Emeritus Professor David Williams
Emeritus Professor

David Williams

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Background

Professor David John Williams was the Initiator and Director of the Geotechnical Engineering Centre within the School of Civil Engineering at The University of Queensland, an industry-funded centre that has attracted AUD10 million in funding over the period from 2007 to 2022. He also manages the industry-sponsored Large Open Pit Project, involving 10 global mining company sponsors, with current funding of USD1 million per year. He has over 40 years of teaching, research and consulting experience, and is internationally recognised for his expertise and experience in mine waste management and mine closure, pertaining to tailings dams in particular. He was a member of Expert Panel investigating technical causes of Brumadinho tailings dam failure and is on a number of Tailings Independent Technical Review Boards, including for Escondida Copper Mine in Chile. He authored in 2009 and 2016 Tailings Management Handbook, as part of the Commonwealth Leading Practice Sustainable Development Program for the Mining Industry. He is on Working Party for the Australian National Committee for Large Dams Guidelines on Tailings Dams – Planning, Design, Construction, Operation and Closure, published in 2012, with an Addendum in 2019 and currently being updated. He initiated in 2020 and largely delivers the AusIMM Tailings Management Professional Certificate Course that has been taken by almost 1,500 Tailings Practitioners worldwide.

David received his BE (Hons I) in Civil Engineering from Monash University in 1975 and his PhD in Soil Mechanics from the University of Cambridge in 1979. His research and consulting interests include:

  • Physical characterisation of mine tailings deposition, including beaching, hydraulic sorting, sedimentation, consolidation, desiccation and loading
  • Store and release cover systems for potentially acid forming mine wastes
  • Co-disposal of mine tailings and coarse-grained mine wastes
  • Dewatering and densification of mine tailings
  • Dewatering of mineral products
  • Moisture movement within mine wastes
  • Settlement of coarse-grained mine wastes
  • Strength of coarse-grained mine wastes
  • Engineered rehabilitation of mine sites
  • Risk assessment and cost-effectiveness analysis of mine site rehabilitation and closure
  • Long-term seepage and runoff from mine tailings storages
  • Characterisation of potentially acid forming waste rock dumps
  • Application of high-resolution digital stereo-photography to monitoring erosion from mine waste slopes
  • Mined landform evolution and design

Availability

Emeritus Professor David Williams is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Fields of research

Civil engineering Resources engineering and extractive metallurgy

Qualifications

  • Bachelor (Honours) of Engineering, Monash University
  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Cambridge

Research impacts

Professor Williams' research on mine tailings continues to be applied to improve the dewatering and densification of tailings deposited as a slurry. He developed the store and release cover system for potentially acid forming mine wastes for application in semi-arid and seasonally dry climates, which has been applied worldwide. He characterised the deposit formed on the pumped co-disposal of coal mine washery wastes; a method that has been widely adopted in the coalfields of eastern Australia and Indonesia. The co-disposal of coarse-grained mine wastes and tailings is also being applied. His research on the wetting-up of mine waste rock dumps has contributed to understanding of rainfall infiltration into and seepage from waste rock dumps.

The shear strength and settlement of coarse-grained mine wastes have become important as the scale of waste rock dumps and spoil piles increases. Professor Williams has been a pioneer in the application of risk assessment and cost-effectiveness analysis to mine site rehabilitation and closure. In addition, he applied high-resolution digital stereo-photography to monitoring erosion from mine waste slopes. He has pioneered mined landform evolution and design.

Shortlisted Media and Video Outputs

Search Professor David Williams’s works on UQ eSpace

416 works between 1981 and 2025
All (416) Journal Article (185) Book Chapter (9) Conference Publication (216) Book (4) Other Outputs (2)

21 - 40 of 416 works

2022

Conference Publication

Repurposing of the Genex Kidston mine site in Queensland, Australia

Williams, D. J., McGhie, A. and Short, T. (2022). Repurposing of the Genex Kidston mine site in Queensland, Australia. 15th International Conference on Mine Closure, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 4–6 October 2022. Perth, WA, Australia: Australian Centre for Geomechanics. doi: 10.36487/ACG_repo/2215_57

Repurposing of the Genex Kidston mine site in Queensland, Australia

2022

Conference Publication

Review of mine waste capping methodologies for use in semi-arid regions of Queensland, Australia

Williams, D. J. (2022). Review of mine waste capping methodologies for use in semi-arid regions of Queensland, Australia. 15th International Conference on Mine Closure, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 4-6 October 2022. Crawley, WA, Australia: Australian Centre for Geomechanics. doi: 10.36487/ACG_repo/2215_73

Review of mine waste capping methodologies for use in semi-arid regions of Queensland, Australia

2021

Conference Publication

Effect of the minor principal stress on crack initiation stress threshold

Mutaz, Mahmoud, Serati, Mehdi and Williams, David J. (2021). Effect of the minor principal stress on crack initiation stress threshold. ISRM International Symposium-11th Asian Rock Mechanics Symposium, Beijing, China, 21-25 October 2021. Lisbon, Portugal: International Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering. doi: 10.1088/1755-1315/861/4/042013

