Geotechnica 2023: Conference Lineup Confirmed

Geotechnica 2023, the UK's premier Geotechnical Conference and Exhibition, is just around the corner, offering a golden opportunity for industry professionals to immerse themselves in a world of innovation and knowledge for all those in the geotechnical and geoenvironmental world. Held at the Warwickshire Event Centre, near Leamington Spa, this two-day event promises to be the biggest and best Geotechnica yet. In this exclusive preview, event organisers Equipe present an exciting glimpse into the exceptional sessions that await attendees at this groundbreaking conference.

Wednesday 5th July 2023:

From the Keynote address by Andrew

Bond, exploring "Fundamental changes to Design EC7 new generation," to the engaging presentations by experts such as Mike Spence, Lucy Ford, and Sean Leech on the revolutionary UK Geoenergy Observatories (UKGEOS), Geotechnica 2023 will deliver a wealth of insights. Following a presentation from Julian Lovell of Equipe, a panel session on effective procurement of ground investigation will see industry leaders Neil Parry, James Codd, and Dr. Philip Smith share valuable insights and engage in a lively Q&A session. Prof. Paul Nathanail's discussion on PFAS will then address critical environmental concerns. Moreover, Steve Forster's session on "Asbestos Risk – Are you keeping your staff safe?" and Steve Wilson's presentation on

"Vapour sampling" provide vital information for ensuring occupational safety and well-being.

Thursday 6th July 2023:

The second day of Geotechnica 2023 continues the trend of excellence, featuring presentations that showcase cutting-edge technologies and innovations in ground investigation. William Bond will enlighten the audience with his insights into "Sonic CPT," while Tim Clegg's talk on "New applications and technology in Instrumentation & Monitoring" offers a glimpse into the future of monitoring techniques. Finally, Dr Thamer Yacoub will guide attendees on "Making the best use of your data," empowering them to leverage data effectively for informed decision-making.

Conclusion:

Geotechnica 2023 is a not-to-be-missed event, offering young geo-professionals, as well as older more experienced professionals, and operators / managers of drilling works, an invaluable opportunity to enhance their knowledge and expand their professional networks. With its exceptional lineup of speakers and the bustling product and service exhibition running alongside the conference, this is the perfect platform to stay updated on the latest advancements in the field. Register for FREE now at www.geotechnica.co.uk to secure your place and unlock the doors to unparalleled learning and growth.

The AGS will also be exhibiting at the event, so please do come and support the Association by visiting their stand and promoting the benefits of AGS membership to all attendees.

Doors open on 5th & 6th July at the Warwickshire Event Centre at 09:00 on Wednesday and 10:00 on Thursday, and it is the perfect opportunity to be part of shaping the future of geotechnical engineering.

The UK geotechnical industry’s premier event.

Whether you are a Client looking for assistance with your latest project, a Consultant looking to establish new working relationships, a Contractor in need of a platform to discuss your specialist services, or a Supplier with a new product to promote, Geotechnica is the place to achieve your goals.

Build business relationships, introduce new products, stay up-to-date with all of the latest industry developments. Communicate. Promote. Network. Learn.

BOOK

We’re pleased to announce that our next live event, Ground Risk Conference: Are you Managing Risks or Taking Risks? will be taking place in London on Wednesday 22nd November at The Institute of Civil Engineers, One Great George Street, London.

Geotechnical engineering and geoenvironmental specialists deal with risk daily from commencement of a project through to final delivery. Working with the ground brings with it inherent risks and it can be a fine line between managing or taking risk. Our understanding of the ground is continually evolving and keeping up to date is important.

This full day, CPD conference organised by the Association of Geotechnical and

Geoenvironmental Specialists and brought to you by the Geotechnical and Contaminated Land Working Groups, will explore the management of risk across a variety of subjects, including updates to piling through layered ground guidance, underpinning and Cone Penetration Testing. We will also explore topics often not considered such as cognitive bias and changes in environmental legislation and policy.

Ground Risk Conference: Are you Managing Risks or Taking Risks? is aimed at attendees at any stage of their career, who are involved in development projects from concept and planning, through to implementation. Attendees will be provided with opportunities for networking and will have the chance to question our expert speakers.

The speakers confirmed to date include Steve Wilson (Technical Director at The Environmental Protection Group), Amy Juden (Associate at The Environmental Protection Group), Alex Lee (AGS Chair Elect and Principal at HKA), Katharine Barker (Associate Geotechnical Engineer at CampbellReith) and Matthew Penfold (Principal Geotechnical Engineer at Geotechnical & Environmental Associates).

