GEOTECHNICAL CONSULTANCY SERVICES

As one of the country's leading independent site investigation specialists, our resources and expertise enable us to provide a complete in-house geotechnical and geoenvironmental consultancy service. Our multidisciplinary team of geotechnical engineers, engineering geologists, hydrogeologists, environmental scientists and chemists can offer geotechnical design solutions for diverse problems from major excavations to housing developments.

We offer a systematic integrated approach to our projects to ensure that both engineering and environmental considerations are satisfied. Once briefed, our project engineers will visit the site and use available background data and historical information to design a suitable site investigation to fulfill our clients' objectives. When complete, the data obtained from both field and laboratory studies can be analysed to identify appropriate design parameters and engineering solutions for remedial measures. We can also draft contract specifications for geotechnical works. 

During the course of such studies, our project staff maintain close liaison with the client to ensure that the needs of the project are being achieved and to incorporate any necessary design changes. During the subsequent phases of development or remediation, Fugro Engineering Services can monitor the progress of the work and, as appropriate, provide site supervision and control testing to ensure that the specification requirements are being met.

• desk studies
• walk over surveys and geotechnical mapping
• slope stability studies and design of remedial measures
• foundation design and investigation of foundation failures
• retaining wall analysis and design
• design of earthworks specifications
• dewatering studies
• materials surveys
• contaminated land assessment

Laterally loaded pile analysis

GEOENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANCY SERVICES

A disused filling station on a chalk acquifer

Nowadays, awareness of environmental issues and concerns, together with recent legislation, has led to only limited green field development and increasing re-use of derelict land. However, these same concerns also require redevelopment of such land to be properly managed with the minimum possible environmental damage.

The extensive experience of our geoenvironmental staff provides the key to the consultancy services offered in this field by Fugro Engineering Services. This is supplemented by the resources of the Company throughout our network of regional offices to provide a complete in-house service on a nationwide and international basis.

Solutions to geoenvironmental problems require a detailed appraisal of the site geology and hydrogeology as well as the level of contamination of soils, groundwaters or surface waters. This information, together with our knowledge of current legislation, enables us to evaluate the environmental risks related to such contamination, or those risks associated with any future site development. Our geoenvironmental staff will give advice on investigation requirements and on design solutions for remedial measures. Our longstanding experience of investigation and monitoring of landfill and other gases enables us to ensure that these issues are also properly addressed during site development.

• desk studies
• contaminated land investigation and assessment
• landfill gas studies
• groundwater contamination studies
• surface water contamination studies
• pre-acquisition surveys
• liability assessment
• contaminant transport modelling
• site remediation
• monitoring and control of remedial works

GEOTECHNICAL and GEOENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANCY FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS

With our extensive experience of both geotechnical and geoenvironmental problems, together with the resources of the world's leading ground investigation specialists, we at Fugro Engineering Services provide a complete in-house service to housing developers, consulting engineers and local authorities during land transactions.

A systematic integrated approach is essential to ground investigation surveys for housing to ensure that environmental and ground engineering considerations are incorporated into the development. We consider an initial desk study to be imperative to such studies. This provides information on previous land use, which is utilised for the effective design of the investigation, focusing, for example on areas of suspected potential contamination, or specific parts of the site which are shown to have been extensively vegetated in the past. Likewise, potential sources of landfill gas or natural flammable gases can be identified to enable the design of a suitable monitoring programme to be incorporated into the survey works. 

With extensive experience of housing developments and foundation problems, our staff are able to offer design solutions which encompass such factors as potential ground heave or subsidence, protective measures against gas ingress and effective remediation of site contamination.

A comprehensive geotechnical and geoenvironmental investigation was conducted on this housing site

SUBSIDENCE OF FOUNDATIONS

We also offer a comprehensive investigation service for houses affected by subsidence. For restricted access, portable small diameter window sampling rigs can be used, which also ensure rapid completion of the site works and minimum intrusion on the householder. For such surveys to be effective, however, attention has to be paid to particular features, such as existing foundation construction, drainage runs, etc. It may equally be necessary to implement a programme of monitoring both during the survey and on completion of any subsequent remedial works, to ensure that they have been successful.

We offer practical advice on remedial measures, which could encompass one or more of four approaches. It may be possible, for example, by pruning or cutting down selected trees to control or remove the cause of subsidence, or it may be necessary to strengthen either the soil or the building. It is, however, more common to underpin the structure, either by mass concrete foundations, or by use of mini piles. With our knowledge and widespread experience of such problems we can offer an expert independent service to insurance companies, house builders and structural engineers.