Report Contaminated Land

AGS Contaminated Land Working Group: May 2018 Meeting Update

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The AGS Contaminated Land Working Group met for the second time this year on Wednesday 16th May in London. With 24 representatives in attendance the meeting provided a number of geoenvironmental talking points for the group.

Here Vivien Dent, Associate Technical Director at RSK and Contaminated Land Working Group Leader provides a short summary on the top three topics of discussion;

ANTHROPOGENIC SOILS
The Contaminated Land Working Group are currently putting together a guidance note on the description of anthropogenic soils. This guidance will cover materials in the ground which fall outside the British Standard soil descriptions, which will allow a third party to understand what the material is and its implications for contaminant content and source, permeability, gas generation potential etc.

AGS ASBESTOS IN SOIL GUIDANCE
After a discussion, the group have agreed to update the AGS Asbestos in soil guidance note. The update is in its early stages and will possibly signpost other documents and will incorporate some guidance on testing.

GROUND RISK: WHY TAKE THE CHANCE? A LESSONS LEARNT CONFERENCE
This upcoming AGS ground risk conference is a big focus for the group as the afternoon half will focus on geoenvironmental topics. Presentations from Working Group members include Ground Gas Risk – The Risk from Incorrect Characterisation (Gavin Allsopp, NHBC) and Waste Classification for Soils – An AGS Practitioners’ Guide (Bridget Plimmer and Mike Plimmer, Golder Associates and Geotechnical and Environmental Associates).

The event is taking place at the Cavendish Conference Centre in London on Wednesday 12th September and will see Dr Jacqueline Skipper (Senior Partner and Senior Geologist at the Geotechnical Consulting Group) provide a keynote presentation to open the conference. Jacqueline was awarded the Geological Society Engineering Group Award and in 2017 was elected to receive the 18th Glossop Medal and deliver the prestigious 18th Glossop Lecture.

Delegates wishing to register for the event should email ags@ags.org.uk before Tuesday 4th September.

This update was featured in the May/June issue of the AGS Magazine which can be viewed here.

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AGS Magazine: May/June issue

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Tags: AGS AGS Magazine Featured May/June issue

The Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists are pleased to announce the May/June issue of their new bi-monthly publication; AGS Magazine. To view the magazine click HERE.

This free, bimonthly publication focuses on geotechnics, engineering geology and geoenvironmental engineering as well as the work and achievements of the AGS.

There are a number of excellent articles in this month’s issue including;

Coal Authority calls for full consideration of legacy issues – Page 6
Geotechnica 2018: Preview – Page 8
Guide to Loss Prevention – Page 12
Sustainable Remediation The role of the geotechnical specialist – Page 16
AGS Members’ Day 2018: An overview – Page 18
Porosity and permeability values: Filling the gaps with NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) – Page 20

Advertising opportunities are available within future issues of the publication. To view rates and opportunities please view our media pack by clicking HERE.

If you have a news story, article, case study or event which you’d like to tell our editorial team about please email ags@ags.org.uk. Articles should act as opinion pieces and not directly advertise a company. Please note that the publication of editorial and advertising content is subject to the discretion of the editorial board.

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Land Site Characterisation Seminar – Fugro

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Tags: Featured

Dates: 27th June, Maple House, 150 Corporation Street, Birmingham, B4 6TB,
28th June, Avonmouth House, 6 Avonmouth Street, London, SE1 6NX

Fugro are holding a seminar which will consider how ground surveys can help you to reduce uncertainty and manage construction risk; It will provide advice on how to commission an effective investigation, highlight technical innovations and provide an overview of investigation methods.
• ground investigation rationale, doing the right things in the right order
• investigation methods – geophysics, drilling and sampling, CPT, laboratory testing, monitoring
• getting more from the data – delivering information via online portals for instant shared access, building robust ground models based on multiple data streams.

The events are free and are aimed at infrastructure developers, consultants and contractors.

For more information and to book contact Amy Bennett A.bennett@fugro.com or Simon Brightwell s.brightwell@fugro.com

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LQM Training Course – Getting value from your data: a hands on GIS Course

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LQM are re-running their GIS course in which they are encouraging the reliance on extracting more value from environmental data sets, including examples of how to extract historic and current AGS data for inclusion into GIS platforms.

The course will involve hands-on experience with the QGIS software and includes:
• basic principles of GIS relevant to contaminated land;
• how to load your SI data into QGIS;
• how to access other open source datasets (e.g. develop your own WIYBY);
• how to display SI data in QGIS;
• how to examine and interpret the spatial distribution of contaminants;
• how to overlay the data onto historical or current maps;
• how to create interpretative risk assessment maps combining your data and suitable assessment criteria (e.g. S4ULs);
• simple GIS operations and contouring;
• how to output maps/plots for use in your reports

The course is taking place in Nottingham on 5th June 2018.

