Welcome to the November issue of the AGS Magazine.
As we plunge into the festivities that autumn and winter bring, we at the AGS have more than enough to keep us occupied in the darker hours, in producing the plethora of publications and advice for the benefit of our members. We are indebted to company and individual members and their guests for the time put aside to contribute to the important work of the Association. We are constantly seeking new members and committee volunteers, to keep up with the fresh ideas and energy required, so please consider stepping forward. In this edition we learn about the views and career development of one of our Working Group members through a Q&A session with Associate Geotechnical Engineer Katharine Barker.
We continue the environmental risk management theme from the last edition by following up on the regulatory approach to the regeneration of landfill sites and by exploring the subject of sustainable soil management and the future of soil reuse. Read on to learn more.
On a personal note, I have
seen the impacts of mental health issues on individuals in our industry, and I think we can agree with the World Federation for Mental Health that mental health and wellbeing for all is a global priority. In recognition of World Mental Health Awareness Day on 10th October, we are pleased to address the subject in our magazine article ‘Under Pressure’ and to promote the work of the Ollie Foundation.
Please take the time to enjoy this edition and I hope to see you soon at an AGS event, there are plenty to choose from.
We are always on the lookout for additional, informative content for the magazine, so if you have a case study or technical article that you think the wider geotechnical and geoenvironmental public would find beneficial, please do get in touch.
We would be interested in your feedback on the magazine and our future plans. Please contact ags@ags.org.uk if you have any comments.
The Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists (AGS) is a not-for-profit trade association established to improve the profile and quality of geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering. The membership comprises UK organisations and individuals having a common interest in the business of ground investigation, geotechnics, geoenvironmental engineering, engineering geology, geochemistry, hydrogeology, and other related disciplines.
Sally Hudson, AGS Chair
Caroline Kratz, Forum Court Associates (FCA)
Katie Kennedy, FCA
Julian Lovell, Equipe Group
Calum Spires, Equipe Group
David Entwisle, BGS
Chris Vincett, Hydrock
Lauren Hunt, Arcadis
Adam Latimer, Ian Farmer Associates
Dimitris Xirouchakis, Structural Soils
Emma Anderson, HaskoningDHV UK
Daniele Fornelli, Geotechnical Observations
If you have a news story or event which you’d like to tell our editorial team about, please contact the AGS on 020 8658 8212 or ags@ags.org.uk. Please note that articles should act as opinion pieces and not directly advertise a company. The AGS is under no obligation to feature articles or events received.
Forum Court, Office 2FF, Saphir House, 5 Jubilee Way, Faversham, Kent, ME13 8GD
ags@ags.org.uk
020 8658 8212
Association of Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental Specialists
Sally Hudson AGS Chair @agsgeotech www.ags.org.uk
Breaking Ground, a podcast collaboration between Ground Engineering Magazine and the Ground Forum, have released a new episode which are available for free listening: Î Jim Williams on Archaeology & Construction
Hosted by Steve Hadley, Breaking Ground covers a wide range of ground engineering related topics. Key themes include sustainability, design, commerce, diversity, health and safety, welfare, construction techniques, education, and industry challenges. Episodes also profile industry members careers within the context of discussing industry issues, construction techniques and case studies.
Breaking Ground is available for free download on channels including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. To listen to the podcast, click HERE. For further information on the podcast or for podcast sponsorship opportunities please email gforum@ground-forum.org.uk.
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A Guide to Pressuremeter Testing: From Site to Design (webinar)
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Date: 10th November 2022
Î Location: Online
Î Fee: FOC
Î Speakers include:
Emma Cronin (Senior Geotechnical Engineer at SOCOTEC)
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Alex Dent (Associate Director at WSP)
Thomas Cragg (Director, Cambridge Insitu Ltd)
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Yasmin Byrne (Senior Engineer, Cambridge Insitu Ltd)
∙ Ross Thompson (Associate Director at WSP UK)
The Geotechnical Data Conference 2022 (live event)
Î Date: Thursday 1st December
Î
Location: The Burlington Hotel, Birmingham
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MacDonald)
Ian Williams (Director at GeoConsult Limited and Ground Investigation Limited)
Julian Lovell (Immediate Past AGS Chair and Managing Director at Equipe Group)
∙ Vicky Corcoran (Principal Engineering Geologist, Atkins Ltd)
Simon Miles (Chief Geotechnical Engineer, Atkins Ltd)
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Paul Chaplin (Data Manager – Ground & Water, WSP UK)
Neil Chadwick (Director, Digital Geotechnical Ltd)
Jerôme Chamfray (Chief Geo-digital Engineer, Jacobs)
Roger Chandler (Director, Geotechnical Information Management, Seequent)
Loss Prevention Guidance: What You Don’t Realise You Need To Know (webinar)
Î
Fee: £145 for AGS members and £215 for non-members. Prices exclude VAT. Click here to register.
Î Speakers include:
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Jackie Bland (Principal Ground Investigation Data Manager at Structural Soils and AGS Data Format Working Group Leader)
Verity Wadesmith (Principal Geotechnical Engineering at Mott
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Date: 22nd February 2023 Î Fee: FOC Î Speakers: TBC Î Sponsorship: Contact ags@ags.org.uk for full details of available packages
AGS Annual Conference 2023 (live event) Î
Date: 27th April 2023 Î Fee: Details to be confirmed Î Speakers: TBC Î Sponsorship: Contact ags@ags.org.uk for full details of available packages
The AGS is pleased to announce that the 2023 Annual Conference will return to the Barbican in London on Thursday 27th April 2023.
This full day, networking event will see guest speakers present on a variety of hot topics, and short presentations from each of the AGS Working Group Leaders.
HEADLINE SPONSOR* (AGS Member Rate: £1600 / Non-Member Rate: £1900)
Î Company logo on each attending delegates’ lanyard
Î Two – three page company Q&A in AGS magazine (over 5,500 subscribers)**
Î Full page advert in AGS Magazine (worth £400)**
Î Entry for four delegates into the event
Î A designated area to exhibit company initiatives, research and software. This exhibition space can showcase marketing materials, literature and banners
Î Company logo on the event PowerPoint presentation holding slide
Î Company logo and overview on the event programme
Î Company overview and URL on the AGS website
Î Company logo to feature on promotion emails
Î Three announcements of your company’s involvement on the AGS Twitter page (over 3420 followers)
Î Three announcements of your company’s involvement on the AGS’ LinkedIn page (over 6700 followers)
Î Company mentions in pre and post-event articles in AGS Magazine
*one package available
**terms and conditions apply
Further information to follow.
