ARTC’s Inland Rail Skills Academy develop educational videos from geotechnical work on the Great Dividing Range

Geological testing and core samples of the Great Dividing Range uncovered unique specimens have formed the basis of educational videos.

Geotechnical investigations and analysis for the Inland Rail project on Great Dividing Range and Lockyer Valley have been released in the form of a series of educational videos.

The videos explore several aspects of the work done by the Australian Rail Track Corporation including an introduction to the geological conditions, the drilling operation and coring, an analysis of the extensive collection of geological core samples and final report preparation.

With some of the rock and soil samples extracted more than 100 million years old, ARTC Inland Rail interim chief executive Rebecca Pickering said the samples were used to determine soil stability and the general geology of the site and were a great opportunity for students with an interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects to view recent large scale field work and investigations.

“There were around 500 boreholes drilled as part of the project in Queensland providing valuable technical data to inform the build of a 6.4km long tunnel through the Great Dividing Range which will be the longest freight rail tunnel in the southern hemisphere,” Mrs Pickering said.

“These specimens are unique. They are samples or rock buried beneath the earth and were formed around 100 million years ago,” she said. “The deepest at Mount Kynoch near Toowoomba was 280 metres deep and was an essential tool for our design team to progress the tunnel design.

“Through our existing relationship with the University of Southern Queensland as a partner in the Inland Rail Skills Academy we set out to develop this series of video resources for students based around 900 square metres of core.

“The footage we shot was then paired with questions to our geotechnical staff on aspects of the project developed by the university to fit their course curriculum.

“The videos will allow students to experience aspects of science and engineering which they would not see in their usual environment. The opportunity to view 100-million-year-old core samples doesn’t come along every day.”

University of Southern Queensland’s associate head of school (engagement and outreach) and senior lecturer in geotechnical engineering, Dr Ali Mirzaghorbanali, said the videos would complement current teaching materials used within geotechnical and geological engineering subjects.

“This is a clear example of work integrated learning where students learn the theory and practice from both the academic staff and field experts,” Dr Mirzaghorbanali said.