For more information, please click here.

Article Contaminated Land Geotechnical

Sponsorship opportunities for, Ground Risk: why take the chance? A lessons learnt conference

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Tags: AGS Ground Risk Featured sponsorship

The Association of Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental Specialists are pleased to announce that their upcoming ground risk conference will take place on Wednesday 12th September 2018 at the Cavendish Conference Centre in London.

Ground Risk: why take the chance? A lessons learnt conference is a full day event which will investigate the current risks within the Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental arena. The event will look at topics including risk management for basement excavation, Ground Gas Risk – The Risk from Incorrect Characterisation and An Overview of Legal Developments under Part IIA and Contaminated Land.

The event will not only see top industry experts present and educate on topical issues and concerns, but also provide an excellent marketing platform for companies who wish to increase their profile and raise awareness of their company initiatives through the use of sponsorship.

Our available sponsorship packages are as follows;

GOLD SPONSORSHIP PACKAGE
• 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
• Announcement of your company’s involvement on the AGS Twitter page
• Inclusion of your company’s support on the AGS’ LinkedIn page

SILVER SPONSORSHIP PACKAGE
• Entry for one delegate into the event
• Company logo on event PowerPoint Presentation holding slide
• Company logo on the event programme
• Company overview on the AGS website
• Announcement of your company’s involvement on the AGS Twitter page

For price points and further information regarding sponsorship please email ags@ags.org.uk before Friday 24th August. Please note that sponsorship places are limited and will be offered on a first come, first serve basis.

Article News Contaminated Land Geotechnical

Ground Risk: Why Take the Chance? A Lessons Learnt Conference

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Tags: AGS Ground Risk Cavendish Conference Centre Featured Ground Risk Wednesday 12th September 2018

The Association of Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental Specialists are pleased to announce that their upcoming ground risk conference will take place on Wednesday 12th September 2018 at the Cavendish Conference Centre in London.

Ground Risk: why take the chance? A lessons learnt conference is a full day, CPD event organised by the Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists, which will provide a focus on how ground risk can be identified, quantified, and measured for the whole project team using cutting edge technology allied with professional experience. It’ll also look at specific areas where we can improve the quality of contaminated land assessment and the risk associated with getting it wrong.

Ground Risk: Why Take the Chance? is aimed at attendees involved in construction projects from concept and planning through to implementation and not solely for geotechnical engineering specialists to help drive a change in the way ground risk is considered in the UK and beyond.

Speakers for the event include Stephen Tromans, who is recognised as one of the leading practitioners in Environmental Law in the UK, award-winning geologist, Jacqueline Skipper, Dr Andrew Smith, Coffey and Brownfield Briefing and GE Award winners, Arcadis.

 

Speakers and synopsis for the event include:

Ground Risk – Where do I start?
Dr Jacqueline Skipper, Senior Partner and Senior Geologist at the Geotechnical Consulting Group

Ground risk is often considered in terms of properties or features of the ground that create risks for construction, and this is of course a fascinating subject –  but is that really all we have to consider? In construction projects,  ground risk also concerns knowledge, communication and contracts. In this presentation I’ll be exploring these areas of the subject and looking at how we can interact, positively or negatively.

Managing Risk for a Deep Basement Excavation
Dr Andrew Smith, Technical Director at Coffey Geotechnics

The ICD Brookfield development will comprise a 290m tall tower with a 7-level basement (the deepest basement in Dubai). A 5-level basement was previously constructed on the site along with all the foundation piles. The basement was later backfilled when construction ceased in 2009.

The risks on this project were predominantly associated with the previous construction. Particular challenges included the deepening of the basement, the construction of new deeper temporary retaining walls, pile re-use and construction in close proximity to adjacent structures. In addition, this is the first construction in Dubai where removable anchors have been used.
The presentation describes how the risks were assessed and how a basement construction strategy was developed to manage them.