Sponsorship opportunities are available for companies who wish to have a presence at the conference and exhibit company offerings and initiatives to delegates.
DIAMOND SPONSOR* (AGS Member Rate: £1350 / Non-Member Rate: £1700)
Î Catering sponsor with logo on menu
Î Two – three page company Q&A article in AGS magazine (over 5,500 subscribers)**
Î Full page advert in AGS Magazine (worth £400)**
Î
Entry for three delegates into the event
Î A designated area to exhibit company initiatives, research and software. This exhibition space can also showcase marketing materials, literature and banners
Î Company logo on the event PowerPoint presentation holding slide
Î Company logo and overview on the event programme
Î Company overview on the AGS website
Î Company logo to feature on promotion emails
Î Three announcements of your company’s involvement on the AGS Twitter page (over 3420 followers)
Î Three announcements of your company’s involvement on the AGS’ LinkedIn page (over 6700 followers)
Î Company mention in pre and post-event articles in AGS Magazine
*one package available
**terms and conditions apply
EMERALD SPONSOR (AGS Member Rate: £1100/ Non-Member Rate: £1350)
Î Entry for three delegates into the event
Î A designated area to exhibit company initiatives, research and software. This exhibition space can also showcase marketing materials, literature and banners
Î Full page advert in AGS Magazine (worth £400, over 5,500 subscribers)**
Î Company logo on the event PowerPoint presentation holding slide
Î Company logo and overview on the event programme
Î Company overview on the AGS website
Î Company logo to feature on promotion emails
Î Two announcements of your company’s involvement on the AGS Twitter page (over 3420 followers)
Î Two announcements of your company’s involvement on the AGS’ LinkedIn page (over 6700 followers)
Î Company mention in pre and post-event articles in AGS Magazine
*Limited packages available
GOLD SPONSOR (AGS Member Rate: £950 / Non-Member Rate: £1250)
Î Entry for two delegates into the event
Î A designated area to exhibit company initiatives, research and software. This exhibition space can also showcase marketing materials, literature and banners
Î Company logo on the event PowerPoint presentation holding slide
Î Company logo and overview on the event programme
Î
Company overview on the AGS website
Î 1/4 page advert in AGS magazine (worth £160, over 5,500 subscribers)
Î Company logo to feature on promotion emails
Î Two announcements of your company’s involvement on the AGS Twitter page (over 3420 followers)
Î Two announcements of your company’s involvement on the AGS’ LinkedIn page (over 6700 followers)
Î Company mention in pre and post-event articles in AGS Magazine
*Limited packages available
ASSOCIATE SPONSOR (AGS Member Rate: £550 Non-Member Rate: £700)
Î Entry for one delegate into the event
Î
Company directory in AGS magazine (worth £50, over 5,500 subscribers)
Î Company logo on event PowerPoint Presentation holding slide
Î Company logo on the event programme
Î Company overview on the AGS website
Î Company logo to feature on promotion emails
Î Announcement of your company’s involvement on the AGS Twitter page (over 3420 followers)
Î Announcement of your company’s involvement on the AGS’ LinkedIn page (over 6700 followers)
Î 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 31st March. Please note that packages are limited and are offered on a first come, first served basis.
The Geotechnical Data Conference 2022 will be taking place on Thursday 1st December 2022 at The Burlington Hotel in Birmingham.
This year’s conference presents current developments and investigates the future of ‘AGS Electronic Transfer of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Data (AGS 4.1.1)’, a new opensource Validator and formally releases AGSi the AGS’ ground modelling transfer format. This will include a review of the AGS Data Management Working Group’s input into the new ‘UK Specification for Ground Investigation, Edition 3’ (Yellow Book) and the updated requirements for data transfer/sharing.
We will be welcoming questions from attendees (submitted in advance) on the overall AGS Data Format ‘experience’, lessons learned, irritations, suggested improvements for the future with discussion from a panel of experts.
There will also be unique insight from major infrastructure asset owners on their vision of the importance and use of data in large organisations both now and in the future.
Sponsors of the conference include BAM Ritchies, Datgel, Equipe, Geosense, Geotechnical Engineering, Jacobs, Landmark Geodata, Seequent, SOCOTEC, SoilCloud, Wolfram and Terrasol.
Tickets are priced at £145 for AGS Members and £215 for non-members. Members of the Data Management Working Group and Students can attend the conference for £75. Prices exclude VAT.
National Highways have been long-time supporters of the AGS format with functionality available for the storage and display of AGS data within the Geotechnical and Drainage Management Service (GDMS). Currently hosting over 800 AGS files, National Highways wants to ensure that these are referenced and re-used as effectively as possible, and that new data coming into the system is of consistent high quality. Improving quality and access to AGS data adds significant value to preliminary ground modelling and limits unnecessary duplication of ground investigations. Saving time, money, disruption to road users and exposure of the supply chain to unnecessary risk on the network. This presentation will summarise the work National Highways have done to improve the quality and access to the AGS data that they host and showcase the potential benefits to the wider industry.
Working with AGS data in Mathematica
Ian Williams, Director at GeoConsult Limited and Ground Investigation Limited
The AGS data transfer format was introduced in 1992. Thirty years later, using AGS data to its full potential in geotechnical and geoenvironmental practice remains challenging. Mathematica notebooks provide an elegant solution. Combining word processing with powerful computational and visualisation capabilities, Mathematica provides a flexible, cohesive environment for working with AGS data and presenting outputs. This short
presentation can only scratch the surface of what’s possible. After summarising some key principles of Mathematica and the process for importing AGS data into a notebook, it will conclude with several examples showing just a few of the tasks that can be performed on the data and outputs that can be generated.
Highlights of revised UK Specification for Ground Investigation: 2022
Julian Lovell, Immediate Past AGS Chair and Managing Director at Equipe Group
Following publication of the new ‘Yellow Book’ this year, Julian will focus on the Digital Data provision within the document, highlighting the difference between ‘Digital Data’ and ‘Digital Information’, the requirement for provision of ‘AGS Digital Data’ throughout the document and examples for inclusion in section S1.24.17 ‘Contract restrictions/relaxations’.
Jackie Bland, Principal Ground Investigation Data Manager at Structural Soils and AGS Data Format Working Group Leader This talk will provide an update on the AGS’ Data Management Working Group work on ‘Electronic Transfer of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Data AGS4’ reprising the changes made in AGS 4.1 (December 2020) and the subsequent minor update AGS 4.1.1 (March 2022).
