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Dr Nesha Kovacevic

Dr Nesha Kovacevic

Dr Nebojsa Kovacevic is a geotechnical engineer with more than 38 years of practical experience. He is an expert in numerical analyses of a broad range of geotechnical subjects, such as slopes, dams, embankments, deep excavations, pile foundations, tunnels and various forms of earth retaining structures. He has widely published and presented at many conferences, seminars, and workshops.

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  1. Hight, D. W., Kovacevic, N. and Potts, D. M. (2025). The London Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5 case study. To be published in the book Understanding landslide through case histories edited by Serge Leroueil and Luciano Picarelli.
  2. Kovacevic, N., Potts, D. M., Bridle R. and Carter I. (2025). Use of numerical analysis in design of embankment dams in southern Britain. Proc. 4th BGA Biennial Conf. Earthworks2025, British Geotechnical Association, Birmingham, UK.
  3. Kovacevic, N., Higgins, K. G. and Potts, D. M. (2023). Resilience of old British embankment dams. Proc. 3rd BGA Biennial Conf. Georesilience2023, British Geotechnical Association, Cardiff, UK.
  4. Kovacevic, N., Menkiti, C. O., Long, M. and Potts, D. M. (2017). Finite element back-analysis of an anchored wall in Dublin Boulder Clay. Proc. 19th ICSMGE, Seul, South Korea.
  5. Grammatikopoulou, A., Schroeder, F. C., Kovacevic, N. and Potts, D. M. (2015). Stiffness anisotropy and its effect on the behaviour of deep excavations. Proc. 16th ICSMGE, Edinburgh, UK, 3875-3880.
  6. Kovacevic, N., Menkiti, C. O., Long, M. and Potts, D. M. (2015). Finite element analyses of a cantilever wall in Dublin Boulder Clay. Proc. 16th ICSMGE, Edinburgh, UK, 3983-3988.
  7. Kovacevic, N., Hight, D. W., Potts, D. M. and Carter, I. C. (2013). Finite element analysis of the failure and reconstruction of the main dam embankment at Abberton Reservoir, Essex, UK. Géotechnique, Vol.63, No.9, 753-767.
  8. Grammatikopoulou, A., Schroeder, F. C., Gaspare, A., Kovacevic, N. and Germano, V. (2013). The influence of stiffness anisotropy on the behaviour of a stiff natural clay. Geotech. Geol. Eng. Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.
  9. Kovacevic, N., Jardine, R. J., Potts, D. M., Clukey, C. E., Brand, J.R. and Spikula, D. R. (2012). A numerical simulation of underwater slope failures generated by salt diapirism combined with active sedimentation. Géotechnique, Vol.62, No.9, 777-786.
  10. Leroueil, S., Locat, A., Eberhardt, E. and Kovacevic, N. (2012). Progressive failure in natural and engineered slopes. Proc. 11th International & 2nd North American Symposium on Landslides, 3-8 June 2012, Banff, Canada.
  11. Grammatikopoulou, A., Schroeder, F. C., Kovacevic, N., Germano, V. and Gasparre, A. (2011). The influence of stiffness anisotropy on the behaviour of a stiff natural clay. Proc. 15th Eur. Conf. Soil Mech. Geotech. Engng (ECSMGE 2011), Athens, Greece, 545-550.
  12. Kovacevic, N. and Potts, D. M. (2011). Use of advanced constitutive models in numerical analysis of embankment dams, Proc. 2nd Int. Symp. Computational Geomechanics (ComGeo 2011), Cavtat, Croatia.
  13. Grammatikopoulou, A., Kovacevic, N., Zdravkovic, L. and Potts, D. M. (2010). Finite element back analysis of the main embankment at Empingham Dam. Proc. 7th European Conf. Num. Methds Geotechnical Engng. (NUMGE 2010), Trondheim, Norway, 557-562.
  14. Kovacevic, N., Vaughan, P. R. and N. Potts, D. M. (2009). Finite element analysis of Ladybower Dam: long-term operation and dam raising. Proc. 2nd Int. Conf. Long term behaviour of dams, Graz, Austria, 808-813.
  15. Schroeder, F. C., Jardine, R. J., Kovacevic, N. and Potts, D. M. (2008). Assessing well drilling disturbance effects on offshore foundation piles in clay. ASCE J. of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental engineering, Vol.134, No.9, 1261-1271.