The Application of Advanced Continuous Surface Wave Data to Managing Ground Risk
Chris Milne, Director at Ground Stiffness Surveys

Advanced Continuous Surface Wave (ACSW) testing has been developed as a cost-effective non-intrusive means for obtaining ground profiles for geotechnical engineering. Data provided by ACSW includes accurate ground stiffness profiles at a known strain, shear wave velocity profiles (for seismic design, liquefaction assessment, rock quality assessment and for evaluation of soil properties) and Rayleigh wave velocity data (for high speed rail design). The robust, rapid and low-risk nature of the ACSW technique has resulted in its use across a range of challenging construction conditions including high-risk services environments, active construction sites and time-constrained highways and rail sites. The speed and cost-effectiveness of ACSW has the potential to significantly reduce geotechnical risk by supplementing traditional investigation and testing, as well as providing an alternative means of assessing difficult-to-investigate features such mineshafts, natural cavities and problematic ground. Advances in ACSW technology, recent applications for ground risk reduction and opportunities in this growing field are outlined.

Investigation and Treatment of Chalk Solution Features – Changing Risk Profile with Additional Information
Allan Bell, Regional Director at Hydrock

This talk will present a case study for the investigation and treatment of Chalk Solution Features. It will discuss:
• changes in the risk profile as the project progressed;
• the changing investigation methods and mitigation measures as the project progressed and the risk profile changed; and
• the clients change in approach to risk as their confidence in the data and their understanding of risk increased; and
• agreement of the changes with the NHBC.

The presentation will show changes in the clients acceptance of risk as the amount of data increases and their understanding of risk increase.

Identifying and Minimising Risk through a Value Engineered Geotechnical Solution & Case Study: 36hrs Inside Queen Street Tunnel, Glasgow
Natalie Bews, Senior Engineering Geologist and Eric Downey, Senior Engineering Geologist at Structural Soils

The initial presentation will highlight the risk of undertaking a development (structure/property) without a sufficiently scoped ground investigation. A review by the National Economic Development Office (NEDO) of 8,000 commercial buildings found that over 66% of the projects over run by at least a month. Analysis of these showed that 50% had overrun due to unforeseen ground conditions.

The case study will focus on a railway tunnel in Scotland, where a large amount of ground investigation coring and drilling work was required to be undertaken over a New Year. The ground conditions were unknown but after conducting a trial shift the drilling methodology was chosen to maximise the productivity of the New Year works. This case study identifies how the significant project risks were reduced with the collaboration of the Client in early engagement and allowing of a trial shift prior to the main works.

An Overview of Legal Developments under Part IIA and Contaminated Land
Stephen Tromans, QC, 39 Essex Chambers

An overview of legal developments under Part IIA and contaminated land more generally

Ground Gas Risk – The Risk from Incorrect Characterisation
Gavin Allsopp, Principal Geo-environmental Engineer at NHBC

The presentation will highlight the risks associated with undertaking residential developments without adequate gas risk assessments being completed before construction starts on site. It will present some case studies of sites were the gas regime and required gas protection mitigation measures have not been fully characterised before construction commences, the implications this can have and how these were rectified to ensure safe development.

Waste Classification for Soils – An AGS Practitioners’ Guide
Mike Plimmer, Technical Director at Geotechnical & Environmental Associates

It is apparent that the classification of waste soils (as either hazardous or non-hazardous) is not always completed in accordance with relevant legislation and UK Guidance. This may be because the process is not widely understood, because it is overly complex for the non-chemist, or because it is impractical in contaminated land applications where waste assessment and disposal often occurs over very short timescales. It is still common practice for comparison with landfill waste acceptance criteria to be used (incorrectly) as a substitute for waste classification.

The aim of the AGS Practitioners’ Guide, which will be introduced in this presentation, is to provide a simplified process for the sampling and classification of waste soils on straightforward sites. The Guide will point towards further information and guidance for dealing with these more complex situations. It is not intended that this Guidance duplicates or supersedes the comprehensive guidance on the classification of waste that has been published by the UK Environment Agencies. Rather, it is intended as supplementary guidance, specifically aimed at the classification of waste soil. Users of this Guide are expected to be familiar with the content of Technical Guidance WM3.

Creosote-Tar Seepage Portslade Beach
George Flower, Technical Director GeoScience at Arcadis Consulting

Following winter 2013-14 storms, beach sand was lost and a new outcrop of “crocodile – skin” emerged at lowest spring tides.
From its “scales” wept black ribbons of neat creosote tars.
Obnoxious odours wafted towards Local residents, the water shimmered in a way that it should not; Councillors were concerned, Public Health England informed, Environment Agency engaged.

The former Portslade Gas Works was the key suspect, but this was some 200m distance, and why a problem now, nearly 80 yrs since gas production hey day?
This presentation explains the characterisation process and methods, details some of the techniques employed, and how those were key to development of a detailed CSM, enabling resolution of the unique path the offensive tars were taking.