Neil Chadwick, Director, Digital Geotechnical Ltd
AGS piling is the working title for a data transfer format for piling data, which includes design schedule information, the construction record and as built information. It is being developed by AGS in collaboration with the Federation of Piling Specialists (FPS), and supported by the Deep Foundations Institute
(DFI). This presentation will provide an update on recent progress.
AGSi – The launch of v1.0.0
Neil Chadwick, Director, Digital Geotechnical Ltd and Jerôme Chamfray, Chief Geo-digital Engineer, Jacobs
AGSi is a schema and transfer format for the exchange of ground model and interpreted data, for use in the geotechnical, geological, hydrogeological and geoenvironmental domains. This presentation, which marks the formal release of version 1.0 of AGSi, will provide a brief overview of the format including discussion of potential use cases.
OpenSource AGS Validator and AGS 4 Python Library
Roger Chandler, Director, Geotechnical Information Management, Seequent Getting confirmation that your AGS is valid has been difficult in the past as AGS checkers check differently. The AGS committee are pleased to announce that the AGS Validator and AGS 4 Python Library’s release now resolves this problem with one source of validation. Roger will introduce this project and present how it can be used as a standalone tool or within other applications.
Tom Smith, Senior Geotechnical Engineer, Ørsted AGS 4.1 generally provides only summarised results of geotechnical advanced laboratory tests. However, modern design approaches may require more comprehensive datasets, e.g. continuous stress-strain values measured in triaxial tests. A new “measured data” group is, therefore, proposed, which aims to standardise the nomenclature, format and transfer of measured laboratory test data.
The in situ testing subcommittee comprises of members from a cross section of the geotechnical community. We have developed a draft update for cone penetration test (CPT) and Pressuremeter (PMT) groups, these are almost ready for public comment and testing. Our future roadmap includes development of new groups for the following currently unsupported in situ tests: Flat Plate Dilatometer (DMT), Downhole seismic testing, Light Weight Deflectometer (LWD), and Panda DCP.
Further details to be announced in due course. To register your place, please click here.
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The AGS is pleased to announce a free webinar will be taking place on the topic; A Guide to Direct Strain Pressuremeters: From Site Survey to Engineering Parameters, on Thursday 10th November 2022 at 11am.
Event Overview
A sheet of paper has a thickness of about 0.1 millimetres. Direct strain pressuremeters can reliably measure changes in displacements more than 100 times smaller than this, about the wavelength of infra-red light.
In a practical sense, this level of resolution allows the shear stress/shear strain response of the ground to be determined for shear strains of less than 0.01% to over 25%. This permits a high precision assessment of ground conditions ranging from competent rocks to very soft soils. A direct strain pressuremeter is an instrumented downhole tool measuring pressure and displacement, allowing for calculation of engineering parameters including stiffness, strength and insitu stress.
This discussion will include:
Î
An introduction to direct strain pressuremeters such as those manufactured and used by Cambridge Insitu,
Î
A summary of the different types of pressuremeter and how they are deployed in different situations,
Î
An explanation of how testing is carried out,
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An outline of the theory in which the data analysis is based,
Î
An overview of how the analysis is undertaken in a real world context,
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Survey design and recommendations for efficient testing regimes,
Î Applications for pressuremeter data.
This free webinar, co-Chaired by Alex Dent and Emma Cronin, will introduce the guide and why it has been written. It will be aimed at both consultants and geotechnical contractors, with a focus on pressuremeter testing in soil, but also acknowledging the technique as conducted in rock.
‘A guide to direct strain pressuremeters, from site survey to engineering parameters‘, presented by Thomas Cragg (Director, Cambridge Insitu Ltd) and Yasmin Byrne (Senior Engineer, Cambridge Insitu Ltd).
‘Consultant’s view on pressuremeter testing in relation to foundation design‘, presented by Ross Thompson (Associate Director, WSP UK Ltd.) and featuring:
A brief overview of how various pressuremeter derived parameters have been used in the design of foundations, in particular the design of foundations for high rise developments. The talk will also cover how pressuremeter testing has been used to optimise foundation design and a comparison between other methods of testing.
To register for the free webinar, please click HERE.
We’re pleased to announce details of a new, free to attend webinar on the updated AGS Loss Prevention guidance.
Loss Prevention Guidance: What You Don’t Realise You Need To Know (2022 Updates) is a virtual, hour-long event which is taking place on Wednesday 22nd February at 11am.
The AGS Loss Prevention Working Group has produced a plethora of guidance over many years, which used to be included in a document called the ‘toolkit’. This has since moved on to an online resource of Loss Prevention Guidance, published on the AGS website.
However, some of the guidance refers to legal cases and legislation which have the potential to become outdated or have been updated respectively. The LPWG, therefore, commissioned a legal review of this guidance in 2022 to check it is up to date. This review has been carried out by Dominic Ruck-Keen of 1 Crown Office Row.
This free webinar will be looking at some of the key loss prevention guidance, which is recommended reading for all geo-professionals and anyone making commercial decisions, and reiterating some key learning points as well as identifying where significant updates have been made and the implications of those.
The AGS have both Headline and Associate sponsorship packages available for this webinar.
HEADLINE SPONSOR - Price: £800 (members) or £1,100 (non-members)
*one package available per webinar Î
Company website link or pop-up promotion to feature during the live webinar Î Large logo on sponsor slide during the webinar Î
Company mention during webinar opening and closing address Î Logo and overview in the event program
Î
Company Q&A feature in AGS Magazine (5,440 subscribers) Î Full page advert in AGS Magazine (worth £400)
Î Two complementary event registrations (worth up to £180) Î Company logo and overview featured on the webinar registration page Î Logo featured on promotional marketing emails Î
Company logo and overview on the AGS’ Twitter page (3,208 followers) Î Company logo and overview on the AGS’ LinkedIn page (5,730 followers) Î Company logo featured on replay email campaigns Î Company inclusion in a follow up article in AGS Magazine (5,440 subscribers)
ASSOCIATE SPONSOR - Price: £350 (members) or £650 (non-members)
*10 packages available per webinar
Î Logo on sponsor slide during the webinar
Î Logo and overview in the event program
Î Company mention during webinar opening & closing address
Î Logo featured in promotional marketing emails
Î Company directory insert in AGS Magazine, worth £50 (5,440 subscribers)
Î One complementary webinar registration (worth up to £90)
Î Company logo and overview on the AGS’ Twitter page (3,208 followers)
Î Company logo and overview on the AGS’ LinkedIn page (5,730 followers)
Î Company mention in a follow up article in AGS Magazine (5,440 subscribers)
Î Company overview on the AGS website
Î Company logo featured on replay email campaigns
All prices exclude VAT.
