The AGS are pleased to announce they are holding a new photography competition, this time to source a new striking cover image for the 2022 edition of the Loss Prevention Guidance.

This new document will consist of key papers which will provide members with in-depth advice and knowledge on multiple issues that could affect legal liability and financial exposure. Topics include liability, contract, insurance and health & safety. The AGS Loss Prevention Guidance was last reviewed in 2017 and the next review will be published in the New Year (2022).

We’re on the lookout for your most creative images which are reflective of the industry. Ideally, the image will be free of people, however this isn’t essential and we’re happy to consider all images of a geotechnical, engineering and loss prevention nature.

Entry into the competition is free and the winner of the competition will win a food hamper basket from luxury retailer, Fortnum and Mason, worth over £75, together with the prestige of their photograph featuring on this important document. Three runners up will each win a bottle of Champagne.

There are no restrictions on the photography equipment used, so feel free to use a phone, computer, tablet or a traditional hand-held camera to capture your image as long as the criteria below are met.

All entries will be reviewed by select members of the AGS Loss Prevention Working Group, who will decide on a shortlist and a potential winner. Full details will be announced in the April / May 2022 issue of AGS Magazine.

IMAGE REQUIREMENTS
The AGS are looking for high resolution jpeg images (300 DPI / over 1mb image file size) of a geotechnical, engineering or loss prevention nature. Images should be no smaller than 4200 x 3400 pixels. Please note that images in landscape orientation are preferred.

HOW TO ENTER
• Please email your image with;
o A short description of what it showcases and where it was taken (up to 50 words)
o Image credit information (if applicable)
o Your full name
o Company name
o Postal address
to ags@ags.org.uk with the subject title ‘AGS Magazine: Loss Prevention Guidance Photography Competition.
• There is no limit to the number of images you enter.
• The deadline for entries is Friday 25^th February 2022
• Entry into the competition is free

TERMS AND CONDITIONS
• Applicants must be aged 18 or over.
• All images must be high resolution and 300 DPI (dots per inch) / over 1mb image file size.
• Applicants must be based in the UK.
• Inclusion of any images on the final guidance document is up to the discretion of the AGS
• The photographer must have full copyright of all entered images.
• All images entered may be reproduced by the AGS and used in future AGS event and marketing literature without prior notice. This may include usage across the AGS’ social media channels, inclusion in the AGS Magazine, event programmes and on the AGS website. Please note that all images used will be credited.

 

Full Name: Lauren Hunt

Job Title: Geo-environmental Consultant

Company: Arcadis

I am a geo-environmental consultant with Arcadis and joined two years ago after graduating with a first-class degree in Geology, from the University of Leicester. I’m based within the Site Evaluation and Restoration (SER) team which works on a variety of environmental / geotechnical risk assessment and ground remediation projects. We provide sustainable solutions to a host of geo-environmental challenges and I am fortunate to be part of such a friendly team, getting to work with experts and specialists, learning and discovering more every day! Outside of work I play cricket, go on hikes, and I absolutely adore sloths!

What is your background and how did you end up working within the geotechnical industry?

I’ve been collecting rocks and fossils since I was about 3 years old and have been fascinated with the ground beneath our feet and the geological processes that have formed our planet. I really enjoy being outside and exploring so loved all the fieldwork modules at university, therefore I wanted a job where I could be most active and at the forefront of site work. I found the toxicology and geochemistry modules at university interesting and ended up writing my dissertation discussing the sources of Phosphorus, its fate in the environment, and its role in eutrophication. I learned about environmental consultancy, specifically land remediation at a university careers meeting, and knew it would be a good fit as I want to be part of making the world a better place. One of the most rewarding aspects of what I do is knowing how sites we are able to remediate end up providing sustainable and safe places for people to live and work!

What does a typical day entail?