AGS members may attend the conference for £140 (plus VAT) per person. Non-AGS members will be charged at £210 (plus VAT). A 15% discount will apply to two or more delegates attending from the same company. Please note there is an early bird offer running until 31st July.

To register for the event, please complete the below registration form and return it to ags@ags.org.uk before Tuesday 4th September.

AGS Ground Risk registration form 2018

Two sponsorship packages are available for companies both inside and outside of the AGS. For full information please contact ags@ags.org.uk before Friday 24th August.

EVENT SPONSORS

Ambisense
AmbiSense is a technology company operating in the environmental sector. We build real-time sensor platforms to generate unique insight about a multitude of industrial and environmental problems to help our customers solve complex environmental problems. Our signature product, GasfluX is the world’s first continuous gas and flow monitoring device for ground-gas applications. The technology enables, real-time monitoring of landfills, brownfield sites, onshore O&G facilities and industrial sites
www.ambisense.net/

Envirolab
Envirolab provides laboratory services spanning a broad organic and inorganic portfolio. Our reputation for excellence is built on continually providing our clients with reliable results delivered on time and within budget. Our UKAS and MCERTS accreditations guarantee our commitment to quality. We are the utterly reliable analytical laboratory.
www.envlab.co.uk

Quantum Geotechnical
Quantum Geotechnical, based in South Wales and South West England, working nationwide, provides a comprehensive service across the ground investigation, geotechnical contracting and geotechnical consultancy sectors. We have a specialist fleet of multi-purpose drilling rigs, a UKAS accredited in-house laboratory and a team of experienced and chartered engineers and geologists.
www.quantum-geotech.co.uk

Geotechnical & Environmental Associates
GEA is a well-established and independent geotechnical and geoenvironmental specialist consultant providing a high-quality service to the property and construction industries. Our services include site characterisation, ground investigation and reporting, complex ground movement analyses, with particular expertise in basements, deep foundations and buried infrastructure, contamination assessments and remediation appraisals, foundation analysis and expert advice.
www.gea-ltd.co.uk

Geotechnical Engineering
Geotechnical Engineering Ltd is the UK’s largest privately-owned ground investigation contractor, renowned for providing a range of innovative ground investigation services for thousands of land-based projects since 1961. From Utility Surveying to all aspects of ground investigation and having our own UKAS accredited laboratory, we are proud to call ourselves industry experts.

Home

Soil Engineering
With over 50 years of experience, Soil Engineering are one of the country’s foremost Ground Investigation and Specialist Grouting Contractors. The comprehensive in-house geotechnical laboratory, continually updated plant fleet, and ongoing investment in training and staff development, allow Soil Engineering to provide a reliable and cost-effective solution for any geotechnical project, throughout the UK.
www.soil-engineering.co.uk

Structural Soils
Structural Soils Ltd has evolved into a national, multidisciplinary integrated, geotechnical and geo-environmental Site Investigation Company with the proven capability, capacity and confidence to undertake contracts of any size, in any location and virtually any scope. The company undertakes contracts across the UK through its offices in Bristol, Castleford, Coventry, Glasgow, Hemel Hempstead and Tonbridge.
www.soils.co.uk

In Situ Site Investigation
In Situ Site Investigation is a specialist geotechnical and geo-environmental site investigation company, which specialises in the use of Cone Penetration Testing techniques including seismic, shear vane, video cone, pressuremeter and magnetometer. Our specialised rigs enable us to work in most locations including railways, marine, brownfield sites, river slopes and rugged, mountainous terrain.
http://www.insitusi.com/

Landmark
Landmark’s Envirocheck provides industry-leading site-specific environmental reports that analyse and assess risks for Phase 1 studies. The Envirocheck Analysis digital platform and mobile app was launched to revolutionise site assessments by enabling users to instantly overlay an extensive archive of historical mapping and environmental data, online, to immediately determine associated risks.
http://www.envirocheck.co.uk/

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SoBRA Events 2018

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Tags: Featured SoBRA

SoBRA Annual Summer Workshop – Monday 18th June 2018, London
SoBRA are pleased to announce that their 2018 Summer Workshop event will this year focus upon fine tuning water environment DQRA. Topics will include understanding NAPL Transmissivity, the application of source zone depletion in models, when to use biodegradation and many other topics.  The day will be a combination of both presentations plus lively workshops.

SoBRA are currently finalising arrangements (venue has been selected) and may well be requesting volunteers to assist on the day – further details to follow.