To register to attend this webinar please click HERE or for sponsorship opportunities please email ags@ags.org.uk
The Specialist in Land Condition (SiLC) Register has been debating the regulatory approach and options for regeneration of landfill sites and use of the CL:AIRE Definition of Waste Code of Practice in England and Wales (DoWCoP) and the significant issues that are arising. This article follows one which appeared in the AGS Magazine in August / September 20211.
On 21st June 2021, SiLC wrote to the Environment Agency (EA) and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to raise the profile of the problem noting that “due to the demand on UK land resources,
brownfield regeneration professionals are beginning to consider redevelopment of historic landfills, whether or not permits have been surrendered, and areas infilled prior to waste management controls. This interest creates a fantastic opportunity to bring these sites back into beneficial use, however, we are noticing an increasing degree of inconsistency in how these sites are regulated via the implementation of current waste legislation.”
Responses were received from both DEFRA and the EA, which essentially welcomed our suggestions but requested feedback and evidence to support SiLC’s views to ensure that any change in approach is protective of human health and the environment – obviously, a shared goal of SiLC.
As part of our drive to gather this evidence and support change, on June 30th 2022, SiLC hosted its first ever live webinar entitled Regeneration
of Historical Landfill Sites – Multi-Stakeholder Perspectives. We had an amazing response with 168 registering, 137 final attendees, with a further 31 viewing the recording. Feedback was great, with an average survey rating of 4.5 out of 5. This topic is clearly very relevant for brownfield professionals.
Key themes covered in the webinar included: looking at the history and development of the DoWCoP and key decisions that under pinned this; presentation of case studies which illustrated DoWCoP could effectively be used for regeneration of historic landfills while securing environmental betterment and protection of health; and case studies that clearly showed significant issues with undertaking land regeneration under the permitting regime, namely that there are no suitable permits and the adoption of waste codes in permits hinder the suitable for use approach.
Alongside this webinar, SiLC undertook a survey during August and September 2022 requesting views on the use (and misuse) of the DoWCoP and in particular experiences of the difference between project and programme delivery via DoWCoP and permitting. We had an excellent response with 212 respondents, again demonstrating this is an important topic for brownfield professionals. Responses were mainly from consultants, registered qualified persons and specialist remediation contractors (combined 89% of total), 6% of respondents were regulators.
Key themes from the survey were a clear drive on the part of regulators to permit more activities, leading to significant increased costs and delays in projects as reported by 48% of respondents. The permitting system is overwhelmed, with the average determination time of 2 years recorded in the survey. Whilst we were not surprised, it was stark reading to find that 17% of projects were abandoned because of this issue. However,
the survey did also indicate that there is still misunderstanding regarding the DoWCoP intended use and some delayed projects were highly likely to have been due to the code of practice being applied incorrectly.
SiLC are committed to raising standards, quality, and awareness. We intend to follow up this article with a more detailed breakdown of the survey results, share with CL:AIRE, continue evidence-based discussions with the EA and DEFRA and also consider how we can support industry to better understand available options for management of soils. A framework for action will be included in our follow up AGS article.
1. Missing a trick? Is an unnecessarily complex permitting regime for the re-use of materials derived from historical landfill sites stifling their redevelopment? AGS Magazine August / September 2021.
“ The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself” President Franklin D Roosevelt, February 1937."
Humans have relied on soil for millennia but, globally, soil health is threatened, particularly by climate change and intensive agriculture. The past decade has seen increased policy focus on soil, as the impacts of soil degradation on carbon stocks and the wider ecosystem have come under
scrutiny. Government policies across the world are now starting to reflect the need for soil protection. However, effectively implementing such policies within the construction sector will require a significant cultural shift. Bestpractice soil management and reuse, and the use of reconstructed soil, can contribute to a solution that improves soil health and quality and plays a role in mitigating climate change. Global targets for soil health, quality and its carbon stores must also be part of any serious efforts to reverse its decline.
Soil consists of minerals, organic matter
(specifically the material left over from decomposing plants and animals), organisms, water and gases. It underpins the food system, contains nutrients needed for plants to grow, and stores water. It supports biodiverse habitats; one gram of soil contains tens of thousands of microbial species. Soil acts as a filter for water, so it enters rivers more purified, and plays a key role in flood management, holding water after heavy rainfall. It provides a platform to allow construction. It also offers the most significant
carbon storage system on earth, helping to regulate the climate.
Despite its life-giving properties, soil is in crisis across the world. Along with the effects of intensive agriculture, a growing population has caused significant changes to land use and contamination of soil. It is claimed that 3 cm of topsoil is generated every 1,000 years (UN FAO, 2019), yet in England and Wales roughly 2.9 million tonnes of topsoil are eroded annually. Most soil in England is classed as either ‘degraded’ or ‘very degraded’ (Environment Agency, 2019). Once soil becomes degraded, it can potentially emit greenhouses gases: carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.
On construction projects, the enthusiasm for projects to begin can be at the expense of highest quality, planned soil management. The tendency to strip sites and stockpile soil remains common; reuse is frequently an afterthought. Planning early to understand soil resources on construction sites (a Soil Resource Plan with Survey) and prepare for their reuse is too often overlooked. This creates the conditions for damaging soil and the risk of it being a waste material. Many consultants and advisors are pushing hard to change this behaviour and to create more educated clients.
Soil on construction sites is at risk of compaction as well as poor stockpiling conditions. Heavy machinery use increases soil compaction, compressing the soil structure and reducing porosity, nutrient cycling and gas exchanges, limiting productivity.
The risk of damage is increased for heavy clay soil during wet periods. More frequent, erratic weather patterns could increase this risk if it becomes more challenging to follow handling and
“ Soil acts as a filter for water, so it enters rivers more purified, and plays a key role in flood management, holding water after heavy rainfall.
management procedures on-site.
Another challenge is to encourage people’s engagement and understanding of soil, at individual, professional, societal and political levels. There is a clear need for political leadership and commitment to managing and improving soil health and quality. This will ensure its role in mitigating climate change is protected with waste creation and disposal minimised.
The UK is at a crossroads in deciding how it approaches soil management. Currently, soil accounts for the greatest tonnage of waste disposed to landfill in the UK. The complexity and relatively low environmental priority of soil creates significant challenges to its future management but, already, there is a lot of knowledge and expertise available to address the issue. The UK Government’s Soil Health Action Plan for England intends to address the challenge of increasing soil degradation by supporting the 25-year Environment Plan’s ambition for sustainable soil management by 2030. The scale of this crisis is finally appearing high on international political agendas too.
