Geotechnical Support for Commercial Developments

By Plough Geo
•
23 Aug, 2018

Commercial developments, such as retail parks, office blocks, industrial units and other non-residential projects are often built on brown-field sites. The land around these sites can often be unstable due to previous developments, landfill and prior re-modelling of the landscape. Similar to residential developments, the land needs to be analysed before any building work is undertaken, to ensure that the ground is stable and remains so in the future. Commercial developments often need a high load bearing platform and deeper foundations, possibly underground development where land stability, free from movement is essential. Wirral based Plough Geotechnical Ltd are specialists in providing Geotechnical support for commercial developments across the UK.

Geotechnical Risks

Before any major development work takes place, Plough Geotechnical Ltd provide an expert service, analysing the area and providing a detailed report on the land mass, rock formations and general stability of the project area. Once identified, the team can provide specialist advice and guidance on the action required to stabilise the ground and offer advice on land preparation including:

Earthworks and slope stability
Foundation designs
Groundwater risk assessments
Retaining wall stability
Landfill compaction

Disaster Support from Plough Geotechnical Ltd

Sometimes things do go wrong. Land moves and can cause cracking, settlement, heave and other movements that can cause damage to buildings, roads and access roads. Alan Binns, Director of Plough Geotechnical Ltd can act as an Expert Witness, offering detailed analysis of the affected area, detailing what movement or issues have taken place and what measures need to be taken to rectify the issues and prevent further movement in the future. Corrective work designs will help calculate unforeseen costs and evidence for contractors who may not have met with the developer’s original specifications.

Plough Geotechnical Ltd

Plough Geotechnical are a Wirral based team of Geotechnical engineers, providing a specialist service using state of the art modelling software package, extensive hands-on experience, delivering expert analysis, designs and impartial witness assessment services. Alan Binns, Director of Plough Geotechnical Ltd is passionate about delivering a first-class service to all his clients and is always happy to discuss any geotechnical issues that you may be experiencing or offer support for new projects and developments.

Contact Alan at Plough Geotechnical Ltd for an initial, informal chat about how you may be able to work together.

Tel: 0151 353 1730

Mob: 07957 659 819

Email: alan@ploughgeo.co.uk

www.ploughgeo.co.uk

Unrivalled Understanding of Geotechnical Issues

Slope Stability Course

By Alan Binns • August 29, 2019

This one day course will provide a general overview of slope stability design for
geotechnical practitioners and engineers.
The course is aimed at technical staff with first degrees in civil engineering,
construction, geology and related subjects; it will also be useful to non-technical staff
who wish to gain an appreciation of the various factors involved in slope stability
design. The mathematics in the worked examples is not complicated – the aim of the
course is to give attendees an understanding of the physics of the problem not a
course in mathematics.
The course will look at how information is obtained and then used to provide a
design for stable slopes. It will also look at the derivation of the formulae used for
slope design.
Course content
 Shear strength of soils
 EC7 design: Partial Factors and Limit State Design of slopes
 Short term and long term conditions in cuttings and embankments
 Plane translational slides
 Rotational slides
 Factor of safety
 Computer methods
 Rock slopes - plane, wedge and curved failures

At the end of the course the delegates should have :
 An understanding of how soil and rock slopes fail
 An appreciation of the philosophy of EC7 design
 A basic understanding of the analysis and design of slopes in soils and rocks..

The next courses will be Thursday 19th September in Banbury and Friday 11th October at Birchwood,Warrington .

To book your place visit https://www.equipegroup.com/training/geotechnical/slope-stability-design

Geotechnical Expertise for Residential Developers

By Plough Geo • August 23, 2018

Are you a residential developer looking to build new homes? Looking to build an individual house or extension? Have you found your new-build plot of land yet? With increasing pressures on suitable land for development, developers and builders are finding it increasingly difficult to find suitable land. Often this pushes new homes being built on far-from-perfect land and requires geotechnical expertise for residential developers to ensure the homes they build are fit-for-purpose.

Alan Binns, Geotechnical Expert Witness at Plough Geotechnical Ltd

By Plough Geo • June 13, 2018

Sometimes things go wrong! When a construction project goes wrong, it can be catastrophic, causing damage to buildings and transport infrastructure, sometimes leading to loss of life. Often the cause is related to the ground that the project was built upon and subsequent movement or failure of the surrounding land. A Geotechnical Witness will be instructed to assess and analyse the groundworks and provide a report to the investigating institutions. Usually, this report will detail faults causing the issues and recommendations for remedial works. Alan Binns, Geotechnical Expert Witness at Plough Geotechnical Ltd, is a Wirral based specialist who can help provide answers and solutions to any geotechnical failure.

Does Your House Suffer from Subsidence, Settlement or Heave?

By Plough Geo • May 14, 2018

Do you have cracks in the walls of your home? Not small, hairline cracks, but larger more structural cracking? Do you have “zig-zag” cracking from the corner of windows? Can you see evidence of the exterior wall coverings cracking? Can you see into the cracks? What about the paths and paving around your house, have these changed shape? Maybe become uneven with dips and rises where they used to be perfectly flat? Does Your House Suffer from Subsidence, Settlement or Heave? All these signs could prove to be subsidence, settlement or heave and need to addressed before further damage to your property.

Retaining Wall Specialists, Plough Geotechnical Ltd

By Plough Geo • April 19, 2018

Do you need a retaining wall building? Maybe as part of a construction site with newly created earthworks? You may be levelling a building plot for a new house or houses. Many homeowners level their gardens by excavating land and creating retaining walls. Regardless of the size or complexity of the job, to correctly design and build a retaining wall needs expert advice. Retaining wall specialists, Plough Geotechnical Ltd will carry out detailed analysis of the surrounding area to ensure that suitable and fit-for-purpose retaining structures are built.

Plough Geotechnical Ltd, Foundation Design Experts

By Plough Geo • April 16, 2018

Creating and designing the correct foundations for any building or construction project is critical for the stability and safety of the building. Wirral based Plough Geotechnical Ltd, foundation design experts, work with architects, engineers and developers to ensure that all technical conditions and guidelines are met before the build commences.

Land Engineering and Analysis from Plough Geotechnical Ltd

By Plough Geo • April 16, 2018

Alan Binns, Director of Wirral based Plough Geotechnical Ltd, has more than 50 years’ experience in Geotechnical Engineering and has become one of the country’s most respected experts, working with clients throughout the UK in providing practical site work, expert analysis, design advice, providing impartial assessments and will act as an expert witness should the needs arise. Land engineering and analysis from Plough Geotechnical Ltd will give you the specialist support you may require in any construction project, large or small.

Plough Geotechnical Ltd, Slope and Quarry Stability Specialists

By Plough Geo • April 16, 2018

Any development or planned development should ensure that it is suitable for the ground conditions to prevent risks due to unstable land or subsidence. Before any development or planning is made, a preliminary assessment should be carried out to ensure that the ground is stable. Plough Geotechnical Ltd, Slope and Quarry Specialists are a Wirral based team of experts who can visit the site, providing the developers with an assessment on the stability of the surrounding area and make recommendations on how to ensure the land is prepared to be fit for purpose.