Early Careers Event – Tuesday 19th June 2018 at the Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London

SoBRA are pleased to be working alongside the Contaminated Land Group of the Geological Society and RemSoc to provide a forum for early career professionals looking to develop their understanding of brownfield risk assessment. The event will cover fundamental ways to improve risk assessment within the context of geological knowledge and remedial needs. The day will also include a presentation on chartership and accreditation and the opportunity to take part in practical workshops.

Further details to follow.

SoBRA regularly provide updates via their website https://sobra.org.uk/, and any queries can be directed to info@sobra.org.uk.

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AGS Magazine – March/April 2018 issue

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Tags: Featured

The Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists are pleased to announce the March/April issue of their new bi-monthly publication; AGS Magazine. To view the magazine click HERE.

This free, bimonthly publication focuses on geotechnics, engineering geology and geoenvironmental engineering as well as the work and achievements of the AGS.

There are a number of excellent articles in this month’s issue including;

AGS Members’ Day Information – Page 4
Making a difference: Volunteering outside of the AGS – Page 10
New AGS Working Group: Geotechnical – Page 15
AGS Honorary Life Member: John Talbot – Page 18
Unlocking Complex Brownfield Sites – Page 20
Q&A with Julian Lovell of Equipe and S M Associates – Page 26
AGS Guidance: Geotechnical Soil Laboratory Testing Selection – Page 32
Working Group Focus: Data Management & Loss Prevention – Page 34

Advertising opportunities are available within future issues of the publication. To view rates and opportunities please view our media pack by clicking HERE.

If you have a news story, article, case study or event which you’d like to tell our editorial team about please email ags@ags.org.uk. Articles should act as opinion pieces and not directly advertise a company. Please note that the publication of editorial and advertising content is subject to the discretion of the editorial board.

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Unlocking Complex Brownfield Sites

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Tags: brownfield sites Featured

A Team Approach to Unlocking Complex Brownfield Sites
As engineers, geologists and environmental consultants, a large part of our careers is spent working in teams. It allows us to work across different disciplines, companies and sectors; it allows us to work with technical specialists, planners, clients and regulators. The dictionary definition of teamwork is “the combined action of a group, especially when effective and efficient”. This is the nub of WSP’s approach to unlocking complex brownfield sites – essentially, how to use effective teamwork, across disciplines and technical specialisms to deliver significant and tangible benefits in the land development projects we work on.

Where are all the Brownfield Sites?
The Housing & Planning Act 2016 put in place regulations to ‘prepare, maintain and publish a register of land’, effectively a ‘Brownfield Register’, by the end of 2017. The Act compels local authorities to keep a comprehensive register of brownfield sites suitable for redevelopment for housing. Once identified, the local authority will be responsible for securing planning consent on 90% of suitable brownfield land by 2020.

There are a number of criteria that must be satisfied before land can be included in the brownfield register. Most importantly, it must be capable of development and be free from constraints that cannot be mitigated. This will need to be supported by strong evidence of the mitigation of development constraints.

Importantly, the legislation provides ‘Permission in Principle’ status for sites that make it into Part 2 of the Brownfield Register, thereby streamlining the planning process on these complex sites. The Government is hoping that this streamlined planning process will open up more sites for housing development and speed up granting of planning consent.

Keeping this in mind, we think that the introduction of the Brownfield Register will allow us to take a more integrated approach to the assessment of development constraints including potential constraints related to contamination and ground risks in general.

Initial Indications from the Brownfield Register
All local authorities in England were required to prepare, maintain and publish their brownfield registers by 31 December 2017 and the vast majority have done so. The information in the registers is showing some very interesting trends.

In the initial pilot study phase of the publication of the register, 53 local authorities identified ‘suitable sites’ that could provide 273,000 homes. If this is scaled up to a national level, then suitable sites could provide some 1.1 million homes.

We have reviewed the content of the initial pilot study registers. We have looked closely at local authorities located in the South East with a focus on 12 of them. Within these 12 registers, there are 773 sites representing delivery of 44,474 residential units. However, of these, some 63% already have planning permission in place or pending.

Referring to one particular Local Authority register, Medway Council, it has a respectable 45 sites with 1,325 units. However, 35 of these sites are less than 1 hectare, 25 sites are less than 0.25 hectares and, most importantly, 35 sites already have planning permission in place.

The Brownfield Register for the City of Westminster shows a similar trend. It identifies 101 sites within the Borough with a total plan area of almost 35 hectares that could deliver over 6,000 units. However, 72 of these sites, representing 17 hectares and almost 3,500 units, already have full planning permission in place or pending.