Industry can be empowered to take ownership of the issue and develop solutions for better soil management. The CL:AIRE Definition of Waste: Development Industry Code of Practice (DoW CoP) was the first, and remains a flagship initiative for the construction industry. It works within the principles set out in the Department of Business Innovation and Skills ‘Regulators’ Code’ (Office for Product Safety and Standards, Regulators' Code) and remains a joint industry – regulator approach to soil
management. A key objective of its design was to support the regulators by creating a system which clearly identifies low risk projects and activities, thus allowing them to focus resources on the opposite. Since its launch in 2008, the DoW CoP has allowed the sustainable reuse of over 160,000,000 m3 of soil and excavated materials, either on the site from which they were excavated, or on an alternative receiver site.
More needs to be done in the UK to discourage soil ending up in landfill. Defra’s 2022 statistics on waste (Defra, 2022) show that 58% of landfill tonnage is soil, most of which was removed for civil engineering projects and housebuilding. The situation is deeply ironic: removing and separating the soil from its natural environment means that it is effectively ‘lost’, yet this also leaves the problem of having to dispose of the removed soil, coupled with a need for importing virgin materials to make up the shortfall. The extraction and use of these replacement materials come with their own list of negative environmental, social and economic issues. The UK urgently needs a policy and regulatory system to stop this huge amount of soil going to landfill, whilst ensuring soil can be reused to a demonstrably high standard of environmental protection. In laudably chasing waste minimisation, care is needed to avoid creating the conditions for a race-to-thebottom with regards to operational standards.
There are potential risks associated with soil when it is displaced, whether by industrial extraction processes and landfilling, chemical changes if placed on different lithologies, or through erosion and climate pressures. The
“ There is a clear need for political leadership and commitment to managing and improving soil health and quality. This will ensure its role in mitigating climate change is protected with waste creation and disposal minimised.
current Waste Strategy for England (Defra and Environment Agency, 2018) ignores the loss of soil to landfills despite these two issues being connected. This needs to be addressed. Such quantities of soil ending up in landfill sites is an indication of the low interest value accorded to the soil by UK citizens, society, politicians and policy makers. The two greatest inhibitors to soil reuse (and diversion from landfill) as they make it simply impossible are
1. a lack of local potential receiver sites (e.g. a site with a requirement for soil), and
2. non-alignment of donor (e.g. a site with surplus soil) and receiver sites during construction phases.
Where soil has been stockpiled, in the hope of eventual reuse, they readily become a burden to the holder. This increases
the likelihood of them becoming a waste, (e.g. the likelihood of discard is increased) and certainly degrades their value ( by virtue of being a waste rather than a resource) to the point where they become benchmarked against some of the lowest grade waste streams we manage as a society. For example, Letsrecycle.com shows the market prices for many recycled materials. Negative values are only really associated with, unsurprisingly, the lowest quality materials such as Mixed Recycling facility films (plastic bags and wrappings), glass and low grade wood. That soil is frequently valued as poorly as such low grade wastes demonstrates how far the construction sector needs to change its behaviour if it is to truly value soil as
resource.
a natural
“ That soil is frequently valued as poorly as such low grade wastes demonstrates how far the construction sector needs to change its behaviour if it is to truly value soil as a natural resource.
Creating the conditions for industry to set up high-quality, fixed soil treatment facilities, which can hold these valuable materials until the receiver site (that which is accepting soil) is identified and ready, would certainly play a huge role in addressing this negative situation. Poor performing treatment facility operators must not be allowed to unlevel the playing field against operators charging for a quality service to manage a valuable resource. The concept of ‘georesource’ hubs has also been developed by colleagues at the University of Plymouth, which captures the concept well.
Conversely there has been a tendency to overlook the benefits of bringing displaced soil back into its own environment. These benefits are detailed below.
When soil is damaged, it cannot perform the
essential task of storing carbon. Greenhouse gases are emitted in greater amounts. Lateral diffusion transfers nutrients to water and leads to degradation of aquatic ecosystems, placing an even greater strain on the environment.
Best-practice soil management helps address these issues and improves soil functionality at completed sites, beginning the process of re-capturing carbon back into the soil.
Uncompacted soil allows water to infiltrate, reducing surface runoff and the leaching of nutrients into water bodies during wet weather. Soil also retains water for plants to access during drier periods and this retention ability is essential for the creation of a healthy sub-soil ecosystem. Soil that has been sealed cannot hold rainwater. Replacing open areas and covering soil with a hard surface such as concrete (soil sealing)
“ Conversely there has been a tendency to overlook the benefits of bringing displaced soil back into its own environment.Photo Credit: Cognition Land & Water
can have a significant negative impact on the above processes. Over a large area it becomes especially problematic. This flags how imperative it is to consider this issue at the early site project design stages as part of a soil resource plan.
A healthy local habitat is dependent on the quality of the soil underpinning it. Our understanding of the importance of sub-surface interactions has increased dramatically. We appreciate more than ever the vital role that mycorrhizal fungi and bacteria play in creating optimum growing conditions. Where soil is damaged, either physically or biologically, it follows that this will be reflected negatively on the surface. This ultimately hinders any effort to improve biodiversity of construction sites.
Lost soil can be reconstructed. This could reduce the pressure on valuable and finite topsoil and support both sustainable development and food security. Inert materials (a frequent waste stream of construction operations) can be carefully mixed together to create a substrate with the characteristics of a healthy soil. This can be used in the manufacture of topsoil for urban grasslands, and potentially in the future for materials in high-value markets, such as horticulture and agriculture.
soil that potentially function better than natural soil. There is an obvious link here to material reuse, the circular economy and carbon capture.
locally-sourced, readily available waste materials. The resultant soil has a much higher organic component than most natural soil and has provided an excellent laboratory to assess the potential of reconstructed soil and how it might be optimised for widespread use. The team at the University of Plymouth has produced soil from suitable waste materials, working to improve their efficiency and nutrient retention, and influence both their deployment and the regulations surrounding their use. This work hopes to demonstrate the potential of reconstructed soil from waste as a viable option for communities across the world who need to rebuild their soil resources. This work continues under the ReCon Soil project, more details of which can be found at https://www.claire.co.uk/ projects-and-initiatives/ dow-cop
The components of natural soil can be varied but it is possible to develop reconstructed soil that potentially function better than natural soil. There is an obvious link here to material reuse, the circular economy and carbon capture.
