John Burland

John Boscawen Burland (born 4 March 1936) is a geotechnical engineer, Emeritus Professor and Senior Research Investigator at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of Imperial College London, and a noted expert in the field of soil mechanics.

John Burland was born in Buckinghamshire in 1936, but moved to South Africa as a child.

He attended Parktown Boys' High School and then received a First Class Honours BSc degree in civil engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand in 1959.

He returned to England in 1961 and took up a position with Ove Arup & Partners in London, where he provided soil mechanics expertise for the design of what was then London’s tallest building, BP’s Britannic House headquarters in Moorgate.

In 1963, Burland commenced a PhD at the University of Cambridge under the supervision of professor Kenneth H. Roscoe.

Burland joined the Building Research Station in 1966, becoming Head of the Geotechnics Division in 1972 and Assistant Director in 1979.

He published his thesis, Deformation of soft clay, in 1967.

In 1980 he was appointed to the Chair of Soil Mechanics at Imperial College London, where he served for over 20 years and was Head of the Geotechnics Section.

His move to Imperial gave him the chance to collaborate with Alec Skempton.

Holding Skempton in high regard, Burland paid homage by christening Skempton’s former office with a sign that read “Skem’s Room” after he was given the room on Skempton’s retirement.

Burland also undertook lectures at several universities and institutions, including his alma mater, Witwatersrand.

After the collapse of the Civic Tower in Pavia in 1989, which killed four people, the stability of the tower at Pisa was widely questioned.

He received media attention in the 1990s and early 2000s as one of the engineers who supervised the soil extraction work which stabilised the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

In March 1990, Burland was asked by the Government of Italy to be part of a 14-member committee charged with stabilising the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

With direct involvement in the project over 11 years, Burland made significant contributions to the work, which involved an innovative approach to counteract the tower's precarious lean.

The project aimed to ensure the long-term stability of the historic structure without compromising its integrity.

Burland and his team faced numerous challenges, including understanding the complex soil mechanics and historical construction techniques of the tower.

The tower, resting on weak, highly compressible soils, has increasingly leaned over the centuries, reaching a state of leaning instability which by the late 20th century had threatened to cause a collapse.

Burland concluded that any attempt to disturb or strengthen the ground on the south side, such as through underpinning or grouting, would be extremely hazardous due to the tower's precarious condition and the high stress on its masonry, risking collapse.

In line with international conservation standards for valuable historic monuments, any interventions needed to minimally impact its integrity, preserving its history, and craftsmanship, with little to no visible changes.

Burland's approach included both temporary and permanent stabilisation measures.

Initially, temporary stabilisation was achieved by applying 900 tonnes of lead weights on the north side of the foundations, using a post-tensioned concrete ring.

This method, and accurate prediction of tower behaviour using numerical models, was crucial in stabilising the tower while permanent solutions were developed.

The permanent solution aimed to reduce the tower's inclination by about 10 per cent, a strategy expected to significantly prolong the tower's lifespan without invasive actions like propping or underpinning.

The soil extraction process used in the Leaning Tower of Pisa project was a pivotal aspect of the stabilisation work.

This technique involved the careful removal of soil from beneath the north side of the tower's foundations.

This strategic extraction allowed for a controlled and gradual reduction of the tower's lean, reducing stress on the masonry and enhancing the structure's stability.

Burland's implementation of this method was crucial in achieving the desired reduction in the tower's inclination without invasive structural interventions.

The proposal to construct an underground car park for Members of Parliament at Westminster had been considered for many years.

New Palace Yard was eventually chosen despite the engineering challenges posed by the proximity of significant buildings.

The project involved constructing an 18.5-metre-deep underground car park in close proximity to the historic Palace of Westminster, including Westminster Hall, the House of Commons, and the Big Ben Clock Tower.

The design was heavily influenced by geotechnical considerations.

Burland personally split and inspected London Clay soil samples from numerous boreholes at the site.

London Clay is an ideal medium for deep excavations, as it has good shear strength and low permeability.

However, it is susceptible to volumetric changes depending upon its moisture content.

In recognition of this, he was awarded the Knight Commander of the Royal Order of Francis I of the Two Sicilies by the Duke of Castro in November 2001, and awarded the Commendatore of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity (OSSI) by Carlo Azeglio Ciampi in 2003.

Burland was involved in ensuring that the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben were unharmed by the extension of the London Underground Jubilee line.

He worked on the construction of a large underground car park at the Palace of Westminster and the stabilising of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City.

His team was also involved in the extension of the Jubilee line and he has advised on many geotechnical aspects of that project, including ensuring the stability of the Big Ben Clock Tower.

In 2016, Burland was elected as a member of the National Academy of Engineering for contributions to geotechnical engineering and the design, construction, and preservation of civil infrastructure and heritage buildings.