So, this raises some important questions. How much new land, without planning consent, will actually come forward from the publication of the brownfield registers? Additionally, with a large proportion of sites identified being less than 0.25 hectares, outside of the major metropolitan areas, will these smaller sites really be of interest to developers?

In relation to the Brownfield Register, we feel that there has been a good start but much more needs to be done to give local authorities and developers the tools to bring brownfield land back into beneficial use.

It is also worth noting that where remediation costs make marginal sites unviable there are emerging funds from Government to support these through the Marginal Viability Fund.

A Constraints-Led Approach to Masterplan Development
In the Brownfield Register, we now have a potential repository of brownfield land that is free from constraints that cannot be mitigated and doesn’t currently have planning consent. Next, we need to develop an appropriate masterplan that will maximise the value and potential of the site.

All too often, sites are presented to technical advisors where the masterplan has been fixed before the contamination and other technical assessments have been carried out. The masterplan is set, the development constraints are understood, and then the bun fight starts over how the conflicting technical requirements of the project can be met. For example, one paradox that we regularly see in conditioned planning consents is a condition maximising the use of SuDS in the drainage scheme with a second condition prohibiting infiltration drainage through made ground. A clear conflict!

A far better approach, a far more cost effective and sustainable approach, is one where the development constraints are screened and assessed and then mapped. Only at that stage is a targeted masterplan developed, working with the identified constraints. This is something that is strongly promoted by Homes England (formerly the HCA). We have worked closely with them in developing an early screening tool that looks at all development constraints and only then will they decide on the proposed masterplan and mix of uses. The result is a masterplan that works with the potential development constraints on a site rather than battling against them with a ‘fixed’ masterplan.

Many of these constraints are interconnected and cannot be treated in isolation. Decisions we make on contamination remediation may have a significant impact on the foundation solution for buildings, the design of road pavements, flood risk mitigation or ecological protection and enhancement. Contamination remediation for domestic gardens, for example, is likely to be simpler and of lower cost if the planning consultant doesn’t decide at an early stage to put them over the most heavily contaminated part of the site.

How NOT to Masterplan a Brownfield Site
Inefficient masterplanning of complex brownfield sites that fails to unlock their potential appears all too frequently. Take, for example, a 12 hectare, former chlorine manufacturing site that was presented to WSP after the first attempt at masterplanning the site failed. The site was being redeveloped for mixed residential, commercial and industrial use as the works were no longer viable and the processes were some 40 years old.

This site had huge development potential but also came with some significant development constraints. All the buildings needed to be decommissioned and demolished; it had a flooding stream running along one boundary; there were sensitive ecological receptors on adjacent land and it had some major geotechnical and contamination issues in the ground.

In arriving at the original masterplan, it seems that very little consideration was taken of any of these potential constraints…
• The housing was placed in the location of greatest mercury soil contamination.
• The heavily loaded commercial buildings were located in an area of weak alluvial soils.
• The ground level car park was located close to the adjacent sensitive ecological receptors.
Abnormal development costs has been estimated at £20m with a long programme of ecological, contamination and ground improvement mitigation measures. Discussions with the local planning authority had been tense and fraught with difficulties, adding further to development costs and programme.

The Client knew that there had to be a better solution and so went looking for alternative advice. This is where WSP became involved.

At the outset, we gathered the whole project team at a workshop to openly talk through the Client’s aspirations, the scheme proposals and the development constraints. A number of low cost, initial technical assessments were carried out to understand the key issues. Through this collaborative approach, a development constraints plan was produced that led to a much improved masterplan. This revised masterplan allowed us to work with the constraints rather than against them, often turning them into opportunities:
• The high sensitivity residential element was moved to a less contaminated area of the site and away from the area of greatest flood risk.
• The areas of greatest ecological interest were allocated to public open space.
• The car park for the commercial element was moved away from the ecologically sensitive area and into the area of greatest flood risk, allowing for temporary flooding of the car park in the design.
• The area of mercury soil contamination was allocated for car parking reducing the remediation requirements.
• The commercial buildings were moved away from the areas of soft alluvial soils, thereby reducing abnormal foundation requirements.
The Council were involved at an early stage in the discussions and played an important part in developing the revised masterplan. This approach locked in their full buy-in and approval of the scheme from the outset. Overall, remediation costs were reduced by 80% and ground improvement, ecological and flood mitigation works were removed almost entirely.

The Opportunity for Developers and their Advisors
The Housing Minister has said that The Housing and Planning Act will be a catalyst for regeneration by simplifying and speeding up the planning process and unlocking brownfield sites for redevelopment that would otherwise be constrained or passed over. The Act is designed to kick start a national crusade (no less) to get 1 million new homes built by 2020 with a concentrated focus on brownfield regeneration. There is a great opportunity for our whole industry to contribute to this aspiration with a sustainable, collaborative and solutions-led approach to land regeneration.

