Geotechnical

Contaminated Land

We have considerable experience in the assessment of contaminated land issues. It is imperative that potential issues are identified and assessed realistically at an early stage in planning, in order that the implications are fully understood and costs minimised.

Services we provide include:

• Desk studies to assess the risk to the development with respect to various past uses to form an initial opinion, formulate a preliminary ‘Conceptual Site Model’, and design any site investigation needed.
• The safe site investigation of contaminated land.
• Scheduling appropriate chemical testing.
• Monitoring and sampling of ground gases and groundwater.
• The formulation and testing of a final ‘Conceptual Site Model’.
• An assessment of the risks and implications of all the above to all potential ‘receptors’ before, during and after development.
• The design, supervision, validation and certification of any necessary remedial works.
• Liaison with the Regulators.

Geotechnical Engineers

We have extensive experience in all aspects of geotechnical assessments, from scoping of ground investigations and drilling boreholes, through in situ and laboratory testing to interpretation, advice and liaison with regulators and other professionals.

To satisfy the demanding requirements of a wind turbine, adequate site investigation is essential to evaluate the bearing capacity, amount and rate of settlement, stress, and deformation, overall stability, durability and dynamic behaviour of the foundation. The best site investigations are designed to provide sufficient technical information in the most economical manner. We work closely with the turbine manufacturers and use our knowledge of suitable techniques in the anticipated ground conditions to ensure best value for money.

Primarily used to support the design and construction of wind and hydro projects, the geotechnical team can also provide a stand-alone service to clients for a wide range of projects, from a single house to large industrial developments.

Mining Stability

The company has considerable experience in the assessment of mining issues and the design and supervision of remedial works to cope with mineral stability issues to allow development to proceed.

Services we undertake include:

• The investigation of shallow recorded or unrecorded mine workings by drilling
• The safe site investigation of mine workings and adits (mine drifts)
• The assessment of the static and dynamic stability with respect to development in terms of:
  • Shallow past workings
  • Current workings
  • Working in steep seams
  • Mine shafts
  • Mine adits (drift mines)
  • The implications of any mine gases
  • The hydrogeological implications

Site & Laboratory Testing of Soil and Rock

We undertake site and laboratory testing of soil and rock for the renewables industry and a wide variety of development types, including housing, conventional buildings, roads and commercial developments.

Our skills and procedures span a wide range of capability in site and laboratory soil, rock and aggregate testing.

Site testing:

• Plate load tests to British and German standards
• California Bearing Ratio (CBR)
• Moisture Condition Value (MCV)
• Permeability testing in boreholes and standpipes
• Percolation testing for septic tank design
• Vane Shear Strength
• Redox Potential
• Resistivity
• P28 and Earth Potential Rise
• Monitoring of ground gas
• Monitoring or radioactivity
• Peat probing and Peat Slide Assessments

Laboratory rock and aggregate testing:

• Los Angeles Test
• Aggregate Impact Value
• Aggregate Abrasion Value
• Magnesium Sulphate Soundness Test

Laboratory soil testing:

• Moisture content tests
• Atterberg limit tests
• Particle size distribution tests
• California Bearing Ratio (CBR)
• Moisture Condition Value (MCV)
• Strength tests to assess bearing capacity
• Consolidation tests to assess settlement
• Chemical testing