Geotechnical Engineering

We provide professional advice and designs in respect of all geotechnical aspects of ground works and for all building or structure types, from state of the art to historic buildings.

We outline a brief summary of those geotechnical engineering activities we undertake, these include:
Foundation and ground investigation
Investigation of ground, ground structure and or foundation movement
Precision monitoring and scan monitoring of ground, ground structure and or foundation movement
Detailed assessment and analysis of foundation movement and settlement including, immediate, long term and or consolidation settlement, differential movement.
Design and analysis of:
– Foundations
– Underpinning and foundation stabilisation
– Piling
– Foundations and structures against clay soil movement, heave and settlement.
– Special or deep foundations
– Deep basements and water retaining construction
Earth retaining structures and retaining walls including:
– Mass concrete gravity
– Reinforced concrete
– Masonry
– Reinforced masonry
– Ground anchored
– Soil nailing
– Reinforced earth
– Structural steel sheeting
– Piling
– Timber
Slopes and embankments including:
– Un-reinforced slopes
– Ground anchored
– Soil nailing
– Reinforced earth
Dynamic and earthquake design


Foundation and Ground Investigation

Please refer to Structural Engineering


Investigation of ground, ground structure and/or foundation movement

Please refer to Structural Engineering


Precision monitoring and scan monitoring of ground, ground structure and/or foundation movement

Monitoring of structures, foundations and adjacent or supporting ground may form part of a proper investigation to determine the risk to safety and structural integrity, causes of movement and appropriate remedial works and course of action.

Please refer to Structural Engineering


Detailed assessment and analysis of ground and foundation movement and settlement

We regularly are engaged and can provide a detailed analysis and assessment of ground and foundation movement and settlement.

Complex problems including various aspects of ground movement can be assessed these include:
Varying soil and ground conditions
Settlement of deep and piled foundations
Differential settlement and movement
Ground swelling, heave and or recovery
Ground movements associated with changes in groundwater regime
Ground movements associated with excavations
Ground movements associated with retaining walls and earth supporting structures
Ground movements associated with ground anchored supporting structures
Movement and instability of slopes
Clay soil movement – shrinkage and settlement, heave and uplift
Groundwater flow
Loessic brickearth and soil hydro-instability

Please refer to Structural Engineering


Design and Analysis

Foundations
Please refer to Structural Engineering

Underpinning and foundation stabilisation
Please refer to Structural Engineering

Piling
Design of piled foundations and structural schemes for the full spectrum of buildings and structures is undertaken including low rise to multi storey structures and earth supporting structures.

Investigation to have a proper understanding of the ground and foundation conditions, including those of adjacent buildings and structures, is crucial to enable proper and efficient piling design.

We regularly commission and control foundation and ground investigation.

In addition to more straightforward piling designs, more specialist piling scheme designs and analysis are undertaken, these include:
Small diameter bored and driven piles
Large diameter bored and driven piles
Undereamed bored piles
CFA piles
Tension or anchor piles
Immediate and long term settlement and uplift analysis of bored and driven piled foundations
Piling schemes and foundations within shrinkable clays soils, e.g. London or Oxford Clay.
Piling schemes and foundations within chalk and in particular where chalk solution features are prevalent.
Piling schemes with foundation bridge or cantilever transfer structures, perhaps to avoid undue loading upon ground services or existing foundations etc.
Piled foundations designed for dynamically sensitive or critical structures.
Piling schemes for underpinning or other foundation stabilisation or improvement works
Piling for retaining walls, earth supporting and or ground anchored schemes.
Piling in close proximity to existing buildings, structures, tunnels services
Restricted access piling
Piling for temporary works

Foundations and structures against clay soil movement, heave and settlement
Please refer to Structural Engineering

Special or deep foundations
Special foundations would include those with made or poor ground, for heavy structures or for dynamically sensitive structures.

Deep foundations would include foundations for buildings with deep basements, requiring deep foundations to competent ground and or piled foundations.

Careful design and assessment of load carrying capacities, extent of ground movements, affect upon adjacent buildings and structures is important.

Deep basement and water retaining construction
We have expertise of design of deep basement and water retaining construction.

These may be deep basement and water retaining construction in new or within existing or adjacent to existing buildings and structures.


Earth Retaining Walls
We have considerable expertise in the analysis and design of earth retaining structures and retaining walls.

These may be new earth retaining structures and retaining walls or within existing or adjacent to existing buildings and structures.

Our design expertise for earth retaining structures and retaining walls encompasses all conventionally adopted materials using recognised and advanced techniques including:
Mass concrete gravity
Reinforced concrete
Masonry
Reinforced masonry
Ground anchored
Soil nailing
Reinforced earth
Structural steel sheeting
Piling
Timber


Slopes and embankments

Ground slopes and embankments including those particular types and applications listed below are analysed and or designed using various available methods.

We have considerable expertise in the analysis and design of ground slopes and embankments.

These may be new or existing ground slopes and embankments, remote or adjacent to existing buildings and structures.


Dynamic and earthquake design

Dynamic analysis and design of more dynamically sensitive or critical structures can be undertaken.

This can take account of soil properties and soil-structure interaction and model response to dynamic and earthquake input forces, displacements and accelerations.