The talk will describe the role of instrumentation and monitoring (I&M) in ground engineering in its widest sense and will encompass geotechnical, structural, and asset protection and management considerations. The status of I&M as a critical link in ground engineering will be illustrated, with specific emphasis on I&M as a risk management tool. The importance of high-quality I&M in the context of the design and implementation of temporary and permanent works, and the related adoption of the Observational Method, will be discussed from a risk perspective. The “Geotechnical Health Monitoring” and “Asset Health Monitoring” concepts will also receive attention. The talk will underline the need to give timely attention to I&M as an integral part of the design and construction process and to ensure that adequate provision is made for the storage, dissemination, visualisation, validation, analysis and interpretation of the vast amount of data that current I&M systems can generate.

Chartered Civil Engineer, with more than 10 years working experience in I&M. Involved, as contractor and consultant, in a number of complex schemes both in the UK and overseas, including: tunnelling in urban areas, ground treatments, deep excavations and large scale trials. As a Geotechnical engineer, my passion for analytical and numerical modelling has been complemented by my deep interest for I&M, allowing me to keep a scientific and data-driven approach to complex data interpretation and back-analysis problems. I am currently an Associate Technical Director for Geotechnical Observations Ltd., responsible for the technical aspects (including data validation, analysis and interpretation) of a number of monitoring schemes across the UK.

This presentation explores the use of cone penetration testing (CPTs) and how these tests can form an integral part of quality site investigation. It introduces what a CPT is, the different types of equipment available for testing, interpretation of CPT results as well as advanced uses of the data. It also briefly discusses the use of pressuremeter testing including self-boring pressuremeters (SBP), high pressure dilatometers (HPD), Menard Pressuremeter Testing as well as the Driven Pressuremeter (DPM).

Darren Ward, Managing Director of In Situ Site Investigation, has 20 years’ experience in the geotechnical industry. After graduating from Imperial College, Darren jumped straight into the in situ testing world where he spent 7 years working on all aspects of Cone Penetration Testing (CPTs). In 2008, Darren set up In Situ Site Investigation which has grown steadily based on a strong client focus. Part of Darren’s interest is the development of CPTs where he has worked with many universities and co-authored over 20 technical papers. The company has now expanded into many different areas of in situ testing such as operating a full suite of pressuremeters, environmental, marine and rail both UK based and internationally.

Eric will talk about choosing the right tool for your ground investigation site, from looking at geophysics, resonance (Sonic) drilling rigs to low pressure equipment inc SupaCAT’s and briefly describe the pro’s and cons of each technique. Please download Structural Soils free engineers quick reference guide here.

Eric draws on over 30 years’ experience in the ground investigation industry starting his career at Sellafield where he worked on the Nirex project drilling 3,000m boreholes, he then spent a further 8 years working for Soil Mechanics (Socotec) and Thyssen (Quantum Geotechnical). He then spend ten years working for an Environmental and Geotechnical consultancy called Mouchel Parkman (now merged with WSP) then moved back into contracting in 2010 and currently an Associate Director at Structural Soils responsible for their business development.

This presentation will provide an overview of good practices in sampling of soils and groundwaters. It will include details of why preservation is required, sample temperature requirements, holding times and how to avoid deviations. The presentation will highlight latest UK and international guidance and is aimed specifically at early career professionals.

Geraint has worked for consultants, site investigation and remediation contractors. He has over 22 years’ of experience in the assessment of sites in the UK as well as working in Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire on behalf of the United Nations Environment Programme. Geraint is currently ALS’s Technical Lead. He previously served on the Executive Committee of the Society of Brownfield Risk Assessment (SoBRA) and currently participates in specialist groups including SoBRA’s vapour intrusion subgroup. Geraint also serves on EH/4, British Standards Technical Committee on Soil Quality, the Association of Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental Specialists (AGS) contaminated land and laboratories working groups. He is ALS’s representative on the Environment Agency’s specialist Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) analytical working group.

Coming soon.

Hugh is a Chartered Geologist and registered Specialist in Land Condition (SiLC) with a wide variety of professional experience gained over 35 years. He leads a multi-disciplinary team involved in the project management, investigation and assessment of contaminated sites (both land and groundwater) prior to acquisition, reclamation or redevelopment.

Coming soon.

James is Managing Director of European Geophysical Services after joining the geophysics specialists in 1996, 18 months after it was formed. James began as a geophysical logging engineer, having previously work on various surface geophysical projects. James is an expert in downhole geophysics specialising in data acquisition and interpretation.

Jon will explain why the new AGS Client guides for ground investigation activities will require industry changes in attitude and practice to meet health and safety requirements. The guides provide comprehensive guidance on what best practice looks like and what client’s should specify and expect from those carrying out geotechnical and geoenvironmental investigations on their behalf. The documents will create the new benchmark which organisations should be looking to meet whomever they work for.