That depends…no two days are the same! If I am based in the office, a typical day would entail geo-environmental risk assessment, baseline reviews, factual reporting or working on ground investigation specifications. If I am on site, I will be supervising drilling works, logging, groundwater / gas monitoring and sampling. I continuously engage with health and safety throughout all stages of the project, from planning to implementation on site, adopting the fantastic TRACK to 0 Heath and Safety Policy set by Arcadis. Throughout everything I do, I work with amazing people, learn new skills and gain a wide variety of experiences within geo-environmental consultancy.

Within your career to date, what is your greatest achievement?

My greatest achievement in my early career is not one I can single out. I am most proud of the determination and drive I have shown as a woman in this industry disproving the stigmas facing women in construction and speaking out against site-based intimidation. I am proud of all the projects I have worked on and contributed towards and am proud to be part of an industry that is moving towards a future of exciting and equal opportunities and supportive and enriching working environments.

What is your favourite part of your job?

I love the variety in every day and how each different site I work on presents new opportunities for providing a better quality of life for local and wider communities. The variety constantly keeps me on my toes and presents new challenges to thrive on. I feel directly involved in the project lifecycle and undertaking work typically earlier on in this cycle means I have the opportunity to set a project on the right path, which is a great thing to be part of. Being at Arcadis also allows me to work alongside a rich ecosystem of teams and disciplines and my enjoyment within my role stems from helping Arcadis deliver valuable and high-quality projects.

What are the most challenging aspects of your role?

Possibly the most challenging aspect of my job that I have faced are the negative and discourteous comments sometimes received out on site about being a woman from individuals who fail to realise the incredible work that women are doing within construction. There is a fantastic change going on in the industry whereby women are empowered to take on roles in construction and engineering. Unfortunately, bias against women in construction / engineering still exists and the best thing that can be done is to open conversations about this topic at all career levels from the office and from site to oppress the stigma and change perspectives. Within Arcadis SER, a working group has been formed to address site-based intimidation and harassment. This includes any intimidation, confrontation, violence, bullying, sexual harassment and any situations which make individuals uncomfortable. This has formed an amazing platform to openly discuss these issues and support those that have sadly experienced this kind of issue. Additionally, being out on site all year round poses the challenge of working in all weather conditions and this in turn leads to complications around plant, monitoring, sampling and site safety.

If you could do it all over again, would you choose the same career path for yourself? And if not, what would you change?

I am new to the world of consultancy but I love it and would choose the same career path. It is the variety of projects I am involved in and the different challenges and tasks experienced every day that make it such a fulfilling and worthwhile career path. I am proud of what I have achieved since graduating and can see myself flourishing in this industry with many exciting opportunities to be taken in the coming years.

What AGS Working Group(s) are you a member of and what are your current focuses?

I am an Early Careers Professional within the Contaminated Land Working Group. Another Early Careers Professional and I are currently working on producing an interactive mind map that will house guidance, industry standards and useful documents containing best practice advice. This will provide a single source of truth and act as a platform for training and project support. The mind map is in its developmental phase and we are working on improving interactivity, application of updates and revisions and user experience. This will provide support to all career levels but primarily aid early career professionals to locate standards and undertake training.

Why do you feel the AGS is important to the industry?

The AGS is important as it brings together many industry specialists and allows everyone to keep up to date with standard changes and allows you to create a large professional network. The AGS also provides early careers professionals with guidance and training in the form of insightful webinars and a variety of online resources. It acts as a platform to promote collaboration and knowledge sharing across the industry, ensuring companies and clients work towards common goals.

What changes would you like to see implemented in the geotechnical industry?

I would like to see more women and minorities feeling empowered to take on a career in the industry, with increased opportunity for promotion and career development as well as support for roles out on site.

Lastly any advice or words of wisdom that would you give someone who is either considering this type of job or who are progressing towards chartership?

I believe the key to those wishing to embark on this career or to progress further towards chartership is to gain as much site experience as possible. This will help individuals put into context work that is undertaken in the office and consolidate an understanding of where the data comes from, how it is collected, the limitations of it and identify key observations that might be overlooked from desk studies. Longer term, this supports the writing of robust reports, improved all round health and safety best practice and not to mention the ability to see directly how the work you are doing contributes to the wider project in the real world.