Effect of the minor principal stress on crack initiation stress threshold

2021

Conference Publication

Variation of apparent cohesion and friction angle under polyaxial stress conditions in concrete

Mahmoud, Mutaz, Mehdi Serati, Rimmelin, Rigo and Williams, David J. (2021). Variation of apparent cohesion and friction angle under polyaxial stress conditions in concrete. Eurock 2021 , Turin, Italy, 21–24 September 2021. Rome, Italy: Italian Geotechnical Society (AGI). doi: 10.1088/1755-1315/833/1/012018

Variation of apparent cohesion and friction angle under polyaxial stress conditions in concrete

2021

Conference Publication

Crack initiation evolution under triaxial loading conditions

Mahmoud, Mutaz, Mehdi Serati and Williams, David J. (2021). Crack initiation evolution under triaxial loading conditions. Eurock 2021 , Turin, Italy, 21–24 September 2021. Rome, Italy: Italian Geotechnical Society (AGI). doi: 10.1088/1755-1315/833/1/012012

Crack initiation evolution under triaxial loading conditions

2021

Journal Article

Lessons from tailings dam failures—where to go from here?

Williams, David John (2021). Lessons from tailings dam failures—where to go from here?. Minerals, 11 (8) 853, 853. doi: 10.3390/min11080853

Lessons from tailings dam failures—where to go from here?

2021

Journal Article

Effect of initial specimen height and solids concentration on the consolidation parameters of fine-grained coal tailings

Islam, Shriful, Williams, David J. and Zhang, Chenming (2021). Effect of initial specimen height and solids concentration on the consolidation parameters of fine-grained coal tailings. Mining Technology, 130 (4), 244-256. doi: 10.1080/25726668.2021.1957539

Effect of initial specimen height and solids concentration on the consolidation parameters of fine-grained coal tailings

2021

Conference Publication

On the evaluation of crack initiation stress threshold

Mutaz, Mahmoud, Serati, Mehdi, Bahaaddini‬, ‪Mojtaba and Williams, David J. (2021). On the evaluation of crack initiation stress threshold. The 55th U.S. Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium, Houston, TX USA, 18-25 June 2021. Alexandria, VA USA: The American Rock Mechanics Association (ARMA) .

On the evaluation of crack initiation stress threshold

2021

Journal Article

Catalogue of example instrumentation and monitoring systems for tailings dams in Australia

Clarkson, Luke and Williams, David (2021). Catalogue of example instrumentation and monitoring systems for tailings dams in Australia. Mining Technology, 130 (2), 1-11. doi: 10.1080/25726668.2021.1901026

Catalogue of example instrumentation and monitoring systems for tailings dams in Australia

2021

Journal Article

A new experimental approach to quantify microfractures in the Fracture Process Zone (FPZ) under various loading conditions

Ghamgosar, M., Bahaaddini, M., Erarslan, N. and Williams, D. J. (2021). A new experimental approach to quantify microfractures in the Fracture Process Zone (FPZ) under various loading conditions. Engineering Geology, 283 106024, 106024. doi: 10.1016/j.enggeo.2021.106024

A new experimental approach to quantify microfractures in the Fracture Process Zone (FPZ) under various loading conditions

Featured

2021

Journal Article

The potential use of crushed waste glass as a sustainable alternative to natural and manufactured sand in geotechnical applications

Kazmi, Danish, Serati, Mehdi, Williams, David J., Qasim, Sadaf and Cheng, Yi Pik (2021). The potential use of crushed waste glass as a sustainable alternative to natural and manufactured sand in geotechnical applications. Journal of Cleaner Production, 284 124762, 124762. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.124762

The potential use of crushed waste glass as a sustainable alternative to natural and manufactured sand in geotechnical applications

2021

Journal Article

An Overview of Conventional Tailings Dam Geotechnical Failure Mechanisms

Clarkson, Luke and Williams, David (2021). An Overview of Conventional Tailings Dam Geotechnical Failure Mechanisms. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration, 38 (3), 1305-1328. doi: 10.1007/s42461-021-00381-3

An Overview of Conventional Tailings Dam Geotechnical Failure Mechanisms

2021

Journal Article

Geotechnical characterisation of coal tailings down the beach and constant rate of loading consolidation in a slurry consolidometer

Islam, Shriful, Williams, David J., Zhang, Chenming and Llano-Serna, Marcelo (2021). Geotechnical characterisation of coal tailings down the beach and constant rate of loading consolidation in a slurry consolidometer. Mining Technology, 130 (2), 67-80. doi: 10.1080/25726668.2021.1880351

Geotechnical characterisation of coal tailings down the beach and constant rate of loading consolidation in a slurry consolidometer

2021

Journal Article

Catalogue of real-time instrumentation and monitoring techniques for tailings dams

Clarkson, Luke and Williams, David (2021). Catalogue of real-time instrumentation and monitoring techniques for tailings dams. Mining Technology, 130 (1), 1-8. doi: 10.1080/25726668.2021.1874094

Catalogue of real-time instrumentation and monitoring techniques for tailings dams

2020

Conference Publication

Large-scale instrumented column test to assess oxidation and leachate

Zhang, Chenming, Williams, David J., Lei, Ximing, Quintero, Sebastian and Ferguson, Tony (2020). Large-scale instrumented column test to assess oxidation and leachate. Tailings and Mine Waste 2020, Fort Collins, CO USA, 15-18 November 2020. Vancouver, BC Canada: UBC Studios.

