For many of us John Dunnicliff is probably best known for his “Red Book” – “Geotechnical Instrumentation for Monitoring Field Performance”, in which he presented a wealth of information about not only the instruments, but also the applications for which they were particularly suited, all of which was spun around an ethic of methodical planning and preparation.
To many it became a “bible”, a go-to resource, and ultimately it raised the bar with respect to the way geotechnical and structural monitoring was conducted. To this day the “Red Book” still serves as one of the main references in our industry and is to be found on the shelves of many instrumentation engineers and practitioners around the world.
A few of us were lucky enough to collaborate with John at some of the various symposia and short courses he helped stage; first in the US, and later in Europe, with his friends in the Netherlands, at Delft, and then, in Italy, with the collaboration of his partners at NHAZCA, in Rome. These events further spread the word with respect to the benefits of a well planned and executed monitoring program, and inspired a new generation of spokesmen, and spokeswomen, to rally to the cause, embracing new concepts and technologies along the way.
In many ways, John’s work has become a beacon, not only for those of us still practicing, but also for those just entering the instrumentation and monitoring arena, and who will, I’m sure, continue to serve this industry well. Thanks John
In closing, let us not forget John “outside of work”, where he was loved by family and friends alike, and who shared many good times in his company and who will, I’m sure, miss him the most. If you have any memories of John that you would like to share, please click on the title, “Tributes to John Dunnicliff” above, then scroll to the foot of the page, and post them in the comments window, so we can all enjoy them and reflect.
Goodbye John.
Tony Simmonds (Member of TC220 and good friend of John)