Name: Susie Marley

Job title: Senior Geotechnical Engineer

Company name: Geotechnical & Environmental Associates (GEA)

 

What does the company do and what areas does it specialise in?

GEA is a geotechnical and contaminated land specialist. We carry out ground investigations, interpretive reporting and provide consultancy services, and specialise in basement impact assessments and ground movement analyses, foundation engineering and complex contaminated land investigations and consulting.

Where is GEA located?

Our head office is based in Ware, Hertfordshire, and we also have offices in Nottingham and Manchester, along with a shared workspace at The Building Society in London.

How many people does the company employ?

25 (and nearly 50 % of our engineers are female)

How long have you worked at GEA?

Five years

What is your career background, and what enticed you to work for GEA?

I started at GEA a few weeks after completing my final year undergraduate exams at Camborne School of Mines/ University of Exeter. I had completed a summer placement at a ground investigation company the year before and used that experience and some of the projects that I worked on as the basis of my dissertation, which led to an interest in pursuing a career in the sector. A number of things stood out at GEA, including the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects from small residential extensions to larger commercial basement type projects, and in varying ground conditions on projects across the country. Our Managing Director is of course extremely knowledgeable, but is also very approachable, which was clear from the start and can be invaluable. The company’s approach of getting graduates out on site straight away and working on their own projects early on appealed to me too, and the converted barn head office in a rural setting and perks like weekly fresh fruit deliveries and free gym membership were added bonuses! More recently, GEA have supported me in completing the Imperial College MSc Soil Mechanics course part-time, including a thesis project with some real site data incorporated into the laboratory research undertaken at ICL, and this is proving to be a of huge benefit to technical understanding and career progression.

What is your current role within GEA and what does a typical day entail?

As a senior geotechnical engineer, my role includes both office and field based roles, including specifying and pricing up new projects, completing desk studies including contamination risk assessments and basement impact assessments. I arrange and carry out all aspects of site work including setting out, instructing, supervising and working with crews, logging geology, logging foundation inspection trial pits and collecting samples, carrying out a range of in-situ tests and specifying standpipe installations. After fieldwork, I schedule geotechnical and contamination testing, carry out monitoring and groundwater sampling, review the fieldwork findings and write comprehensive (interpretive) ground investigation reports including preliminary pile designs, retaining wall parameters, hydrogeological assessments and quantitative contamination risk assessments. I update clients/ structural engineers/ architects throughout the project and liaise with Local Authorities, and keep track of project spending against the budget and produce bills of quantities. Over the past year I have also started carrying out Ground Movement Analyses, including Thames Water Asset assessments and Building Damage Assessments under the guidance of more experienced engineers. I also take an interest in new starters and enjoy taking them out on site to help give them as much early site experience as I benefitted from when I started, and keep our Engineers Handbook up to date with our processes. I am also looking forward to helping out in any way that I can with the company’s goal of reaching net-zero carbon. It may sound cliché but a typical day is hardly ever the same, and could involve a number of any of the above!

What are the company’s core values?

Enthusiasm: we enjoy what we do and are passionate about doing our best every day.  We nurture ideas, promote excellence, and find creative ways to eliminate obstacles to achieving objectives.  We share our enthusiasm and passion with our clients and suppliers.

Kindness: We are kind to each other, our suppliers and clients, and to the environment.

Integrity: We act with honesty, fairness, and respect for clients and colleagues alike and strive to do the right thing always.

People: We embrace the collective experiences, varied skills, and unique talents of every member of staff.  We encourage development and reward performance and treat people equally without prejudice.  Above all else, we provide an environment in which our staff can thrive.

Innovation: we encourage curiosity and new ideas, learn from mistakes, and constantly strive to exceed expectations.  We always look for new and better ways of doing what we do.  Through innovation, we generate better solutions for our customers and our staff.