Jon is a Chartered Member of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (CMIOSH), working within both health & safety and CDM disciplines to provide services to a wide range of clients and employers to ensure legal compliance and best practise. Jon has 12 years’ experience within health and safety, working within geotechnical, construction sectors, standard developers, and regulators and 8 years’ within construction management with a specialisation in drilling and piling. Jon dedicates himself to shaping the key standards within the industry bodies, including AGS, BDA and FPS, as well as British and European Standards. Jon continues to elevate HSW working and operating standards for those in which he engages, collaborates, and works with.

Julian is immediate Past Chair of AGS and is a member of the AGS Safety Working Group and BDA Training and Education Sub-committee. He will provide an introduction to the sessions and provide a brief overview of what these organisations are looking at with regard to health, safety and environmental matters.

Julian is Managing Director of the Equipe Group who are the UKs leading training and vocational assessment provider. He is Immediate Past Chair of the AGS, Chair of the AGS Procurement of Ground Investigation Steering Group, Chair and Lead Author of the Yellow Book Revision Working Group, Chair of the JIWG Buried Services Group and Member of the BDA Training and Education Sub Committee. Julian has been involved in the geotechnical industry and is an active author and contributor to industry operational and safety guidance. He is also a UK Expert on TC182 WG4 which has revised and written ISO and CEN standards on geotechnical sampling and training and competency requirements for personnel working on geotechnical projects. He has been involved in the development of Level 2 and Level 3 qualification in land drilling and is currently leading an industry working group developing a new qualification for laboratory and field technicians.

A successful UK based Geo-practitioner needs to recognise, interpret and understand a wide variety of ground models. The talk will investigate the primary considerations to make when forming the conceptual ground model, provide some recent case studies, and considers what needs to be done to refine the original concept.

Liz has over thirty years’ experience in ground investigation in both the private and public sectors working as a main contractor, consultant, public sector officer and ground investigation contractor. She has extensive experience in the design, procurement, management and supervision of ground investigations and remediation schemes. Liz also has detailed knowledge and experience in the logging and interpretation of ground conditions throughout the UK, the geotechnical appraisal and design for foundations, and the issues associated with contaminated and derelict land. With her extensive experience, Liz now acts as a Principal Engineering Geologist, where she has a broad remit for training and technical compliance.

Mark will be giving a short presentation on recent developments in the subsurface laser scanning, multibeam sonar and photogrammetry geo-referenced surveying of voids and confined spaces and their deliverables for global geohazards. Recent case studies will be used to demonstrate the techniques and deliverables, including gypsum mine voids, Thornegate, Carlisle, Limestone/coal mine voids, Edinburgh, Copper mine voids, Ecton Mine, Staffordshire, chalk mine voids, Pinner Wood School, Harrow, abandoned & collapsed railway tunnel, Bradford/Halifax, flooded coal mine voids, Kidsgrove Rail Station, Staffordshire, Tin mine voids, St Austell & Carbis Bay, Cornwall, a sinkhole/bellpit survey at Sappers Field, Wooburn, Buckinghamshire and a confined space adit/culvert at Dunford Bridge, South Yorkshire. An update on the speakers involvement with flooded sinkholes and mines R&D work on the UNEXMIN/UNEXUP project developing a remote multibeam sonar survey robot.

Coming soon.

Zita and Michael will share their experience from advising and defending clients on issues arising from geoenvironmental pollution and contamination and any related enforcement actions. They will also discuss insurance coverage issues relating to geoenvironmental the clean-up of environmental damage, pollution and on environmental legislation, with a particular expertise in waste and water management. Michael and Zita will give an overview of the sorts of claims and losses that can arise when things go wrong with geoenvironmental services and will outline some of the steps that companies can take to minimise their risks both in advance of, and in response to, incidents and claims.

Michael is widely recognised and respected for his expertise in the construction and environmental sectors. He joined Beale & Co in 2018 from a leading insurance law firm where he headed up their Construction and Environmental Group. Michael advises employers, major insurers, contractors, engineers and architects on construction law, practice and procedures encompassing arbitration, adjudication and mediation as well as litigation. He also provides advice on a range of non-contentious matters and advises and defends clients on professional indemnity, regulatory and prosecution matters. Michael’s environmental practice involves advising and defending clients on issues arising from pollution and contamination and any related enforcement actions. He also advises clients on insurance coverage issues relating to the clean-up of environmental damage, pollution and on environmental legislation, with a particular expertise in waste and water management. He has also been instructed and advised a number of clients in the defence of large scale group actions arising from nuisance (particularly odour and noise) claims.

This talk will discuss some of the considerations to enable a suitably targeted and cost-effective ground investigation to be carried out that provides relevant information for the designer – and not simply just ‘doing some boreholes’. These include: doing a Desk Study; assessing how proposed development interacts with the ground; what information is required for design; how this can be obtained by intrusive investigation, field and laboratory testing; preparing a scope and plan for the GI.