Cornwall’s Eden Project is an impressive example of infrastructure built using reconstructed soil in 8 hectares of a former sand quarry. Here, more than 80,000 tonnes of reconstructed soil were made by mixing
Another benefit of soil creation is that it can be made to a specification. Depending on the application, the health of reconstructed soil needs to be assessed for its suitability, based on its end use location. A safe and high-performing reconstructed soil, deployed for construction, would be a precious resource in efforts to achieve environmental sustainability. Continued monitoring to ensure the soil’s performance will be key. For example, if it was situated close to a water course, and leached a lot of nitrogen, this could have a negative impact on water quality. If monitoring
“ The components of natural soil can be varied but it is possible to develop reconstructed
shows that the microbial community in the soil is not fit for purpose, this can be amended. Once the soil becomes `living’ it will need to be assessed at regular intervals to ascertain how well nutrients and other quality indicators are being retained. It will also be important to understand how such soil function in the long term, and to what extent their chemistry and biology should be regulated.
The nutrient content of soil differs depending on land use and management. Sustainable soil management seeks to optimise different functions to increase soil resilience, depending on the main land use. To develop effective solutions there is still much research left to do. Scientists need to embark on extensive monitoring and data collection. This would be helped by employing a whole-system approach involving natural and social scientists, communities, industry and policy makers. Alongside this there is great potential for the construction sector to adopt digital solutions to support soil management. One of the immediate areas where this could be done is with soil tracking. Once soil resources are properly assessed and their reuse is planned, the soil is handled and placed; it is imperative that its location, health and function is tracked throughout the process.
Regulation and policy must keep pace with scientific progress if climate emergency declarations are to become more than rhetoric. Wherever possible and appropriate soil must be considered, by regulators and industry alike, as a resource within a circular economy. Alongside this, ‘soil managers’
(e.g. the construction sector) must act as primary custodians of this resource. Where firms have sustainability strategies, including elements such as targeting zero waste and environmental net gain (often publicly marketed), it is imperative that best-practice soil management is always adopted. To not do so can call into question such strategies and commitments.
Soil management is not the sole task for either government or industry, it is a joint endeavour. CL:AIRE remains committed to helping create the conditions to allow this to happen especially through its DoW CoP.
The time in which environmental stewardship strategies can be developed is limited; it has to happen now.
Defra. (2022). UK statistics on waste. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/ukwaste-data/uk-statistics-on-waste
Defra and Environment Agency. (2018). Resources and waste strategy for England. Retrieved from https:// www.gov.uk/government/publications/resourcesand-waste-strategy-for-england#full-publicationupdate-history
Environment Agency. (2019). Retrieved from https:// assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/ system/uploads/attachment_data/file/805926/State_ of_the_environment_soil_report.pdf
FAO, U. (2019). Soil erosion: the greatest challenge to sustainable soil management. 100 pp. . Rome: Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
Office for Product Safety and Standards. (Regulators' Code). Regulators' Code. Retrieved from https://www. gov.uk/government/publications/regulators-code
UN FAO. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.fao.org/ about/meetings/soil-erosion-symposium/keymessages/en/
This article discusses mental health issues and suicide. If this topic causes you distress or if you are currently struggling, please reach out for help. You may like to contact The Construction Industry Helpline on 0345 605 1956.
Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists find themselves potentially placed within what has become one of the deadliest sectors in the UK. And the numbers are tragic. Professionals in the construction sector are 6 times more likely to suicide, than to fall from a height on site and 2 workers each day take their own lives. That’s more than 3 times the average rate in the UK
and higher than any other profession. Whilst these statistics are shocking, they may be just the tip of the iceberg as they only reflect onsite work data.
Although these are heart-breaking statistics, with each tragedy leaving friends and family in despair, we must urgently consider the needs of our professional colleagues currently in crisis. Those 2 people in the industry who are thinking of, and will possibly, suicide today. Those who are struggling daily, as high functioning employees, masking their intense pain.
The Chartered Institute of Building’s (CIOB ) comprehensive 2020 report, 'Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment' found that 70% of over 2,000 construction professionals surveyed in 2019, had experienced depression, 87% had experienced anxiety in the last year and over 90% experienced stress, fatigue, poor concentration and felt overwhelmed. Worse still, 26%, just over a quarter of those professionals interviewed, had thought about taking their own lives. We must acknowledge that good mental health within the industry could be at an all-time low.
There are many misconceptions about what mental health is and what it isn’t. Mental health is our emotional, psychological and social wellbeing, it affects how we think, feel and behave. And, just like our physical health, it can ebb and flow. Biological influences as well as life experiences can all have a positive or negative impact on our mental health.
When we are in a good state of mental health we are better able to access our cognitive
abilities, problem solve, think rationally, and see things from a range of perspectives. We are more likely to enjoy resilience and cope more effectively with the ups and downs of life. The human design allows most of us to cope with around 2 hours of stress a day without negative consequences. However, if we are left in stressful situations long enough, such as high levels of stress at work and at home, perhaps with continuous worries about finances, our wellbeing can start to deteriorate. Everyday things begin to feel much harder, life begins to feel like we’re wading through treacle. We may feel angry, lost, guilty, anxious, we may begin to withdraw from friends and family and at some point, we will fit the diagnosis for a mental health disorder such as general anxiety disorder or depression, or more commonly, both.
Predictions made by the World Health Organization (WHO) show that, by 2030, mental health problems (particularly depression) will be the leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally.
Do I have a mental illness if I have suicidal thoughts?
A very common misconception is that suicidal thoughts and actions are a mental illness or indicative of one. Unfortunately, this assumption is prevalent across many communities and whilst those with a mental illness, such as depression, are at higher risk of suicide, suicidal thinking can affect absolutely anyone. Suicidal thoughts are not the reserve of those with a diagnosable mental illness.
As complicated as all our lives are and as suicide is, there is an algorithm that is constant
“ Predictions made by the World Health Organization (WHO) show that, by 2030, mental health problems (particularly depression) will be the leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally.
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- when our pain exceeds resources for coping with our pain, and when we have lost hope that things can be different, we can see suicidal ideation. Until this is more widely understood, we will continue to see an unwillingness to seek help, such is the stigma around mental illness. This stigma will be stopping some in the construction industry from discussing their feelings of being overwhelmed. So why are those in the construction industry experiencing such high rates of suicide?
If the demands at work exceed how much an individual can cope with, they will experience work-related stress. Reports from within the sector suggest there are countless and diverse demands placed upon employees of all levels, from those around the board table, to those laying boards on site.