Safety: we place the safety and wellbeing of our staff at the centre of everything we do.

Sustainability: we are committed to monitoring and reducing the environmental impact of what we do.

Community: we are mindful of the communities in which we work and committed to giving to those in need.

Are there any projects or achievements which GEA are particularly proud to have been a part of?

GEA are particularly proud to have built a good reputation for quality reports. Our main achievement is to have developed a company that is well-regarded and successful, provides an excellent place for people to work and a quality service to clients.  This is reflected in the fact that most of our work is repeat business and generated by recommendation. We have built an established reputation for dealing with particularly difficult contaminated land conditions in a number of London boroughs.

We are proud to have worked on a number of projects with extensive and high specification investigation at the high profile former US Embassy, carrying out interesting foundation analyses at Westminster Abbey, and providing investigations and complex ground movement analysis on the congested Creed Court site, and a number of other large projects are detailed on our website. Completing a ground investigation overnight at the Museum of Childhood, enabling it to reopen as normal the following day, is a project that I personally am particularly proud of.

How important is sustainability within the company?

It is one of our core values and we have a number of schemes in place, such as no general bins in the office and extra recycling facilities, sample bags made from recycled plastic, and new electric vans on the way to replace diesel ones. We also don’t print anything, including reports or emails, unless essential. We are part of the UK Climate Business Hub and hope to be part of the solution as a SME, with plans to go further and find and implement more sustainable solutions.

How does GEA support graduates and early career professionals who are entering the industry?

Firstly, we aim to recruit graduates and promote internally, and believe in empowering engineers and providing support to enable them to take on responsibility as soon as they are able, and have a Geological Society of London accredited GEA Training Guide to help engineers work towards chartership. All engineers are supervised by a more senior engineer, and ultimately by our Managing Director, to provide support at every stage of a project.

We were one of the founding industry partners for the University of Portsmouth BEng Engineering Geology and Geotechnics bursary scheme. We have a placement student with us for some 44 weeks at the end of their second year of study, as well as an 8-week period at the end of their first year. We also frequently take 6^th Form students for work experience from local schools to give them an insight into a career in geotechnical engineering.

How has COVID- 19 effect the day to day running of the company? How have staff adapted?

GEA have always had a flexible approach to working and we all have laptops so that we can work at home or remotely, so the transition to full-time home working was very straightforward.  We have now returned to the office, but with a combination of home and office working.  Some site work was impacted during the first lockdown during the uncertainty over whether ground investigations should be continuing, but this was fairly short-lived and other than introducing new health and safety measures it didn’t really affect us.

Why do you feel the AGS is important to the industry?

It provides a voice for the industry when required, encourages collaboration between members and allows us to demonstrate our commitment to clients.

What are GEA’s future ambitions?

• To achieve net zero carbon
• To continue to improve and grow through providing a quality service
• To provide a positive and enjoyable working environment for our staff

GEA were headline sponsors of the Geotechnical Engineering in a Net Zero World webinar. To view the webinar click HERE.

On 25^th November 2021, the AGS held their most successful webinar to date on the subject of, Sample Disturbance – What is it? This free, virtual event was sponsored by SOCOTEC and saw over 1000 delegates register to attend from over 40 countries across the globe.

The event was spearheaded by Peter Reading with an aim to stimulate a discussion and start a process whereby the industry can start to decide on factors which might build a disturbance classification.

The webinar itself was chaired by Sally Hudson (AGS Chair and Regional Manager & Associate at Coffey Geotechnics Limited), and our three guest speakers included David Norbury, John Powell and Tom Lunne.

David Norbury (Director at David Norbury Ltd) discussed sampling methods and sample disturbance and checking up on the disturbance. John Powell sparked a debate on sample disturbance in stiff clay and finally, Tom Lunne (Expert adviser at Norwegian Geotechnical Institute) looked at sample disturbance in soft clay, causes and how it can be assessed. The event finished with a joint Q&A and discussion on samples.