The opportunity for land developers is clearly around the effectiveness and efficiency of addressing development constraints in this way, and the associated programme and costs savings. The opportunity also lies in sites being included in the Brownfield Register and obtaining Permission in Principle through that designation.

Teamwork
Using the integrated multi-disciplinary approach outlined above, we see a great opportunity to improve the outcomes of the masterplanning process. WSP’s view is that early screening and ranking of the technical risks is critical to understanding development priorities. We also feel that early collaboration is essential to achieving our clients’ development aspirations – get around the table and talk!

The industry needs to challenge development strategies for difficult sites and innovate in our solutions to address complex development constraints. And we need to engage with the regulators and planning authorities to get them on side and address their concerns.

In essence, there are three simple concepts we feel should be considered on all brownfield site developments:
1. Carry out technical screening at the earliest opportunity so you don’t paint yourself into a corner with a constrained masterplan.
2. Ensure that the project technical advisers operate as an integrated team, talking across disciplines and consulting with regulators to identify and address development constraints as early as possible in the process.
3. Aim for positive development outcomes using the team’s expertise to work with potential development constraints rather than against them.

As mentioned at the outset, the results of teamwork can be measured against the effectiveness and efficiency of the outcome. “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” – Henry Ford. Useful advice in car manufacturing and also in unlocking complex brownfield sites.

This article was contributed by Andy O’Dea, Technical Director – Ground Risk & Remediation, WSP and featured in the March/April issue of the AGS Magazine, which can be viewed here.

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An introduction to the new AGS Geotechnical Working Group

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Tags: Featured

© Daniel Imade (Arup)

The AGS’ Geotechnical Working Group (GWG) is the youngest of our committees, having been formed at Members’ Day 2017. Here the group’s Leader, Neil Chadwick, Associate, Geotechnics at Arup, introduces group, outlines their current focus areas and how to join;

WHO ARE WE?
Our Terms of Reference establish the overall aims of the AGS Geotechnical Working Group. These are as follows:

“To promote technical excellence to the wider geotechnical engineering professional community and to raise general awareness of the need for geotechnical engineering input to all construction projects and land asset management to clients and asset owners.”

As the name of the groups suggests, the subject area is potentially very wide. However, parts of it are already served by other industry groups, such as the Federation of Piling Specialists (FPS). Where there is overlap with other bodies we will seek to supplement rather than duplicate, with the intention of establishing mutually beneficial relationships.

In practice we expect ground investigation and geotechnical design to feature prominently in our work. Having said that, geotechnical construction, monitoring and asset management will certainly be on our radar.

It is early days for the group with only three meetings held so far, but we have already identified some tasks for us to work on:

BEST PRACTICE FOR SPECIFYING TRIAXIAL TESTING
Should we test 3 x 38mm diameter specimens, or do a single test on a 100mm specimen? Or do both have their place? We have identified some possible inconsistency, confusion and conflicting opinions! We will look more closely at this with a view to producing definitive guidance.

TRIAL PITS AND SOAKAWAY TESTS
We will be supporting the work of the Safety Working Group relating to trial pitting and, in particular, soakaway testing. For the latter we will be looking at the technical aspects, i.e. does the test provide good information, what alternatives are currently available and what alternatives could be developed in the future?

THE FUTURE OF GROUND INVESTIGATION
Are prevailing practices in ground investigation ‘fit for purpose’? This was a question posed in the recent AGS/BDA* Task Force survey and the response received compels us to consider it further. Cable percussion boring will inevitably be a topic of interest, but we will also be looking at sampling and testing generally. Our initial work will focus on the technical case: what do we need from our investigations, and do current techniques satisfy those needs?

We think it likely that this task will grow in size and complexity, requiring input from other AGS groups, especially Safety. We are well aware that this is a contentious and sometimes emotive subject and we will approach it accordingly. Watch this space!

JOIN THE GEOTECHNICAL WORKING GROUP
We currently have a group of 13 which has been drawn from the AGS membership with both consultants and contractors of various sizes represented. The intention is to meet four times a year, generally in London, with members working on tasks individually or in small groups. We have received a few expressions of interest but we are still looking for additional members. If you are interested in joining the GWG please email us at ags@ags.org.uk.

* British Drilling Association

This article was featured in the March/April 2018 issue of the AGS Magazine, which can be viewed here.