Dr Peter Hepton is a Principal Geotechnical Engineer and the Ground Investigation Engineering Manager with SOCOTEC based in the Doncaster office. He has nearly 40 years' experience in land and marine ground investigation, with a particular interest in in situ testing. He heads SOCOTEC UK's Geotechnical Services Division Technical Team, who provide technical support to the company on all aspects of ground investigation work from client liaison, tendering, fieldwork, laboratory and field testing, monitoring and reporting. He is responsible for writing and delivery of in-house technical training, and for technical aspects of work carried out throughout the division, including technical report writing. He is also the Technical Manager of the specialist in situ testing department, carrying out pressuremeter and cone penetration testing. He is a member of the AGS Data Management Working Group.

Richard will talk about how National Highways engages with the supply chain, the role of the SCSS leadership group and how National Highways are setting out their stall and expect people to follow it. He will discuss the content and intent of a new document being developed the ‘Common Intent on GI’ as well as the ‘Raising the Bar’ document.

Richard joined National Highways in January 2018, as the Health and Safety Director for Major Projects, before moving in 2020 to Commercial & Procurement, where his key focus is supply chain engagement. Working with their supply chain partners to develop and implement strategic direction of the business with respect to Health and Safety based upon a risk profile approach: Risk profiling the business and the supply chain partners; Developing and implementing practical and robust integrated management systems (policy, standards, procedures); Development of people via behavioural and cultural change programmes; Promoting the safe behaviour of the workforce and supply chain. Prior to joining National Highways, Richard was the Global HSEQ Director for Arup and more recently Aggregate Industries Head of HSEQ for Europe.

Geophysics is a modern science routinely applied to ground exploration. A range of survey tools is available for mapping/profiling subsurface targets such as mineral bodies, engineering rockhead, shallow archaeology, and environmental contamination through to unexploded ordnance. Geophysical surveys are becoming more commonplace as they become an accepted part of geotechnical site investigations. Advantages include low cost, rapid site coverage, no exposure to buried hazards and minimal surface disturbance, and results that are easy to comprehend. Limitations: certain sites are not suitable, i.e., reinforced concrete slabs, noisy sites, and small targets at depth. Using case studies, the trials, pitfalls, and successes of using geophysics will be discussed. In these case studies, methods such as resistivity tomography, microgravity, seismic, electromagnetic and magnetics techniques will be introduced.

Simon studied a BSc (Hons) in Geology at Southampton University, worked for Amoco UK Ltd. and then went on to do a PhD in Volcanology at Cardiff University. He moved to North America and did a Post-doc. at the Institute of Geophysics, National University of Mexico (UNAM) and worked at the State University of New York (SUNY) Buffalo. In 2005, Simon decided it was time to get a “proper” job, and so he moved back to the UK and became the Operations Manager of TerraDat, where he has been ever since. Simon is the Secretary of the Near Surface Geophysics Group and sits on the Ground Forum.

Tom will discuss how contractors bring more risk to your sites than pretty much anything else. He will look at the two stages of the supplier assessment process and look at what organisations need to do. He will look at the background to supplier competence questionnaires, what can and should be done to protect yourselves and those working for you and give practical guidance on managing your contractors.

Tom is a Chartered Safety Practitioner and has been since 2007. Tom has worked within the geotechnical and geoenvironmental industry since 2009 and as lead consultant for RPA Safety Services, provides specialist industry support and guidance to around 20 contractors and consultants within the industry. In his capacity as a trainer, Tom delivers industry recognised training courses for operatives, supervisors and engineers and provides a nationally recognised underground services safety course widely used within the industry and many tier one civil engineering contractors.

Zita and Michael will share their experience from advising and defending clients on issues arising from geoenvironmental pollution and contamination and any related enforcement actions. They will also discuss insurance coverage issues relating to geoenvironmental the clean-up of environmental damage, pollution and on environmental legislation, with a particular expertise in waste and water management. Michael and Zita will give an overview of the sorts of claims and losses that can arise when things go wrong with geoenvironmental services and will outline some of the steps that companies can take to minimise their risks both in advance of, and in response to, incidents and claims.

Zita has specialised in environmental and construction professional indemnity law since May 2002. Her environmental practice includes defence of claims against construction consultants arising out of contaminated land issues and defending claims in negligence, public or private nuisance for losses attributable to environmental factors. Zita’s construction practice focuses on the defence of claims against construction consultants and bringing claims for contribution and counterclaims for fees where necessary. She is responsible for the day-to-day conduct of litigated and non-litigated disputes and frequently acts in multi-party disputes in the TCC, in mediations and other forms of ADR. She also acts in regulatory matters in a construction context, advising clients in response to HSE investigations and defending prosecutions.