The conference will be chaired by Alex Dent (AGS Geotechnical Working Group Leader and Associate Director at WSP) and Geraint Williams (Associate at ALS Laboratories).

The event is currently sponsored by Eijkelkamp Fraste UK, Element, Groundsure, Huesker, Envirolab and In Situ Site Investigation.

Presentations

Piling Risk Assessment for Contaminated Sites

Steve Wilson, Technical Director at The Environmental Protection Group and Amy Juden, Associate at The Environmental Protection Group

The presentation will discuss the update of the Environment Agency guidance on piling in contaminated ground, which is currently in progress. It will discuss some of the key contents of the new guidance.

Bias in the Delivery of Geo-Environmental Assessments

Alex Lee, AGS Chair Elect and Principal at HKA

In performing geotechnical and environmental assessments, for example, when we develop and deliver our models and designs, then bias can and does on occasion arise. Such can bring both reputational damage and risks of litigation. Decision researchers1 have identified many biases in human judgment and decisionmaking. Most behavioral research addresses cognitive biases— faulty mental processes that lead judgments and decisions to violate commonly accepted normative principles. Equally important, but much less studied, are motivational biases, which include conscious or subconscious distortions of judgments and decisions because of self-interest, social pressures, or organizational context. In this presentation, the speaker will discuss several of the more common types of bias while making specific reference to examples from Geo-environmental investigations and assessments. He will also introduce how we may self-check and move towards debiasing our reports.

1 Cognitive and Motivational Biases in Decision and Risk Analysis, Gilberto Montibeller and Detlof von Winterfeldt, Risk Analysis, Vol. 35, No. 7, 2015

National Brownfield Forum Industry Census

Nicola Harries, Technical Director at CL:AIRE

Nicola will provide an overview of the recent National Brownfield Forum industry census that has been circulated across the brownfield sector. The census has asked a series of questions across different themes to try and gather a national understanding of the obstacles and barriers that face Brownfield land development in the UK.

SPONSORED BY

Tickets

Tickets for this event are priced at £160 for AGS Members and £230 for non-AGS Members. Prices exclude VAT. A limited number of student, local authority and Environmental Agency places are available for £95, ex VAT. For further details please email ags@ags.org.uk

Sponsorship

We have a range of sponsorship opportunities available for both Members and non-Members of the Association who wish to have a presence during the event. Please see packages below:

EMERALD SPONSOR

(AGS Member Rate: £1,100/ Non-Member Rate: £1,350)

• Entry for three delegates into the event

• A designated area to exhibit company initiatives, research and software. This exhibition space can also showcase marketing materials, literature and banners

• Full page advert in AGS Magazine (worth £400, over 5,700 subscribers)**

• Company logo on the event PowerPoint presentation holding slide

• Company logo and overview on the event programme

• Company overview on the AGS website

• Company logo on promotional emails

• Two announcements of your company’s involvement on the AGS Twitter page (over 3,490 followers)

• Two announcements of your company’s involvement on the AGS’ LinkedIn page (over 7,290 followers)

• Company mention in pre and post-event articles in AGS Magazine

*Limited packages available

GOLD SPONSOR

(AGS Member Rate: £950 / Non-Member Rate: £1,250)

• Entry for two delegates into the event

• A designated area to exhibit company initiatives, research and software. This exhibition space can also showcase marketing materials, literature and banners

Company logo on the event PowerPoint presentation holding slide

Company logo and overview on the event programme

Company overview on the AGS website

1/4 page advert in AGS magazine (worth £160, over 5,700 subscribers)

Company logo on promotional emails

Two announcements of your company’s involvement on the AGS Twitter page (over 3,490 followers)

Two announcements of your company’s involvement on the AGS’ LinkedIn page (over 7,290 followers)

Company mention in pre and post-event articles in AGS Magazine

*Limited packages available

ASSOCIATE SPONSOR

(AGS Member Rate: £550 Non-Member Rate: £700)

Entry for one delegate into the event Company directory in AGS magazine (worth £50, over 5,700 subscribers)

Company logo on event PowerPoint

Presentation holding slide

Company logo on the event programme

Company overview on the AGS website

Company logo on promotional emails

Announcement of your company’s involvement on the AGS Twitter page (over 3,490 followers)

Announcement of your company’s involvement on the AGS’ LinkedIn page (over 7,290 followers)

Company mention in pre and post-event articles in AGS Magazine

If you’d like to confirm your support, please contact Caroline Kratz or Angharad Lambourne-Wade on ags@ags.org.uk before Friday 27th October Please note that packages are limited and are offered on a first come, first served basis.