optimisation
4. Detailed feasibility for Strategic Storage of crude oil in unlined rock cavern Three sites in India: Mumbai, Mangalore, Visakhapatnam DC Skanska Teknik AB, Stockholm DFS Detailed feasibility report (basic design, cavern lining & stability, cost calculation, system studies)
5. Rohtang Road Tunnel Himalayan belt; Himachal Pradesh, 8.8 km long high altitude hill road tunnel C External expert to Larsen & Toubro Ltd. TE Risk assessment for construction and validation of construction method
6. Tala hydroproject Bhutan, 1020 MW runoff the river HEP C Larsen & Toubro Ltd, CS Rock classification, tunnel support, tunnel mapping, geotechnical instrumentation
7. Pir Panjal railway tunnel Kashmir, 11Km long railway tunnel;
DC Geoconsult, Austria Tendering, geotechnical investigation, detailed design and construction supervision
8. Nathpa Jhakri Hydroproject Himachal Pradesh, India
1500 MW runoff the river with 30km tunnel, underground powerhouse, 60m high dam
C
Impregilo sPa & Hindustan Construction JV CS Rock classification, tunnel support, tunnel mapping, geotechnical instrumentation
9. Rapid hydropower potential study: Spiti valley Upper Himalaya, India DC ICCS-RSW JV FS Rapid feasibility study of hydropower projects along valley
10. Various hydropower projects Himalayan belt, India DC Skanska, ICCS-RSW JV, Geoconsult FS, TE Tendering, feasibility study, estimation, construction method
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