Large-scale instrumented column test to assess oxidation and leachate

2020

Conference Publication

Use of high-performance fibres to enhance tailings

Olaya, Sebastian Quintero, Zhang, Chenming, Williams, David J., Lei, Ximing, Zhao, Zicheng and Llano-Serna, Marcelo (2020). Use of high-performance fibres to enhance tailings. Tailings and Mine Waste 2020, Fort Collins, CO USA, 15-18 November 2020. Vancouver, BC Canada: UBC Studios.

Use of high-performance fibres to enhance tailings

2020

Conference Publication

Effect of different tailings dam environments and conditions on phreatic conditions

Clarkson, Luke, Armstrong, Todd and Williams, David J. (2020). Effect of different tailings dam environments and conditions on phreatic conditions. Tailings and Mine Waste 2020, Fort Collins, CO United States, 16-18 November 2020. Fort Collins, CO United States: Colorado State University.

Effect of different tailings dam environments and conditions on phreatic conditions

2020

Journal Article

Effects of fly ash addition on the rheological characteristics of red MUD slurry: An approach to the sustainable mining waste management

Del Pilar Durante Ingunza, Maria, Williams, David J. and Olaya, Sebastian Quintero (2020). Effects of fly ash addition on the rheological characteristics of red MUD slurry: An approach to the sustainable mining waste management. Journal of Solid Waste Technology and Management, 46 (4), 581-588. doi: 10.5276/JSWTM/2020.581

Effects of fly ash addition on the rheological characteristics of red MUD slurry: An approach to the sustainable mining waste management

2020

Conference Publication

On the accurate strain measurements for the crack initiation determination

Mahmoud, M., Serati, M., Williams, D.J. and Nguyen, V.T. (2020). On the accurate strain measurements for the crack initiation determination. Underground Mining Technology, Perth, WA. Australia, 3 – 4 November 2020 . Perth, WA, Australia: Australian Centre for Geomechanics.

On the accurate strain measurements for the crack initiation determination

2020

Conference Publication

A comparative study on shear strength of crushed waste glass with natural and manufactured sand

Kazmi, Danish, Serati, Mehdi, Williams, David J., Qasim, Sadaf, Cheng, Yi Pik and Olaya, Sebastian Quintero (2020). A comparative study on shear strength of crushed waste glass with natural and manufactured sand. 54th US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium, United States, 28 June - 1 July 2020. American Rock Mechanics Association.

A comparative study on shear strength of crushed waste glass with natural and manufactured sand

Availability

Emeritus Professor David Williams is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The tailings dam design process: Design parameters and assessment methodologies

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Chenming Zhang

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Utilisation of Mining Wastes as Backfill Material for Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) Walls

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Partha Narayan Mishra

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Behaviour of railway expansive soil subgrade under wetting and drying cycles

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Chenming Zhang

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Settling, consolidation and desiccation of mine tailings slurry

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Chenming Zhang

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Analytical model for the setup of driven piles

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Chenming Zhang

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Measuring the deformation of mine waste facilities

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Engineering Behaviour of Clay-sized Tailings Relevant to Their Disposal and Utilisation

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Chenming Zhang

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Assessment of hydrological and geotechnical behaviour of bauxite residue after filter pressing and repulping

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Thierry Bore, Dr Chenming Zhang

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Continuous analysis of the timeseries data to predict early TARP for a closed Tailings storage facility using data driven methods.

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Chenming Zhang

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Tunnelling related topic - Water mitigation

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Jurij Karlovsek

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Damage Behaviour of Rock Salt Under Coupled Thermomechanical Polyaxial Stresses

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Mehdi Serati

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Catastrophic rock and concrete brittle failures

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Mehdi Serati

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The Value of Geotechnical Information as a Public or Private Asset

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Jurij Karlovsek

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Farming method and assessment of its application in bauxite residue using scaled laboratory model

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Chenming Zhang

  • Master Philosophy

    Preventing fatalities tailings facilities failures: Pathways to action

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Jill Harris, Professor Deanna Kemp

Completed supervision

Enquiries

Contact Emeritus Professor David Williams directly for media enquiries about:

  • Dumps - mine waste
  • Earthquakes - engineering
  • Engineering - earthquake
  • Engineering - geotechnical
  • Foundations - engineering
  • Geomechanics - mines
  • Geotechnical engineering
  • Landform design - mining
  • Mine rehabilitation
  • Mine waste disposal
  • Rehabilitation - mine sites
  • Slope stability - mining

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