By Lynda Myer
Derek Pennington, a prominent geotechnical engineer who has vast experiences working as a volunteer and lecturer around the world, is the dive subject of the latest episode Breaking Ground, the podcast for the ground engineering community.
Steve Hadley, who is the chair of the Federation of Piling Specialists, is hosted by Derek Pennington, geotechnical services specialist for Transport for NSW, in this episode. He is Breaking Ground’s first international guest, who joined Hadley over Zoom from his home in Australia.
Pennington’s interview includes his geotechnical career, which has stretched him across the globe from Singapore to Afghanistan, and also across a number of different roles – both within the industry and also the academic world.
He also opens up about his experience of being a gay man working within the construction industry, as he hid his sexuality for the majority of his career.
