An Interview with Zerui (Thomas) Lu – Senior Engineer
Only six years after completing a Master of Engineering at the University of Melbourne, Thomas Lu is at the forefront of Dam Breach Analysis at ATC Williams. We talk to Thomas about what it’s like to be working in engineering advances in this area.
Hi Thomas, tell us about your early engineering influences.
If I go back in time, I’d say I was heavily influenced by my father, who taught engineering at a university in China. I arrived in Melbourne from China in 2015 to pursue a Master’s degree in civil and geotechnical engineering at The University of Melbourne. I was intrigued by the lectures and information presented to me by my professors, which motivated me to develop my career and contribute to this field as I began establishing more knowledge.
Why did you decide to specialise in dam breach analysis?
I joined ATC Williams full-time in 2017 after working here as an intern towards the end of my Master’s. I wasn’t sure what my career path would look like back then, but as a part of my internship, I got to work with everyone and would sit down with a different senior engineer almost every day, learning all that I could from them. ATC Williams is deeply rooted in tailings, water and waste management, covering a variety of service areas. As a result, I formed a very multi-disciplinary mindset early on, which is precisely what dam breach analysis requires. As such, when my supervisor Dr. Benham Pirouz introduced me to the dam breach analysis projects, I was attracted to the complexity of it and quickly learned how to capture the essence of the problems and assess them in a realistic, systematic way. Nowadays, we have established our dam breach analysis team, which brings together expertise across tailings, water, geotechnical and slurry engineering to tackle the most complicated projects.
How is ATC Williams innovating dam breach analysis?
From a technical point of view, dam breach analysis has become a key component of dam design, safety management and emergency response plan, especially after the tragic tailings dam failures in the last few years. The recent industry changes demand credible, site-specific assessments rather than simply relying on the empirical approach. Using our wholistic methodology, we produce comprehensive inundation maps to see the failures hazards and gain a straightforward view for prediction and prevention. With dam breach modelling, we are replicating what might happen in reality and then designing to meet site-specific requirements as mitigation to fix problems before they happen.
What does a typical day look like for you?
When working on a new project, I like to seek advice from specialists across our engineering disciplines. I would talk to our water team to get their insights and interpretations in line with the guidelines. Then I would discuss with our tailings and geotechnical experts to cover complex technical aspects such as liquefaction assessment. The daily debate, collaboration and cooperation within ATC Williams is also something I enjoy, as it helps us evolve the work to get the best possible outcome. I also devote time to researching more about this field to improve our methodology further, as we are constantly innovating and applying our knowledge to benefit our clients.
Do you get the opportunity to go onsite?
I’ve been to remote mining sites in Northern Territory and the Hunter Valley region for construction supervision and geotechnical investigations. I find that it is valuable to get site experience, as it helps with gaining a better understanding of the landscape and the project operation. Modelling a big embankment feels like nothing on a computer screen, but when I’m standing in front of a 10-metre-high embankment during construction, surrounded by heavy machinery, I can quickly understand the scale of the project!
What would you like to do next in your career?
ATC Williams is known for sponsoring people to produce valuable PhD researches that directly influence our industry. I would say that I’m also keen to do a PhD in the future on a research project in dam breach modelling. I don’t think I will ever lose interest in this topic because there are always new problems to tackle and solve. The potential to keep improving upon what is known really excites me. I feel like it’s a tangible way to make a difference.
You can follow Thomas on Linkedin here
