About me

General

I am a 99.9̇ % retired structural engineer with over fifty years’ experience as an engineering mathematician/analyst.  Most of my employment has been with consulting engineering firms in Australia, supplemented by a couple of early years in a similar role working in England for an English firm.  I have also worked for software development firms.

Key skills and experience

During my career I have aimed to combine analytical and design skills in engineering with knowledge of computer technology.  This experience has given me a broad understanding of engineering software and its application.  It has also given me knowledge of the capabilities, the potential, and the limitations of computer technology in general.

As an engineer, I consider myself something of a specialist in advanced structural analysis techniques, including non linear behaviour and structural dynamics.  My general analytical skills have been honed over many years, and have been applied not only to engineering problems, but also to problems in other areas such as mathematics, economics, environmental science, statistics, and planning.

In information technology, my combination of skills has enabled me to specialise in the application of computer technology to the solution of technical and managerial problems.  I have also acquired practical knowledge of the range of software tools available in many of the varying fields of engineering, through a combination of direct use, provision of support services, and actual software development.

Publications and conference papers

  1. Connor, T, R. Niall, P. Cummings, and M. Papillo.  2013.  Incorporating Climate Change Adaptation into Engineering Design Concepts and Solutions.  Australian Journal of Structural Engineering, 2013 – Issue 2, pp. 125–134.
  2. Connor, T.B., R.M. Niall, and A. Kingsborough.  2010.  A Risk-Based Approach to Achieve Balanced Adaptation Designs in the Face of Climate Change.  Poster presented at Restore America’s Estuaries 5th National Conference on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration — Preparing for Climate Change: Science, Practice and Policy, Galveston, Texas.  November 2010.
  3. Connor, T.B., E. Cini, and R.M. Niall.  2010.  A risk-based approach to climate change adaptation in engineering design.  Presented at Engineering Leadership Conference, Brisbane. 5–7 May 2010. I.E. Aust.
  4. Niall, R.M.  2005.  Model for lateral excitation of footbridges by synchronous walking.  Discussion paper, Journal of Structural Engineering, ASCE, Volume 131, Issue 7, pp. 1150–51 (July 2005).
  5. Dawson, A.J., N. Underhill, and R.M. Niall.  2004.  Track and formation design for the Alice Springs–Darwin, railway project.  In Proceedings of the Conference on Railway Engineering, Darwin, 20–23 June 2004, pp. 10.1–10.8, Railway Technical Society of Australasia.
  6. Weeks, W.D., A.J. Dawson, and R.M. Niall.  2004.  Hydrology, hydraulics and design for the culverts for the Alice Springs–Darwin railway project.  In Proceedings of the Conference on Railway Engineering, Darwin, 20–23 June 2004, pp. 38.1–38.7, Railway Technical Society of Australasia.
  7. Doherty, H.M., R.M. Niall, T.M. O’Connell, I.A. Teakle, and W.D. Weeks.  2001.  Fast-tracking the Alice Springs–Darwin railway project: An innovation in culvert design.  In Proceedings of the Sixth Conference on Hydraulics in Civil Engineering, 413–20. Hobart, 28–30 November 2001.
  8. Hergstrom, K., and R.M. Niall.  1990.  Presence-absence sampling of two-spotted spider mite (Acari: Tetranychidae) in pear orchards.  Journal of Economic Entomology. 83 (5):2032–5.
  9. Connor, T.B., R.M. Niall, and M.B. Gerstle.  1990.  The design of marine works in a greenhouse climate.  In Proceedings of the Third Australasian Port and Harbour Engineering Conference, Melbourne, 28–30 August 1990. I.E. Aust. Nat. Conf. Publ. 90/7.
  10. Niall, R.M.  1990.  Microcomputer analysis of axisymmetric shell structures subjected to axisymmetric loading.  Discussion paper, Australian Civil/Structural Engineering Transactions, I.E. Aust. CE31 (4):208–9.
  11. Dawson, A.J., R.M. Niall, and W.P. Radosevich.  1989.  The design of container cranes to AS 1418.1—1986.  In Proceedings of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, National Conference, Perth, 10–14 April 1989. I.E. Aust. Nat. Conf. Publ. 89/4:342–52.
  12. Niall, R.M.  1985.  Structural restraint provided by embedded piles.  Australian Civil/Structural Engineering Transactions, I.E. Aust. CE27 (2):192–9.