Category: Uncategorized

Geotechnical Engineering Limited (GEL) is proud to announce our new partnership with Time for Geography – a leading educational initiative dedicated to inspiring the next generation of geographers and geoscientists.

Time for Geography is a free, open-access video platform that brings geography and geoscience to life for students and teachers across the UK and beyond. Through curriculum-aligned, professionally produced videos, it makes complex topics — from physical landscapes to environmental science — engaging, accessible, and relevant.

At GEL, we believe that investing in education is essential to the future of our industry. As a stakeholder partner, we’re joining forces with other leaders in academia and industry to support this vital work and promote rewarding career pathways in geoscience and engineering.

Our partnership helps Time for Geography continue producing high-quality content that connects classroom learning with real-world practice. By sharing the practical side of geotechnical engineering, we aim to spark curiosity, build understanding, and encourage young people to pursue careers in this impactful sector.

We’re proud to support opportunities for career growth through graduate roles and apprenticeships — and we hope this collaboration will help foster even greater interest in the geotechnical and geospatial industries.

Geotechnical Engineering Ltd (GEL) is proud to announce its commitment to sustainable business practices, aiming to generate profit while enhancing societal and environmental conditions. This strategy is designed to ensure the company’s longevity and profitability.

In alignment with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 13, GEL is dedicated to maintaining business resilience as it progresses towards a Net Carbon Zero future. A critical step in this journey is the commitment to science-based emissions reduction targets. To this end, Geotechnical has joined the SME Climate Hub, a non-profit global initiative that empowers small to medium-sized enterprises to take climate action and build resilient businesses for the future.

By participating in this initiative, Geotechnical aims to achieve internationally recognized emission reductions aligned with the latest climate science. The company has committed to:

Halve its greenhouse gas emissions before 2030

Achieve Net Zero emissions before 2050

Disclose its progress on a yearly basis

Geotechnical’ s 2016 carbon emission data will serve as the baseline for its 2030 target.

Geotechnical Engineering is thrilled to announce its sponsorship of the Bristol Camanachd Shinty Team, a vibrant part of our local community engagement programme. Our colleague, Tony Hastings, is not only a valued member of our technical team, but also a dedicated player for Bristol Camanachd!.

Established in 2019, Bristol Camanachd has quickly risen to become a formidable force, having clinched the Southwest development league title for the past three consecutive years! Their success is a testament to the team’s hard work and the community’s support.

Our sponsorship aims to foster the team’s growth and ensure that new players can join without the financial burden of equipment costs. Initiatives like university engagement and freshers’ fair participation are just a few ways we’re helping to promote the sport and welcome new talent.

Co-Chairs and joint captains, Thomas and Brendan, express their gratitude: “Your contribution will go a long way to helping us to continue to grow and develop. A massive thank you from everyone at Bristol Camanachd!”. Despite a recent 6-1 defeat against a nimble Cornish team, the Bristol Camanachd team remains upbeat and determined to come back stronger.

Geospatial Engineering, a division of Geotechnical Engineering Ltd, has successfully secured a place on the Severn Trent and Hafren Dyfrdwy Cyfyngedig topographical surveying services framework. This achievement will see the company providing essential asset management surveys over the next three years.

Lyndon Barton, Managing Director of Geospatial Engineering, expressed his enthusiasm: “We are delighted to be supporting Severn Trent on the framework, which marks a key period of growth and increased market penetration into the geospatial sector.”

As part of the framework, Geospatial Engineering will support Severn Trent Group design engineers with feasibility and outline design activities. The services provided will include topographical surveying, laser scanning, and utility mapping, alongside contributions from 11 other successful framework survey consultants.

Joseph Turner, Framework Procurement Manager at Severn Trent Group, highlighted the importance of these services: “Severn Trent operates over an area of 21,000 square kilometres, supplying on average nearly two billion litres of drinking water a day to the highest standards in Europe. The services that Geospatial Engineering provides, collecting detailed information of proposed and existing assets such as pipes, treatment works, and reservoirs, are critical to ensuring we meet the current and future needs of our 8 million customers.”

On June 5th, Martyn Brocklesby, Director at Geotechnical Engineering Limited and the British Drilling Association, delivered an insightful presentation at the AGS Early Careers Webinar Series on Drilling Techniques and In Situ Testing.

During his session, Martyn provided a comprehensive overview of various intrusive ground investigation techniques, including drilling, boring, sampling, and trial pitting. He emphasized the practical applications of these methods and their suitability for different ground conditions.

