August 21, 2026, Pretoria, South Africa – Knight Piésold Southern Africa played an active role at the “Engineering Geology in Practice” seminar hosted by the South African Institute for Engineering & Environmental Geologists (SAIEG), contributing technical expertise on calcrete characterisation to the SAIEG community.

Bronwen Klaas, Principal Engineering Geologist at Knight Piésold Southern Africa, delivered the presentation “The Curious Case of Calcretes.” Engineering geologists Lerisha Gounder, Christiaan Homan, and Yokazi Mashilo also participated in the seminar.

The seminar, held August 13–14 in Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal, brought together 99 engineering geologists and geotechnical engineers—63 attending in person and 36 joining online—for technical presentations and discussions on a range of engineering geology topics, including traditional “problem soils” and innovative approaches to investigation and assessment.

Logging Challenges in Calcrete Characterisation

Calcified soils, or calcretes, have long fascinated and challenged professionals responsible for logging geotechnical profiles. While these materials may appear relatively straightforward when referenced against standard logging guidelines, calcretes can be highly complex and variable in situ.

Klaas’ presentation explored logging challenges and highlighted the importance of careful observation and accurate description. She also provided practical guidance for improving field logging quality and proposed additional approaches to support more accurate characterisation for subsequent design work.

Bridging Research and Industry Practice

A key theme of the seminar was the importance of “observing intelligently,” highlighted by keynote speaker Tony A’Bear, Director at Bear Geo Consultants, in his presentation, “Problem Soils in South Africa.” This presentation served as a powerful reminder of the value of careful field observation and professional judgement.

The seminar also sparked open discussion regarding the decline in current research initiatives and the tendency for research outputs to become highly technical without always addressing practical industry requirements. Participants explored how research institutions and industry can work more closely together to bridge this gap and foster research that provides meaningful, practical value to professionals.

The seminar concluded with a site visit to the N3 Key Ridge Realignment Project near Peacevale, KwaZulu-Natal, providing participants with an opportunity to connect theoretical concepts with real-world engineering geology practice.

With deep expertise in characterising complex ground conditions, Knight Piésold Southern Africa is committed to advancing engineering geology practice across the region. The company's engineering geologists help clients navigate challenging site conditions, improve geotechnical investigations, and make informed, data-driven design decisions for mining, power and water, and infrastructure projects across Southern Africa.

Knight Piésold Southern Africa extends its thanks to SAIEG for hosting this valuable platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration within the engineering geology community.