The sector's employees live with the nomadic nature of work, long and demanding hours, late payment issues and the boom and bust nature of the industry. It’s an industry that is straining under the impact of the climate crisis, reduced supplies, increased costs and inflation. Individual workplaces manage to stay afloat by imposing tight deadlines and low margins, which often lead to harsher working conditions. All these pressures have the potential to impact working relationships and increase harassment or bullying within a male dominated sector that often struggles with toxic masculinity. Layer on top the numerous crippling impacts of current world events, and we can begin to see why so many colleagues within this sector are becoming vulnerable to work related burnout or breakdown.
CIOB reported that 70% of workers
“ The sector's employees live with the nomadic nature of work, long and demanding hours, late payment issues and the boom and bust nature of the industry.
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experienced moderate to extreme levels of stress due to poor communication, 65% of senior level staff found inadequate staffing to cause moderate to extreme levels of stress and 64% of manual workers experienced stress due to bullying. If channels of communication are poor, if it’s an environment where senior level staffing is inadequate and if people experiencing bullying or harassment are unable to communicate it, we start to see why it’s being called “The Silent Crisis” within the industry.
In such a male dominant sector, does the hyper-masculine culture still prevent men from openly talking about their mental health and the stress they are experiencing? Would it be fair to suggest that the sector still plays host to a culture of toxic masculinity, encouraging men to adopt unhealthy coping mechanisms, suppress their emotions, mask distress, create an appearance of self-sufficiency which prevents them from seeking help?
If you were concerned about the stigma surrounding mental ill health in your workplace and believed that your employer wouldn’t be able or want to help, if you felt there was no space to talk, no time to find a solution, or felt you may even risk a potential
promotion or even employment if you raised a personal mental health concern, would you speak up?
Many wouldn’t and instead find a way to drown their pain in an extra beer, more porn, gambling, or illicit drugs to numb their feelings, all the while masking the truth with yet more banter and bravado. The appearance of coping is paramount, to be able to continue to support their loved ones and keep a roof over their heads. Could this contribute to the high rates of suicide within the industry?
And let’s not forget women in the industry. The 12% of females within this sector may be at risk too. We know that there are hideously high rates of male suicide, but women typically have higher rates of suicide attempts and are certainly at higher risk of self harm. The protective factors for women may be that it’s far more acceptable and, therefore, more probable that women will independently reach out for help from colleagues, friends, family or professionals for support.
How can we cultivate workplaces that support mental health?
It takes global and community organisational
levels to change the workplace culture. There are some big cogs in the system that need to move and respond in unison to efforts on the ground and perhaps we could be asking some questions with broader strokes.
Cultural and organisational change often seems beyond our reach - it feels like that as long as we continue to tell ourselves that it can't be changed, so it will be. According to The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, all businesses have a legal duty to protect their employees’ safety at work by undertaking a risk assessment and acting on it. The existing legislation cites physical illness or injury, so what needs to be done to ensure mental health is included? In France, legislation is clear on injuries or suicides that take place on work premises.
We also know construction is capable of change when backed by Government legislation. Back in 2005, the UK Government introduced the 'Working at Height
Regulations', and 10 years later, we saw a 40% decrease in incidents. Now that workers are more at risk of suicide than falling from height, what can the industry do to work with the Government and address this appalling figure and implement better practice for mental health and wellbeing?
The Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) provides proof that individuals working on construction sites have the appropriate training and qualifications for the job. Given how prominent poor mental health is within the industry, perhaps this could be included in the CSCS application process and help raise standards and good practice around staff mental health within the sector?
We need a collaborative, local and national approach from academies through to government to educate, coordinate and legislate.
In the meantime, what more could be done to raise awareness? According to the CIOB report, 71% of respondents said
“ Now that workers are more at risk of suicide than falling from height, what can the industry do to work with the Government and address this appalling figure and implement better practice for mental health and wellbeing?
that they had not received any mental health awareness or training within the past three years. 20% were unsure how seriously their business would respond to a member of staff if they disclosed that they had a mental health issue. But of course, if we are still assuming that our colleagues’ despair is a mental illness, we will be offering solutions that are unlikely to be appropriate.
We are beginning to see the introduction of Mental Health Policies, Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs), flexible working, signposting to additional support, such as talking therapies or helplines, but there’s still have a long way to go in both educating staff and implementing processes to ensure we are working in healthy work environments that are suicide safe. Creating Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA) is meaningless if they are benign and if the structures are not in place to compassionately support colleagues.
The OLLIE Foundation, a suicide prevention charity in the UK, offers tailored suicide prevention training for the whole workplace, supporting everyone to feel more confident to have a conversation about suicide and mental health. The Foundation offers training to spot the invitations to recognise those at risk and to empower sensitive conversations about suicide. Most importantly we show you how as a line manager, colleague, or friend, how simply it can be to keep someone safe for now.
OLLIE advocates that in the world of suicide prevention, you don’t need an 'ology' to save a life. You don’t need a qualification in mental illness, and you don’t need to be a healthcare professional. You don’t need to be a doctor or
a scientist or a psychiatrist. You simply need to be willing to step up and ask, are you OK?
If you are willing to ask questions, listen to answers, validate feelings, and show empathy, you ARE equipped to prevent suicide. And if talking about feelings is not your happy place, or theirs, we will also show you how to use a simple process called a 'safeplan' and how you can use it to keep someone safe from acting on their thoughts.
OLLIE encourages workplaces to promote a culture that’s conducive to positive mental health and wellbeing by exploring the following ideas:
1. It’s important that the conversation around mental health isn’t automatically medicalised or formalised in the first instance.
Implement a balance of both formal and informal support pathways. Peer support is most effective through activities the workforce is interested in and have suggested themselves, mens’ walking groups, 5 aside football matches, pizza nights for example. These all provide opportunities outside of work that help to create a culture of connectivity that can lead to courageous conversations. Steve Kerslake, founder of Construction Sport, recently featured in BBC’s We Are England: Mental Health, Coping in Construction to share the success he has had in using sport as a tool for peer support and conversation starters.
2. More formalised support and clear signposting to external agencies such as Lighthouse Club’s Construction Industry helpline (flyers on the back of toilet doors, stickers on hardhats) to ensure as many colleagues as possible are made aware of the support available to them. The range of support available should be regularly shared and discussed, not just targeted to an individual at a time in need.
“ OLLIE encourages workplaces to promote a culture that’s conducive to positive mental health and wellbeing...