This webinar also covered:
· The sampling process and methods which may provide a Class 1 sample
· What constitutes a Class 1 sample and how do we recognise sample disturbance
· Are there grades of disturbance what is acceptable
· Should there be a scale to enable technicians and laboratories to recognise and report the degree of disturbance

This virtual seminar and all speaker presentations are available for free view on the AGS website. Click HERE for full information.

The AGS is pleased to announce that in 2021, nine member organisations, one affiliate organisation and three practitioner members were accepted by the Membership Panel and approved by the Executive. Six students and graduates were also accepted as AGS members. The new member organisations are Exploration and Testing Associates Ltd, GE Solutions Consulting Ltd, Orsted A/S, Sweco UK, Brownfield Solutions Ltd, Omnia Environmental Consulting, Eurofins Chemtest Ltd, London Bridge Associates and WDE Consulting Ltd. The new affiliate organisation is The CDS Group and the new practitioner members are Tim Rolfe, Janice Windle and Neil Chadwick.

AGS Membership is open to geotechnical and geoenvironmental companies who employ specialists who can provide competent services and affiliate companies who provide support services and supplies to the members. Students and Graduates can also become members of the AGS. Full details of membership criteria can be found at http://www.ags.org.uk/about/become-a-member/

Full Name: Sarah Hey

Job Title: Project Manager (Programme Delivery)

Company: Hydrock

I have 8 years’ experience in ground engineering, specialising in site investigations and contaminated land. I was based in the Midlands for 5 of those years as a geo-environmental consultant before moving to Manchester in 2018 as a senior geo-environmental consultant. During this time, I gained my chartered geologist and scientist status with The Geological Society. As of January 2021, I side stepped into a project manager role within Hydrock’s programme delivery team. I now manage multi-disciplinary projects and have since gained the APM project fundamentals qualification in project management.

What is your background and how did you end up working within the geotechnical industry?

I graduated from the University of Leicester in 2013 with a master’s degree in geology before embarking on my journey as a geo-environmental consultant. Prior to graduation I never considered working within the construction industry as I didn’t really know much about it. However, a friend on my degree course recommended me for an internship with a firm in Burton-upon-Trent, which I started immediately after graduating. During the early stages of my internship, I primarily carried out gas and groundwater monitoring and gradually progressed to a role as a geologist undertaking ground investigations and report writing.

What does a typical day entail?

Being a Project Manager, my job varies greatly day to day and no two days are the same. I manage multiple projects simultaneously, which are all at various stages within the project life cycle, although a lot of my current projects are at the outline/detailed planning application stage. I help coordinate and facilitate our technical teams and will often be attending virtual meetings to discuss progress on a project or to run through the project requirements. I also frequently write and collate fee proposals when tendering for opportunities, as well as coordinating any due diligence work to aid our clients with the purchasing of land for a development.

My role also involves a lot of business development, as I am the main point of contact for our clients, it is important that I build a relationship with existing and new clients either through virtual or face to face meetings, which often involve catching up over a drink or heading out for something to eat.

Within your career to date, what is your greatest achievement?

There have been quite a few, I was over the moon when I got my chartered geologist status but I would say winning the Best Young Brownfield Professional in 2020 has been my greatest achievement to date.

What is your favourite part of your job?

The socialisation and networking both internally and externally. Especially with virtual meetings through the likes of Microsoft Teams, I would say team members are more accessible. Even though I am based at the Manchester office I work on projects across the UK and as a result I engage with the various disciplines and Hydrock offices so it is great getting to know my colleagues. I am also developing and growing my client relationships, which is a new experience for me.

What are the most challenging aspects of your role?

