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Geotechnical News • December 2015
GEO-INTEREST
deep borings and a proper geotechni-
cal study. By the time the letter was
written just before the contract was to
be let, the lack of a proper geotechni-
cal study was a fait accompli and the
engineer would feel a great deal of
pressure to avoid causing delay and
friction by raising this topic which
so far as he knew had already been
settled by the client.
The structural engineer also assumed
more responsibility than he should
have in signing the form letter stating
that all provisions of the National
Building Code had been met. In
signing this form letter the structural
engineer probably felt that he was only
referring to the structural aspect of the
Building Code while in reality he was
taking responsibility for all aspects of
the building including those related to
foundation design. The structural engi-
neer should have limited his approval
only to the portions of the Building
Code which applied to his structural
analyses.
SRK Launches 40th Anniversary Book
SRK: 40 Years in the Deep End
hosted a party for
the Vancouver launch of its new
book
SRK: 40 Years in the Deep End
.
Employees past and present remi-
nisced about the company’s evolution
and celebrated its achievements. Dis-
tinguished guests included cofounder
Andy Robertson and other influen-
tial consultants from SRK’s early
years such as Keith Robinson, Jack
Caldwell, Ian Hutchison, and John
Gadsby. The book tells how SRK was
established in 1974 to fulfil a need for
technical consulting services in Johan-
nesburg, South Africa. Although the
founders were experienced engineers,
starting a new consulting practice
required a leap of faith into the deep
end of the mining world. Tackling
each project with enthusiasm, they
quickly built SRK into a force to be
reckoned with.
During the subsequent 40 years,
SRK consultants have continued to
approach mining and exploration chal-
lenges across the globe with energy
and commitment. “The metaphor of
jumping into the deep end is therefore
a fitting theme for the book’s cover
and narrative,” said Andy Barrett,
global and North American president
of SRK.
In addition to describing the evolu-
tion of SRK’s offices around the
world, the book provides insight into
SRK’s philosophies and what makes
the company unique. Interviews with
about 160 of the few thousand people
that SRK has employed over the last
40 years yielded many memories and
anecdotes that convey the spirit of
the organization. These stories also
exemplify the main reason for SRK’s
success: the commitment of its staff.
“This book is a tribute to the people
whose talents, passion, and four
decades of hard work have built SRK
into a respected resource industry
consultancy,” said Barrett.
A limited number of copies of the
book have been printed and an e-book
version will be available by the end of
2015.
ABOUT SRK CONSULTING
s an independent,
international consulting practice that
provides focused advice and solu-
tions to clients, mainly in the earth and
water resource industries. For mining
projects, SRK offers services from
o
nclud-
ing feasibility studies, due diligence
reviews, and production optimisation.
Established in 1974, SRK now
employs more than 1,500 professionals
internationally in over 50 offices on 6
continents. Please see
for more information.
Media contact:
Rocio Ramirez, Marketing Coordina-
tor, North America, SRK Consulting,
T: +1-604-681-4196, F: +1-604- 687-
5532, E:
