Soil mechanics

Doug VanDine answers the question “What are you doing to keep out of trouble these days”? He describes his transition from being a geotechnical design engineer to a researcher and writer of geotechnical engineering history. His first publication gave a history of the Drynoch Landslide in BC, which has been moving for over 6,000 years.  He has also researched and published biographiesy of Robert Leggett, “ a father of geotechnical engineering in Canada” and Major Leslie Charles, who located much of the Hudson Bay Railway from The Pas to Churchill Manitoba a century ago.

Boro Lukajic describes developing his fascination with the Canadian Arctic while a university student in what was then Yugoslavia. He described this to a Canadian immigration agent at the Canadian embassy in Vienna, who responded “Welcome to Canada”.  He describes some of his experiences in the wilderness, including a work camp at Churchill Falls, Labrador – and encounters with a black bear.

Geotechnical engineer Boro Lukajic immigrated to Canada after completing an engineering degree in what was then Yugoslavia.  He became fascinated about the Canadian Arctic – impressing a Canadian Immigration agent at the Canadian Embassy in Vienna by sharing this fascination – and so was delighted to spend his first assignment in Labrador working on the Churchill Falls hydroelectric power development. He recalls his mentors, including an engineer he met while doing his military service in Yugoslavia who ignited his interest in engineering, and Dr. Ray Benson at Acres Engineering who improved his abilities in hydropower engineering.  Mr. Lukajic worked as a consultant in the Canadian Arctic (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Northern Ontario), Latin America, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates.  He describes a six-week visit to Colombia where the had to climb mountains in a jungle invested with snakes and scorpions! His biggest professional transition came in 1977 when he left Acres to join Ontario Hydro and experience project management. At Ontario Hydro, he switched to nuclear engineering, designing cooling water tunnels under Lakes Huron and Ontario. He reflects on changes to the profession, particularly the development of automated tunneling technologies like tunnel-boring machines and smart drill jumbos.