About Us

Dr Philip Pells is a civil engineer who has spent four decades in geotechnical and groundwater engineering and has been the recipient of several awards for his research and design work.

At this stage of his career, while he wishes to cut back on full time consulting engineering, Philip wants to use on a lifetime of experience in the industry; integrating theory learnt at Imperial College, London, and Sydney University, with the practice of designing and constructing significant engineering structures. These structures include the Ocean Outfall Tunnels in Sydney, the Sydney Opera House Car Park, The Eastern Distributor, major water storage dams in South East Asia, the Yandicoogina bridge in the Pilbara, and forensic engineering for the collapse of the main conveyor transfer cavern at Chuquicamata in Chile.

Dr Pells will also pursue his interests in the history of engineering. In 2009, he, together with Philip J. Hammon, published a book, "The Burning Mists of Time", on the social and technological history of mining in the Megalong and Jamison Valleys near Katoomba, NSW. This was the culmination of nearly 20 years work on the subject.

He has now completed another book, produced together with the Sydney Opera House, titled "The Sydney Opera House Car Park and The Double Helix". This arose from this interest in the use of double helices in architecture and engineering; a fascination he developed while working on the Sydney Opera House Car Park. Another task is to digitize his 35mm slide photographic records of the Sydney Harbour Tunnel, The Opera House Car Park and the Eastern Distributor. As they are completed these names will be highlighted.

The logo for Pells Consulting is a rendering of a double helix, indicating the interaction between earth and water.

When not fishing, and farming blueberries near Orange, he will continue to work closely with colleagues at Pells Sullivan Meynink (www.psmconsult.com.au), and other consultancies.

Steven Pells who was with the Water Research Laboratory of the University of New South Wales has resigned from the commercial arm of that organisation to pursue a PhD. In conjunction with this research work, he will be undertaking some work with Pells Consulting and with other organisations.