Martyn also addressed crucial health and safety considerations from a supervisor’s perspective, discussing competencies, plant and equipment requirements, and compliance with PUWER and LOLER regulations. He highlighted the limitations of these techniques and the importance of proper supervision.

Additionally, Martyn explored the interfaces with the British Drilling Association, showcasing available resources such as the BDA website, newsletter, and guidance documents. He shared the Association’s aims and aspirations, underscoring its commitment to advancing the field of geotechnical engineering.

For more information on the British Drilling Association and its resources, visit their website.

Every year, over 14,000 service leavers transition to the civilian job market through the Career Transition Partnership. These individuals bring a wealth of transferable skills, including leadership, adaptability, and exceptional communication abilities, homed in high-pressure environments.

At Geotechnical Engineering, we are proud to employ nine veterans and are actively seeking to expand this number, alongside increasing representation from other underrepresented societal groups.

We are excited to announce that Geotechnical Engineering has signed the Armed Forces Covenant and is now eligible for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Bronze award. This prestigious scheme includes bronze, silver, and gold awards for organizations that pledge, demonstrate, or advocate support for the defence and armed forces community.

As part of our corporate and social responsibility initiatives, Geotechnical Engineering is committed to achieving ERS Bronze employer status in 2024. We look forward to continuing our support for veterans and making a positive impact in our community.

We are thrilled to announce that Geotechnical Engineering Limited (GEL) has secured a place on the Canal and River Trust’s Geotechnical Inspection Framework. This achievement allows us to provide essential ground data across the Trust’s managed assets in England and Wales.

Lyndon Barton, Managing Director of Geotechnical Engineering Limited, expressed his enthusiasm: “We are delighted to be supporting the Canal & River Trust on this framework to help manage and maintain 2,000 miles of canals and rivers, reservoirs, the country’s third largest collection of protected historic buildings, and four world heritage sites. We look forward to sharing a collaborative relationship with the Trust for many years to come.”

John Ward, the Trust’s Head of Project Delivery, highlighted the importance of our services: “Our canals and rivers are used by more people than ever before, with over 35,000 boaters using the networks. The services Geotechnical Engineering provides are critical to ensuring we meet the current and future needs of the 13 million people that have access to our waterways, within a 10-minute walk from their home.”

The Framework has been awarded to GEL, alongside two other successful bidders, for an initial period of up to four years, with a potential four-year contract extension available.

We are thrilled to announce that our Principal Engineering Geologist, Edward Crimp, has been elected as a Chartered Geologist with The Geological Society.

The scrutineers praised Ed for his dedication to training younger staff members and his exceptional efforts in sharing his knowledge. They noted that Ed was an extremely strong candidate and will make an excellent Chartered Geologist.

Below is a recent photo of Ed conducting a soil and rock logging course for British Geotechnical Association Early Career Group (BGA ECG) delegates at Imperial College London, showcasing his expertise and commitment to educating the next generation of ground engineering professionals.

We are thrilled to announce that Geotechnical Engineering Limited has been named a finalist for the ‘Ground Investigation Project of the Year’ at the Ground Engineering Magazine Awards. This recognition is for our outstanding work on the Lincolnshire Reservoir Gate 3 Ground Investigation project.

Anglian Water is planning a new reservoir in Lincolnshire to ensure future water supply. The project includes an embankment enclosing a 2.5 km by 3.2 km area, along with other reservoir structures. Our ground investigation was crucial to confirm the technical feasibility, inform environmental assessments, and address stakeholder concerns.

We look forward to celebrating the achievements of the ground engineering sector alongside our industry peers in June!

Neil Parry, Technical Director, has played a pivotal role in developing a new guidance note on procuring ground investigation services using the NEC contract suite. Collaborating with industry experts Richard Patterson, Peter Higgins, Antony Drake, and Sergio Solera, Neil has helped create a comprehensive guide to streamline the procurement process for ground investigation contracts.

NEC contracts are versatile tools designed for various types of work within the built environment. This new guidance note provides detailed advice on implementing NEC contracts specifically for ground investigation services, addressing the unique requirements of these contracts.

Given the physical nature of ground investigation work, the guidance recommends using one of the NEC “works” contracts, such as the Engineering and Construction Contract (ECC) or the Engineering and Construction Short Contract (ECSC). While the Professional Service Contract (PSC) may be suitable for desk studies, guidance, and reporting, it is not appropriate for site works.

For straightforward ground investigations, the ECSC is recommended. For larger, more complex, and higher-risk projects, the ECC is the preferred choice.

This guidance note aims to ensure that ground investigation services are procured efficiently and effectively, supporting the successful delivery of projects within the built environment.