Professor William Powrie

William Powrie is Professor of Geotechnical Engineering at the University of Southampton, and was Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Environment from 2010-2018. His main technical areas of expertise are in geotechnical aspects of transport infrastructure, and sustainable waste and resource management. He was elected Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in recognition of his work in these areas in 2009.
 
William’s work on geotechnical aspects of transport infrastructure encompasses groundwater control, in-ground construction to reduce environmental impacts in urban and other sensitive areas, understanding and mitigating vegetation and climate change effects, and fundamental soil behaviour. Major projects on which he has worked include the A55 Conwy Crossing, the Jubilee Line extension stations at Canary Wharf and Canada Water, and HS1. He is currently working with HS2 on geotechnical and earthworks aspects. He is co-author of Construction Industry Research and Information (CIRIA) reports C750 Groundwater control – design and practice, 2nd edition (2016) and C760 Guidance on embedded retaining wall design (2017). Both these incorporate results of his research in these areas. He is a former Associate Editor of the Canadian Geotechnical Journal, a former Honorary Editor of the Institution of Civil Engineers journal Geotechnical Engineering, and has been Geotechnical Consultant to groundwater specialists WJ Group since 1987. 

William’s work in waste and resource management focuses on landfill engineering, and on the development of a sound scientific basis for policy and practice. He led a major EPSRC-funded programme of fundamental research, Science and Strategies for the Management of Residual Wastes, with the aim of enabling and encouraging landfill operation so as to accelerate biodegradation and stabilization of the waste. He is a co-author of the Institute of Wastes Management report on the Role and operation of the flushing bioreactor. He worked on the design and engineering risk assessment of the low level radioactive waste repositories at Drigg; and was founding Honorary Editor of the ICE journal Waste and Resource Management. From 2004-2010, he was a member then chair of the Technologies Advisory Committee for Defra’s £30M programme of research and demonstrator projects for new technologies for the treatment of biodegradable waste. 

William is committed to the protection of the environment through the avoidance of pollution and loss of biodiversity. He re-uses or recycles goods and materials wherever possible, and his principal mode of personal transport is by bicycle. Leisure activities include cycle touring, railway heritage and being organist at St Edward's church, Netley Abbey.   

Prizes

• Institution of Mechanical Engineers John F Alcock Memorial Prize (2008)
• Institution of Mechanical Engineers Thomas Hawksley Medal (2008)
• British Geotechnical Association Medal (2017)
• British Geotechnical Association Medal (2021)
• Zeng Gui-Xi Lecture and Award (2016)
• Institution of Civil Engineers Unwin Lecture (2018)
• 3rd ISSMGE Ralph Roscoe Proctor Lecture in Transportation Geotechnics (2021)