Surepath Consulting recently completed a preliminary rock slope appraisal for a proposed coal extraction site in Yorkshire for a mining contractor. The assessment required the appraisal of specific ground risk zones affecting the stability of the high walls, including the influence of past mining activities, the potential impact of third party infrastructure, and the effects on adjacent developments.
Our Dr Andy Goodwin was invited back for the third year running to deliver a short course on engineering geology to third year students in Civil Engineering at the University of Sheffield. Over three weeks he helped the students understand the relevance of engineering geology to civil engineering through the use of case studies and anecdotes from his thirty years of experience. On the way he taught them too core aspects of geology including rock types and their characterisation, geological structures, and geological mapping and sectioning. The students all seemed to enjoy the course even though they had to do an on-line test afterwards to summatively assess their learning!
Important updates to British Standards commonly used by geotechnical and structural engineers have been published:
All related courses offered in 2016 by our sister company Surepath Training will make reference to the new standards and provide guidance on their use in practice. Please contact us for the details of the revised course details.
Surepath Consulting recently completed a commission in Colsterworth, Lincolnshire, where a planned highway improvement had identified the need to appraise the stability of an existing road embankment over a culvert. Geo Matters Limited were retained by their client to undertake the ground investigation and the stability appraisal, but due to the specialist nature of the latter (including traffic impact loads and vegetation effects). Surepath were retained to support Geo Matters to undertake the stability analyses and prepare a Geotechnical Design Report in accordance with EC7. The aim of the work is ultimately to secure adoption of the highway.
Those pursuing professional qualification with the ICE, whether on a formal training scheme or not, may not be aware that the ICE has over recent months been updating its suite of guidance documents. The main documents we feel may be of use are listed below, all of which are available to download for free if you are a membe:
We appreciate that if you are not on a training scheme with a Supervising Civil Engineer then you may not be familiar with the routes and may need some support. If you have any such mentoring support needs or feel a course wold assist you then feel free to contact our Andy Goodwin at Surepath Training on 01246 807808 for some free initial guidance . Alternatively you can contact us via the contact page on the web site.