Professor Carter has made major contributions to the development and application of numerical methods in geotechnical engineering and to the laboratory and field testing of soils and rocks. His wide-ranging research interests include problems of soil-structure interaction, rock mechanics, behavious of carbonate soils, soft soil engineering and the behaviour of offshore soils and foundations. He has consulted widely to industry and is currently a director of a Perth-based consultancy that provides specialist advice to the offshore petroleum industry. His work has had a major influence on geotechnical design for recent offshore structures in Australia.