Asanka Don Peerislage is a Civil and Geotechnical Engineer specialising in tailings storage facilities (TSFs), geotechnical investigations, and mine-site infrastructure. He has worked on major mining and infrastructure projects across Australia and internationally, including direct field experience in surface and underground mining environments with leading industry operators. Asanka enjoys mentoring early-career engineers and contributing to safe, sustainable infrastructure outcomes. Asanka walks us through the recent ATC University Geotechnical Field Training Workshops that he facilitated in April.
As part of the ATC University (ATCU) program, I had the opportunity to lead two hands-on Geotechnical Field Training Workshops at beachside locations in Mordialloc, Victoria and Maroochydore, Queensland. The beach environment provided ideal conditions for geotechnical field testing and gave participants a real sandbox to practise in.
One ATCW Approach
The workshops brought together engineers from across our offices. The Victorian workshop was attended by staff from our Melbourne and Tasmania offices, while the Queensland workshop drew engineers from our Sunshine Coast and Brisbane teams. Having people from different offices in the same location fostered a genuine sense of collaboration and connection that is hard to replicate remotely.
Action Stations
Participants rotated through four testing stations throughout the day:
- Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP) and PANDA DCP testing
- Handheld Shear Vane testing
- Falling Head Permeability testing
- Sand Replacement (Sand Cone) Density testing
Each station focused on correct equipment use, safe test execution, accurate data recording, and consistency with ATC Williams procedures and relevant Australian Standards.
An Outstanding Crew
I was supported by a talented team of onsite facilitators – Yuqi Tan, James Whall, Jacob Holder, Hubert Ayanu and Haddon Bray. The broader Melbourne and Sunshine Coast teams also contributed to administration, laboratory coordination and logistics. A special mention goes to Ravindu De Silva, whose coordination was invaluable in bringing the Queensland workshop together. The collaborative effort made the workshops possible.
Valuable Synchronistic Learning
What stood out was the extent of learning that occurred beyond the testing itself. While the participants built hands-on competency in core geotechnical field methods, the conversations between stations were just as valuable. Our experienced staff shared insights into site conditions, field challenges and lessons learned from real projects. This unique knowledge-sharing cannot be obtained from a textbook or a procedure document.
Leading these workshops was as much a development opportunity for me as for the participants. Coordinating two events across two states, managing multiple facilitators, keeping the day running smoothly, and ensuring every participant got meaningful value from each station pushed me to grow in ways I hadn’t fully anticipated. From project management and logistics to communication, mentoring and leadership, it was a genuinely rewarding challenge.
The results speak for themselves
ATC Williams now has a more experienced and confident geotechnical field workforce, better equipped to deliver consistent, high-quality investigations across our projects.
My sincere thanks to Kim Morrison, Chief Technical Officer, and Yuqi Tan, Geotechnical Investigation Technical Community Leader, for their guidance and support throughout this initiative.
I’m proud of what the ATCW team achieved and look forward to building on this through future ATCU workshops.
You can connect with Asanka on LinkedIn.