Article

Q&A with Julian Lovell

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Tags: Featured

Julian Lovell BSc (Hons), FGS, PTLLS
Managing Director, Equipe Group and S M Associates

I obtained a 2:1 Honours degree in Applied Geology from Plymouth Polytechnic in 1990 and immediately started my geotechnical career as an Assistant Engineering Geologist for Soil Mechanics Associates. I was ‘head hunted’ (well that’s what I like to call it) by the contracting division and over the following 15 years steadily progressed to Board level. In 2008, when the company became part of a much larger organisation and lost its focus I decided to leave and set up Equipe which has now been established for nearly ten years. I have always been keen to help promote and move the industry forward and so have also been involved with the AGS and BDA for over 15 years now.

What or who inspired you to join the geotechnical industry?
The reality is that I fell into geotechnics as my geology course at Plymouth was more aimed at the petroleum industry. So whilst many of my peers became mud loggers offshore I wanted to stay on terra firma and so had to weigh up joining Soil Mechanics, a ground investigation company or the National Rivers Authority (now the Environment Agency). However, once at Soil Mechanics I was continually inspired as I was surrounded and supported by people who were simply just good at their job and cared about doing the job right. I am lucky that some of them are still around for advice now but alas not all.

What does a typical day entail?
Where do I start? I can honestly say that no one day is the same. The first decision I have to make is to what office or site should I go that day. I always have to weigh up the practicalities of sorting out technical and commercial aspects of our work with the day to day role of overseeing and keeping my companies solvent and operational. This clearly is very varied and each day can include aspects from tendering for work, paying suppliers, chasing payments, speaking to trainers, logging, mentoring and strategic decisions. Oh, and somewhere I have to fit in my work for AGS.

Are there any projects which you’re particularly proud to have been a part of?
I have been lucky enough to have been involved in many interesting geotechnical projects including Sellafield Deep Repository where we cored to 2km as well as numerous logistically and technically challenging projects including M1, M25, M3 & M4 Widening projects, GCHQ, Kings Cross, Rugby Remodelling to name a few. I am also particularly proud of what Equipe has achieved in the last ten years especially the training courses, innovative products and Geotechnica.

What are the most challenging aspects of your role?
My aim for the last 10 years has been to assist where I can to move the industry forward whether through training, promotion or innovation. I often feel that most of the industry is slow to change but often through no fault of its own it is strapped by the procurement of work by lowest price and not quality. This massively restricts innovation and provides no incentive to invest whether that be in equipment or people. The challenges at business level are to develop products and deliver services which break the mould and at a higher level to help elevate the industry so that procurers recognise its value.

What AGS Working Group(s) are you a Member of and what are your current focuses?
I have been involved in the Safety Working Group and the focus is always to develop and maintain succinct industry related guidance which is both pragmatic and compliant. This is often a challenge as most occupational safety and health regulations require a level of interpretation to relate them to our workplace and activities. Representing a specialist industry which is often on the fringes of construction adds another level of complexity and we sometimes fall foul of interpretations which work on large sites but not for our specialist and often transient operations.

I am also a current member of the Business Practice Working Group, Executive Committee, and Senate where all aspects of the association are discussed, healthily debated and agreed. The current focus is to improve the marketing and visibility of all of the good things the AGS does and would like to do more of moving forward.

What do you enjoy most about being an AGS Member?
I really enjoy networking and working with other like-minded people who want to make a difference. I also like the fact that the committees and working groups are inclusive and want a representation across the sectors and specialisms. It is not a club or an old boys network, it is a trade association which tries very hard to represent the industry and deliver tangible benefits.

What do you find beneficial about being an AGS Member?
The quality of both the safety and commercial guidance is very useful. The collaboration with other associations and bodies means that members can have reliance that the information which AGS produces is up to date and at the forefront.

Why do you feel the AGS is important to the industry?
The AGS is the only body which actively represents the best interests of both the geotechnical and geoenvironmental sectors and addresses both commercial and technical issues. It is the only body which includes consultants, contractors and clients across these sectors. The AGS is also the largest contributor to industry guidance and Standards which helps these to become workable documents and not detrimental to UK practice.

What changes would you like to see implemented in the geotechnical industry?
I would like to see a better understanding and compliance to the British Standards as I believe that this will improve the efficiency and quality of what we do as an industry. Whilst we have Class 1 samples being specified using sampling techniques which will not achieve them and laboratory tests being scheduled on inappropriate samples there is room for improvement.

This Q&A was featured in the March/April 2018 issue of the AGS Magazine, which can be viewed here.