  16. Kovacevic, N. Potts, D. M. and Vaughan, P. R. (2008). Recent advances in the numerical modelling of embankment dams. Proc. 15th Int. Conf. Ensuring reservoir safety into the future, The British Dam Society, Thomas Telford, London, UK, 164-176.
  17. Kovacevic, N., Milligan, G. W. E., Menkiti, C. O., Long, M. and Potts, D. M. (2008). Finite element analyses of steep man-made cuts in Dublin Boulder Clay. Can. Geotechn. J., Vol.45, No.4, 549-559.
  18. Schroeder, F. C., Jardine, R. J., Kovacevic, N. and Potts, D. M. (2007). Potential effects of well drilling operations on foundation piles in clay. Proc. 6th Int. Conf. on Offshore Site Investigation and Geotechnics – OSIG 6, London, UK, 271-276.
  19. Grammatikopoulou, A., Jardine, R. J., Kovacevic, N., Potts, D. M., Hoyle, M. J. R. and HAMPSON, K. M. (2007). Potential solutions to the problem of the eccentric installation of Jack-Up structures into old footprint craters. Proc. 6th Int. Offshore Site Investigation and Geotechnics Conference – OSIG 6, London, UK, 293-300.
  20. Kovacevic, N., Higgins, K. G and Potts, D. M. (2007). Finite element back-analysis of trial bank at Empingham Dam. Proc 10th Int. Conf. Numerical Models in Geomechanics – NUMOG X, Rhodes, Greece, 587-593.
  21. Kovacevic, N., Higgins, K. G., Potts, D. M. and Vaughan, P. R. (2007). Undrained behaviour of brecciated Upper Lias Clay at Empingham Dam. Geotechnique, Vol. 57, No.2, 181-195.
  22. Kovacevic, N., Hight, D. W. and Potts, D. M. (2007). Predicting stand-up time of temporary London Clay slopes at Terminal 5, Heathrow Airport. Geotechnique, Vol. 57, No.1, 63-74.
  23. Kovacevic, N., Vaughan, P. R. and Potts, D. M (2004). A comparison between the observed and predicted deforamations of an old dam during reservoir operation. Proc 9th Int. Conf. Numerical Models in Geomechanics – NUMOG IX, Ottawa, Canada, 597-593.
  24. Menkiti, C. O., Long, M., Kovacevic, N., Edmonds, H. E., Milligan, G. W. E. and Potts, D. M. (2004). Trial excavation for cut and cover tunnel construction in glacial till – a case study from Dublin. Proc. Skempton Memorial Conference Advances in Geotechn. Engng, Vol.2, London UK, Thomas Telford, 1090-1104.
  25. Kovacevic, N., Hight, D. W. and Potts, D. M. (2004). Temporary slope stability in London Clay – back analyses of two case histories. Proc. Skempton Memorial Conference Advances in Geotechn. Engng, Vol.3, London UK, Thomas Telford, 1-14.
  26. Vaughan, P. R., Kovacevic, N. and Potts, D. M. (2004). Then and now: some comments on the design and analysis of slopes and embankments. Proc. Skempton Memorial Conf. Advances in Geotechn. Engng, Vol.3, London, UK, Thomas Telford, 15-64.
  27. Long, M., Menkiti, C. O., Kovacevic, N., Milligan, G. W. E., Coulet, D. and Potts, D. M. (2003). An observational approach to the design of steep-sided excavations in Dublin glacial tills. Proc. Conf. Underground Construction, London, UK, 443-454.
  28. Jardine, R. J., Kovacevic, N. and Standing, J. R. (2003). Lessons learned from full scale observations and the practical application of advanced testing and modelling. Proc. 3rd Int. Conf. Deformation Characteristics of Geomaterials, Vol. 2, Lyon, France.
  29. Kovacevic, N., Hight, D. W. and Potts, D. M. (2003). A comparison between observed and predicted behaviour of a deep excavation in soft Bangkok clay. Proc. 3rd Int. Conf. Deformation Characteristics of Geomaterials, Vol. 1, Lyon, France, 983-989.
  30. Jardine, R. J., Kovacevic, N., Hoyle, M. J. R., Sidhu, H. K. and Letty, A. (2002). Assessing the effects on jack-up structures of eccentric installation over infilled craters. Proc. Int. Conf. Offshore Site Investigation and Geotechnics – ‘Diversity and Sustainability’ London, UK, 307-324.
  31. Vaughan, P. R., Kovacevic, N. and Ridley, A. M. (2002). The influence of climate and climate change on the stability of embankment dam slopes. Proc, 12th Int. Conf. Reservoirs in a changing world, The British Dam Society, Thomas Telford, London, UK, 353-366.
