Find an expert

Dr Jurij Karlovsek is an expert in Geotechnical Engineering, dedicated to advancing knowledge through research and fostering the development of the next generation of engineers. His comprehensive expertise spans various domains within Geotechnical Engineering, including:

1. Infrastructure Projects:

• Research in Sustainable Infrastructure Development
• Expertise in Tunnelling and Constructability

2. Information Modelling:

• Information Modelling in Tunnelling, focusing on Bored and Mechanised Tunnelling
• BIM and Sustainability for Life Cycle Management

3. Non-Destructive and Spatial Techniques:

• Employing NDT and Spatial techniques for Infrastructure Projects
• I specialize in integrity and localization through advanced technologies like GPR, SLAM, LiDAR, and InSAR.

Dr Karlovsek is an EAIT Faculty Lead and Co-Director at the Sustainable Infrastructure Research Hub, collaborating closely with the BEL Faculty. Additionally, he is the co-founder and area lead at the Infrastructure CoLab.

Within the School of Civil Engineering (SoCE), Dr Karlovsek serves as the course coordinator for key subjects:

• CIVL2210 - Soil Mechanics
• CIVL4525 - Sustainable Infrastructure Design
• CIVL6250 - Underground Structures

At the corporate level, Dr Karlovsek is actively involved in community engagement through the creation and implementation of associations. Currently, he holds the position of Vice-President of the National Committee of the Australian Tunnelling Society (ATS) and serves as the Past Animator (Chair) of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITA) Working Group 22 – Information Modelling in Tunnelling (BIM in Tunnelling). Locally, Dr Karlovsek contributes to committees at BrisBIM – Digital Community Group Queensland, Planning Institute of Australia Technical Group (PlanTech), Australasian BIM Advisory Board (ABAB) and the Australian Shotcrete Society National Committee.

Beyond his organizational roles, Dr Karlovsek is deeply committed to mentorship, actively guiding undergraduate and postgraduate students. He supports their research endeavors, industry engagement activities, and overall ensures a enriching and profitable educational experience for each student under his mentorship.

Dr Danish Kazmi completed his PhD in Geotechnical Engineering at The University of Queensland (UQ) in Australia. His PhD research investigated the potential use of crushed waste glass as a sustainable alternative to depleting traditional construction sands (natural and quarried) to backfill granular columns for in-situ ground improvement. He is a pioneer globally in researching the potential use of crushed waste glass to backfill granular columns for ground improvement in clayey soil.

His research mainly focuses on developing sustainable geomaterials by recycling ever-increasing wastes as alternatives to diminishing and increasingly expensive natural aggregates in geotechnical construction, helping the transition to a circular economy.

Danish is a TEDx Speaker and delivered a TEDx Talk at TEDxBrisbane. He is also one of the youngest researchers ever from his centre at UQ to receive a PhD.

Danish won the prestigious Career Development Fellowship at UQ, funded by the Australian Government. He received the coveted UQ Global Change Scholar Award and Future Leader Award. He won the Young Science Ambassador Award for the Wonder of Science Program in Australia to help promote a STEM culture in Queensland schools. He is a passionate science communicator and a double award winner at the Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT®) at the UQ’s School of Civil Engineering level. His PhD research has been featured in several Australian and international magazines and has led him to win several scholarships, alongside his selection to present at well-reputed live science communication events. Danish has published three high-definition UQ-branded Video Abstracts to communicate his research to the broader society and help maximise science outreach. Danish was interviewed by Inspiring Australia as part of Australia's National Science Week celebrations to help spark the interest of students in STEM education. He successfully initiated cross-institutional research collaborations with world-leading organisations and is an invited peer-reviewer for various top-ranking scientific journals and conferences.

Danish currently works full-time as a Geotechnical Engineer in the Tunnels & Geotechnics Team (South Queensland Region) at GHD in the Australian industry. Previously, he worked as a full-time Lecturer in Geotechnical Engineering at UQ. He is passionate about helping to develop transformative civil and geotechnical engineering solutions through leading-edge research leveraging university-industry collaborations.

Danish is a UQ Global Change Scholar and Green Office Representative. He is an accredited Mental Health First Aider and a UQ Mental Health Champion. He is also a certified Carbon Literate. Danish cares deeply about the environment and believes planet Earth is our most valuable asset. Outside work, he enjoys volunteering for sustainability, social initiatives, and science communication, connecting with nature, and spending time at the beach.

Australian Geotechnical Industry Experience Highlights

• Asset management, site inspections, construction quality assurance and compliance (QA and QC)
• Dam inspections, monitoring, regulatory compliance and high-level reporting
• Geotechnical site investigations (including sonic drilling, auger drilling, etc.)
• Borehole and test pit logging
• In-situ sampling of soils and rocks
• Standard Penetration Test (SPT)
• Concrete and asphalt core sampling and logging with borehole reinstatement (Airport taxiways, rigid aircraft pavement design, etc.)
• Dynamic Cone Penetration Test (DCP) and PANDA® Lightweight Dynamic Cone Penetration Test
• Packer Test (to determine the average hydraulic conductivity of underground rock formations)
• Geotechnical instrumentation (standpipe and vibrating wire piezometers, data loggers, telemetry, etc.)
• Geotechnical cost estimation, report writing and proposal development

Australian Industry Certifications or Licenses (Shortlisted)

• ​​​​​Queensland White Card (Construction Induction)
• Class C Manual Driver License (Open)
• Provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (HLTAID009)
• Provide basic emergency life support (HLTAID010)
• Provide First Aid (HLTAID011)
• Operate and maintain a four wheel drive vehicle (RIIVEH305F)
• Undertake first response to fire incidents (MSMWHS212)
• Communicate in the workplace (RIICOM201E)
• Apply initial response First Aid (RIIERR205D)
• Respond to local emergencies and incidents (RIIERR302E)
• Comply with site work processes/procedures (RIIGOV201E)
• Conduct local risk control (RIIRIS201E)
• Work safely & follow WHS policies and procedures (RIIWHS201E)
• Standard 11 Surface Induction (RIISS00034 Surface Coal Mine Safety Skill Set)

Dr Adnan Sufian completed his PhD at UNSW Sydney, spending one year as a visiting scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Prior to joining the University of Queensland, he was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Imperial College London and has also worked as a geotechnical engineer with SMEC Australia. Dr Sufian's field of research is in the area of multi-scale and multi-phase mechanics of granular materials. His research aims to develop tools and guidelines so that geotechnical engineers can better handle, manipulate and construct with granular materials, and this can lead to innovative solutions to geotechnical issues surrounding the development of urban infrastructure. He is also interested in understanding natural phenomena associated with granular geomaterials such as landscapes affected by erosion, mass movement of materials in landslides, and mitigating the spread of contaminants in subsurface flows. Dr Sufian has strong expertise in the development of novel, efficient and rigorous multi-scale computational modelling techniques, including the Discrete Element Method, Computational Fluid Dynamics and Network Models, with a core focus on the interaction of water with soil particles. His research is naturally multidisciplinary and he currently collaborates with physicists, mathematicians and engineers to uncover emergent phenomena from the collective behaviour of granular particles.