ABOUT TERRA FIRMA Engineering Ltd

The company Principal, Andrew Palmer, is a civil/geotechnical engineer with fourteen years progressive and responsible experience in practice, varying from working with major civils contractors overseas to specialist geotechnical and environmental consultants in New Zealand.

Andrew is a Member of the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ), is a member of the IPENZ civil and geotechnical practice colleges, and is a Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng). He is a member of the International Register of Professional Engineers, administered by IPENZ. Andrew is currently Chairman of the Nelson/Marlborough Branch of IPENZ.

Andrew graduated from the University of Birmingham (UK) with a Bachelor of Science (Applied Geology) degree in 1994 and immediately took up employment with Bachy (UK) Ltd, a specialist groundworks subcontractor on a major land remediation project in Derby, England. He completed his MSc in Engineering Geology at the University of Leeds the following year. Following completion of his Masters degree, Andrew worked for contractors Balfour Beatty Ltd in Jersey (Channel Islands) as a shift engineer and geotechnical specialist on a hard rock tunnelling contract. In 1997, Andrew moved to New Zealand where he worked for Downer Construction on the Vector Power Cable Tunnel in Auckland as a Project Engineer. Andrew spent two years working on this major civil engineering project. From 2000 to 2002, Andrew worked for Opus International Consultants, a large multi-national consulting firm as a project engineer where he gained experience in roading and design projects. In 2002, Andrew moved to Nelson, and took up a position as senior engineer for specialist geotechnical consultant Tonkin & Taylor in its Nelson office. He is an experienced project manager and has worked in many different aspects of geotechnical engineering and design work.

Andrew is the principal designer at Terra Firma Engineering Ltd.

Professional Affiliations
Corporate Member - ACENZ
Professional Member -IPENZ
Member - SESOC, NZGS, CEAS

What is Civil Engineering?

Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works such as roads, canals, dams and buildings and slopes. Civil engineering is the oldest engineering discipline after military engineering, and it was originally defined to distinguish it from its military counterpart. Civil engineering takes place on all levels and in both the public and private sectors - from individual homeowners through local authorities and nationally sponsored projects to international companies and joint venture partnerships.

The Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) is the professional body which represents professional engineers from all disciplines in New Zealand.

Geotechnical engineering is the branch of civil engineering concerned with the engineering behaviour of earth materials. Geotechnical engineering includes investigating existing subsurface conditions and materials; determining their physical/mechanical and sometimes chemical properties that are relevant to the project in question, assessing risks posed by site conditions; designing earthworks and foundations; and monitoring site conditions during and after construction.

Terra Firma Engineering Ltd provides civil and geotechnical engineering services, and project management of civil works construction.