Geology and Mining | Earth Environmental February 2015 News
We have recently been nominated for a large number of coal mine risk assessments across the UK, which has resulted in several site surveys to confirm the geology and mining regime at the site.
Well the New Year has started at a fast pace with the continuation of a busy schedule of work from the previous year.
Our staff numbers have increased with the very welcome addition of two members of staff, James Myles and Emma Khadun.
James has several years of experience in geotechnical and environmental investigations and spent three years working in New Zealand on civil engineering projects.
He is currently managing a number of projects and is responsible for supervision of site investigations and assistance with the delivery of interpretative reports.
He lives on the Wirral, supports Tranmere Rovers Football club (sadly) and can be found on most weekend’s mountain biking in North Wales.
Emma is a graduate of Cambridge University with an MSc from Royal Holloway University and has recently completed a PhD at the University of Kiel in Germany.
She is passionate about the protection of the environment and is routinely involved in the development of Phase I Environmental Desk Studies, environmental monitoring and supervision of site investigation work.
We have recently been appointed on a large number of coal mining risk assessments all across the UK, which has led to several site investigations to confirm the prevailing geology and mining regime.
For prevailing Geology and mining regime, A large number of Phase I Desk Studies have also been commissioned as part of planning applications, corporate asset transfers, pension asset surveys and funding applications for financial institutions.
One notable achievement has been the securing a framework contract with a national retailer, investigating potential development sites and supporting the structural and civil engineering design team.
The recently established Wokingham office has also been very busy with Colin Buchanan (Director) securing a number of important projects in the London, Home Counties and Bristol areas.
His previous remediation experience has proved to be useful in a difficult case involving the transfer of a Part IIa site from a company in administration to a developer (our client) and on another site involving establishment of remediation costs on a former fuel retailing facility.
Some examples of recent projects are provided in the following sections:
Drumlan Hall Farm
Site investigation work has been conducted as part of the redevelopment of a farm complex for a new ice-cream parlour and visitor centre. Due to the presence of elevated ground gas concentrations we advised the client to install a ground gas membrane.
Further work will involve us validating the installation of the membrane, conducting exposed soil material testing and membrane integrity testing.
Retail Park, Bradford
We were requested to investigate ground conditions alongside a culverted river adjacent to the site and were expecting to find a large Victorian stone masonry wall.
Trial pitting instead revealed a sequence of sewage works filter bed tanks with a concrete wall, covered by a heavily reinforced slab.
As a new building is to be constructed within the area the configuration of structures has important design implications for a new retail store.
Electricity Sub-Station Sites
We have been commissioned to investigate a number of electricity sub-station sites in the Lancashire area as part of development proposals.
The concentration of potential contaminants of concern have been assessed for waste disposal purposes and to protect construction workers.
Some of the sites have contained asbestos fibres in the soil matrix which have been further quantified and risk assessed.
Bridge Garage, Alcester
Soil and groundwater contamination were found at a former fuel retailing station that is intended to be redeveloped for a new high quality housing scheme. Elevated benzene was found in soils at a depth of 4m with impacted groundwater at a depth of 2m, within a former tank farm base.
We developed a remediation strategy based upon protection of future properties and controlled waters by use of hydrocarbon membrane and completion of a controlled water risk assessment. Future remedial works will involve a scheme designed by ourselves involving in-situ treatment of soils and groundwater by chemical oxidation.
Scottish Wind Farm
At the request of the project managers we are currently involved in the design of haul roads and foundations on a substantial wind farm project in Scotland. The specification for the construction of haul roads demanded the derivation of the Deformation Modulus of emplaced fill material.
This specification, not normally conducted in the UK, was analysed by examination of the loading characteristics of the soils in accordance with German Standards DIN 18134. All EV2/EV1 ratios were compliant with the specification and the design team were able to recommence the project.
We were assured by the design team that despite approaching several international consultancy practices we were only ones that recognised the testing specification and could evaluate the results.
New Mersey Retail Park, Liverpool
Our work on this retail park has been instigated, due to ambitious expansion plans for the busy British Land owned retail park.
This work constitutes our second project for British Land and stems from our work in 2014 at the Broughton Retail Park in North Wales.
Site investigations have focussed on the Liverpool site in an area intended to be developed for a new cinema and a further remote area, to be used as a car-park, where overburden from the development of the site was previously placed.