It’s probably not surprising that I’d say, dealing with problems that I have never dealt with before is the most challenging aspect of my job. However, I enjoy problem solving, where you are faced with an issue which makes you sit back and think about it for a while before deciding on the best course of action. However, as I am relatively new to project management, it does mean I am facing new challenges which I have never encountered before. I am also the point of contact between the client and the Hydrock teams so it’s my job to have those difficult conversations when they come up!

If you could do it all over again, would you choose the same career path for yourself? And if not, what would you change?

I would definitely choose the same career path as I love the variety this role provides; I have worked in some amazing places within the UK and have made some friends for life. It’s a small world within this industry so you’re regularly crossing paths with former colleagues and acquaintances. The only thing I would change differently, if I was to do it again, would be to explore international work in the early stages of my career. I have always been intrigued as to what it’s like working abroad both from a fieldwork perspective, especially to examine the geology in other countries, but also working on international projects where the standards are different.

What AGS Working Group(s) are you a member of and what are your current focuses?

I am part of the Business Practice Working Group and the first early career committee member, which I was fortunate to be asked to join after winning the Best Young Brownfield Professional award that was kindly sponsored by the AGS. Our current focuses are to really promote AGS by enhancing our methods of marketing to attract the wider population, so watch this space for some exciting content.

Why do you feel the AGS is important to the industry?

One of the best attributes of the AGS is the user-friendly guidance’s that are readily available online as part of being an AGS member. For early careers in particular I think these are a great starting point to ensure an understanding of the different elements such as how safely and correctly to conduct a ground investigation from the excavation of a trial pit to sampling of soils for geotechnical testing.

Lastly any advice or words of wisdom that would you give someone who is either considering this type of job or who are progressing towards chartership?

The advice I always give to anyone starting in this industry is to log your CPD from the word go. This is pivotal if you are applying for chartership with an organisation such as The Geological Society. It’s much harder to backtrack what you’ve learnt and remember that practically everything counts as CPD when you first start out. The Geological Society have an excellent mind map which demonstrates all the activities that count as CPD and I think this is a good starting point.

This year’s AGS Annual Conference, returned to the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham. The Annual Conference was the first AGS face-to-face event since January 2020. The day was a great success and well attended by 132 delegates.

The presentations covered a range of geotechnical and geoenvironmental topics which were well received. The conference was chaired by AGS Chair, Sally Hudson.

The keynote speaker, Luke Swain of Network Rail presented on the importance of Geo Engineers in the response to the symptoms of a changing climate, including looking at climate change and why Geo Specialists are so critical to the response.

Julian Lovell of Equipe Group provided an update on the Third Edition of The UK Specification for Ground Investigation (Yellow Book) and the major changes involved within the third edition. The third edition is due to be published within the first quarter of 2022. Helen Townend of Amey Consulting gave a presentation on building inclusion, showing how it can appeal to the next generation and the benefits experienced of operating in an inclusive way. Duncan Scott of Vertase FLI provided a presentation on landfill reclamation, looking at landfills in the UK and how old landfills can be reclaimed. Ian Webber of Coffey Geotechnics discussed misuse of monitoring and testing. Ian used case histories to provide details on lessons learnt.

The final talk of the day was provided by Clare Brint of Network Rail, who presented on Earthworks Asset Management at Network Rail (Eastern Region). Clare provided details of how the team operate to fully understand the risks from different hazards and how they mitigate the risks by predicting, preventing and responding.

All the AGS Working Group Leaders delivered updates on what they have been working on over the past year.

Special thanks to this year’s speakers; Sally Hudson (AGS Chair and Coffey Geotechnics), Luke Swain (Principal Route Engineer (Geotech), Network Rail), Julian Lovell (Managing Director, Equipe Group), Helen Townend (Technical Director, Amey Consulting), Duncan Scott (Technical Director, Vertase FLI Ltd), Ian Webber (Manging Director, Coffey Geotechnics Limited) and Clare Brint (Route Engineer, Eastern Region, Network Rail).

Special thanks also to this year’s sponsors and exhibitors.

The speaker presentations can be viewed on the AGS website HERE.