  32. Vaughan, P. R., Kovacevic, N. and Ridley, A. M. (2002). The influence of climate and climate change on the stability of abutment and reservoir slopes. Proc. 12th Int. Conf. Reservoirs in a changing world, The British Dam Society, Thomas Telford, London, UK, 337-352.
  33. Kovacevic, N., Potts, D. M. and Vaughan, P. R. (2002). A comparison between predicted and observed deformation of Winscar dam. Proc. 8th NUMOG, Rome, Italy, 565-571.
  34. Kovacevic, N. (2001). Contributions to the book Finite element analysis in geotechnical engineering: Application (Chapter 4: Cut Slopes, Chapter 5: Embankments) by Potts D.M. and Zdravkovic, L. Thomas Telford, London, UK.
  35. Jardine, R. J., Kovacevic, N., Hoyle, M. J. R., Sidhu, H. K. and Letty, A. (2001). A study of eccentric jack-up penetration into infilled footprint crater. Proc. 8th Int. Conf. The Jack-Up Platform: Design, Construction and Monitoring, London, England. Paper No. 16.
  36. Kovacevic, N., Potts, D. M. and Vaughan, P. R. (2001). Progressive failure in clay embankments due to seasonal climate changes. Proc. 15th ICSMGE, Vol.3, Istanbul, Turkey, 2127-2130.
  37. Fernie, R., Shaw, S. M., Dickson, R. A., St John, H. D., Kovacevic, N., Bourne-Webb, P. and Potts, D. M. (2001). Movement and deep basement provision of Knightsbridge Crown Court, Harrods, London. Proc. Int. Conf. Response of buildings to excavation-induced ground movements, CIRIA, Thomas Telford, London, UK, 289-300.
  38. Kovacevic, N., Mair, R. J. and Potts, D. M. (2001). Finite element analyses of ground movements from tunnelling below Southwark Park. Building response to tunnelling, Case studies from construction of the Jubilee Line Extension, Volume 1: Projects and methods, Chapter 13, CIRIA, Thomas Telford, London, UK, 185-194.
  39. Kovacevic, N., Potts, D. M. and Vaughan, P. R. (2001). Discussion: The effect of the development of undrained pore pressure on the efficiency of compaction grouting. Géotechnique, Vol.52, No.1, 74-75.
  40. Kovacevic, N., Potts, D. M. and Vaughan, P. R. (2000). The effect of the development of undrained pore pressure on the efficiency of compaction grouting.  Géotechnique, Vol.50, No.6, 683-688.
  41. Potts, D. M., Kovacevic, N. and Vaughan, P. R. (2000). Discussion: Delayed collapse of cut slopes in stiff clay. Géotechnique, Vol.50, No.2, 203-205.
  42. Higgins, K. G., Kovacevic, N. and Potts, D. M. (1999). Use of appropriate soil models in soil structure interaction analyses. Proc.2nd Int. Symp. Pre-failure Deformation Characteristics of Geomaterials, Vol.1, Torino, Italy, 773-781.
  43. Potts, D. M., Kovacevic, N. and Vaughan, P. R. (1997). Delayed collapse of cut slopes in stiff clay. Géotechnique, Vol.47, No.5, 953-982.
  44. Kovacevic, N., Potts, D. M., Vaughan, P. R., Charles, J. A. and Tedd, P. (1997). Assessing the safety of old embankment dams by observing and analysing movement during reservoir operation. Proc. 19th ICOLD, Florence, Italy, 551-566.
  45. Kovacevic, N., Edmonds, H. E., Mair, R. J., Higgins, K. G. and Potts, D. M. (1996). Numerical modelling of the NATM and compensation grouting at Redcross Way. Int. Symp. Geotechnical Aspects of Underground Construction in Soft Ground, City University, London, UK, 553-559.
  46. Kovacevic, N., Potts, D. M. and Vaughan, P. R. (1994). Finite element analysis of a rockfill dam. Proc. 8th Int. Conf. Comp. Meths. Advs. Geomechs, Vol.3, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA, 2459-2464.
  47. Kovacevic, N. (1994). Numerical analysis of rockfill dams, cut slopes and road embankments. PhD Thesis, Imperial College, University of London.
  48. Kovacevic, N. (1990). Concrete face rockfill dams – Rockfill behaviour, embankment zoning and stress-strain analysis.  MSc Thesis, Imperial College, University of London.
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