3. Increase the team’s confidence through training and awareness talks such as those provided by The OLLIE Foundation. The University of Kent recently identified the industry’s biggest obstacles to discussing mental health was ultimately fear- that the word 'suicide' may have a negative impact on individuals and that it would be associated with the organisation raising this issue. We understand why that would be, but such fears are based on false assumptions, like the one shared earlier that all suicidal behaviours are indicative of mental illness. Another common fear, based on false assumptions, is that asking if someone’s thinking of suicide may just put the idea into their heads. You aren’t alone in worrying about that, but the truth is quite the opposite, research suggests you may just help save their life.
4. Make a commitment to best practice and standards though a co produced Mental Health policies. It’s vital that your policy is unique to the needs of your workforce so that it is relevant and helpful and actively referred to for guidance from all members of the team –you may like to refer to The Mental Health at Work Commitment or Building Mental Health Charter to help get you started or review your current policy and practice.
5. Ideally the workplace understands that its greatest asset is its staff. When that is the foundation of the workplace, things tend to flow better for everyone, including the bottom line! But as we don't all have that foundation in place, let's look at how we can create more open cultures of conversation so we can normalise discussions about wellbeing and mental health, with authenticity. Senior management can have a pivotal role in engaging in this type of conversation with
colleagues at work, starting by openly talking about their own life experiences and feelings to set a precedent.
If you wish to continue this conversation around the great practice in your workplace, how we maintain good mental health and what more we can do to reduce emotional overwhelm and suicide within the construction industry, please participate in this anonymous questionnaire using the QR code below. Doing so will support OLLIE's understanding of the obstacles to support and your stories of success.
If you wish to reduce the stigma and keep you, your colleagues and your loved ones safe from suicide, please do get in touch with The OLLIE Foundation to find out how they can support your workplace. Or simply join one of our online training sessions, they are open to everyone.
Getting tooled up with mental health support and suicide prevention with OLLIE gives organisations a unique advantage, boosting staff morale and their reputation within their community through their CSR. Align with OLLIE, and we’ll pledge to pay it forward, using training fees to fully fund prevention and awareness training for organisations, schools and public facing services in the workplace’s local community.
For further information please email: contactus@theolliefoundation.org
“ Make a commitment to best practice and standards though a co produced Mental Health policies.
Katharine has 15 years’ experience as a geotechnical engineer. At the start of her career she was a site engineer working predominantly in London logging cores for projects such as Crossrail and the Emirates Cable Car. In 2013 Kat spent a year in New Zealand helping the rebuild effort in Christchurch after it was devastated by a series of strong earthquakes in 2010/2011.
On returning to the UK, Kat moved into consultancy and has been involved in projects ranging from foundation and retaining wall design to investigating the extent of un-mapped tunnels in the Chalk on the Isle of Thanet. She is involved in projects that range from small commercial extensions to large 500-unit residential schemes, industrial warehouse refurbishments, slope stability analyses and technical due diligence assessments.
What or who inspired you to join the geotechnical industry?
As a child I always wanted to be a geologist, which probably had something to do with growing up in New Zealand. After graduating from Bristol University with an MSci in Geology
I initially wanted to venture into geophysics, but with jobs being few and far between the next best option was to train as a geotechnical engineer.
What does a typical day entail?
The day itself can vary broadly, but it always starts with checking those inescapable e-mails. During the course of the day I check in with the graduate and project engineers in my team to make sure that they are happy and busy. The rest of the day is filled with variety; writing fee proposals, compiling geotechnical designs, writing or reviewing reports, providing advice to my
structural and civil colleagues, directing on-site investigation works, invoicing, resourcing and mentoring junior staff.
Are there any projects which you’re particularly proud to have been a part of?
The first project I was handed when I joined CampbellReith was a new appointment to a Southendon-Sea Council framework to provide geotechnical consultancy services, with a particular focus on the condition and stability of a number of areas of weak cliff frontage along the coast. Being part of this project from the very beginning has been very fulfilling.
From the initial visual inspections and risk assessment of the cliffs, to designing a ground investigation, this project has offered diverse and enjoyable challenges throughout. We are currently
“ As a child I always wanted to be a geologist, which probably had something to do with growing up in New Zealand.
in the process of undertaking ground investigation works, which will be used to build a comprehensive ground model for the slopes, allow stability analysis and, ultimately, the design of a stabilisation scheme that will safeguard the slopes from significant future ground movements.
What are the most challenging aspects of your role?
The most challenging part of many of the projects I’m involved in is communicating the importance of geotechnical input at an early stage. With most geotechnical hazards being below ground the old adage ‘out of sight, out of mind’ is something we have to constantly battle against. It’s often only when something goes wrong that geotechnical engineering is given the consideration it deserves.
What AGS Working Group(s) are you a Member of and what are your current focuses?
I am a member of the Instrumentation and Monitoring Working Group as well as the Geotechnical
Working Group. I was one of the founding members of an Underpinning Focus Group, which was established to further explore the subject of ground movement in relation to underpinning. Our main objective is to look at the data available to try and better understand the ground movements that can arise from underpinned basement construction, with a view to establishing a clearer method of predicting potential ground movements associated with future projects.
What do you enjoy most about being an AGS Member?
I enjoy collaborating with my peers as part of the Working Groups.
What do you find beneficial about being an AGS Member?
Being able to actively participate in the community and contribute to the guidance and outputs produced by the AGS.
Why do you feel the AGS is important to the industry? It’s important for the industry
to have these groups where like-minded people can meet up, share knowledge and collaborate in productive ways. The AGS covers a broad range of aspects within the geotechnical and geoenvironmental disciplines, and I think the interaction and collaboration between disciplines helps the industry evolve in a positive way.
What changes would you like to see implemented in the geotechnical industry?
I’d like there to be an increased awareness and understanding of the importance of geotechnical engineering in the construction industry, which is a mammoth task that most of us are constantly fighting to achieve.
I also think that graduate or junior engineers would benefit from spending time on site as a ground investigation contractor to learn where the data they use in their models comes from, how it is gathered and what shortcomings or limitations there are during the data gathering process.
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AGS Members all share a commitment to quality in the geotechnical and geoenvironmental industry. This has become widely recognised by clients, governmental bodies and other associations that touch issues to do with the ground. We welcome both companies and individuals who want to be recognised for their quality of practice to join our growing membership of over 130 Members. We shape our industry, continually improve practice and collaborate on issues that affect us all; from clients, all the way through to the people who use the land and the buildings we help develop.
To become a Member of the AGS, please visit http://www.ags.org.uk/about/become-a-member and submit your application online. Please note that all membership applications are reviewed by the Membership Committee 6 weeks in advance of each quarterly Executive meeting. The deadline for the next round of completed applications is 10th January 2023.
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