Rab Fernie has been involved in most aspects of Geotechnical Engineering in a career spanning from 1968 to date. Rab joined Cementation Foundations Skanska Limited in 1987 as specialist sub-contractor, and from 1966 as their Technical Director. Prior to this he worked for Central and local Government, and National and International Consultants. He has worked in countries as diverse as Mexico, United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong, and has designed for works in the United States, Argentina, France, Germany, Czech Republic, Denmark, Poland, Turkey, Middle East, Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Philippines, China and Australia.
Rab is a regular presenter to the UK’s Institution of Civil Engineers Geotechnical Groups, and has a National and International network, both academic and industrial. With a high external profile, he is currently:
- Member of the EPSRC Civil Engineering College, Ground Forum and BGA Committee
- Member of CEN 288 WG 15 EN 1536 and 1538 [ Execution Codes for bored piling and diaphragm walling ]
- Visiting lecturer at both Newcastle University and Imperial College, London (on deep basements)
- Supervising Civil Engineer for graduate training for the Institute of Civil Engineers UK.
Previous roles and projects include:
- Visiting Professor Newcastle University
- Chaired ICE review panel on 2nd Edition ‘Specification for Piles AND Embedded Retaining Walls
- Editorial panel member of Géotechnique
- Editorial panel member Geotechnical Engineering
- Past Chair of FPS Polymer interest groups
- Various support roles in CIRIA (Chairman, steering group and participating member on research contracts and a member of PAC4 1993 to 1996)
- Conference organiser on deep basements / underground excavations – Cambridge 1992 and Imperial 2001, City 2003, Skempton Conference 2004 and Technical Chairman for the EFFC/DFI 2010 Conference.
- Designer responsible for award-winning basement provision of Aldersgate (1987) and Harrods (2000 – DFI)
- Significant contributor to EC 5 funded Re-use of Foundations in Urban Situations [RuFUS] study, confererence and handbook.
