As part of our 15^th Birthday celebration, we thought we would look back over the portfolio of desk studies, ground investigations and assessments we have undertaken for our fantastic clients. We have picked 15 which define our journey as a Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental consultancy from 2009 to now and we believe the challenges they posed, helped to shape us into who and what we are today.

So here we go:

1. We will forever be indebted to Matham Coomaraswamy of Coomsco Limited who commissioned us on our first jobs. Some foundation exposures in Gunter Grove, a borehole for a pile design in Lytonstone and a full SI for the Manor Park Islamic Cultural Centre… Thank you for trusting us. The latter was an interesting one for co-director Dipalee. She had to undertake a site visit, as a woman, in the male only prayer hall.

2. Our first full Site Investigations. These included desk studies, foundation design and soaks; plus ground-gas assessment and monitoring for a developer we still work with. The site was in Chiddingfold, near Godalming for the William Lacey Group… Thank you guys. In 2010 we were commissioned by Arcadia Ventures (Southern) Limited to undertake a phased investigation, assessment, remediation and verification of the Shortfield Common Garage in Frensham, near Farnham. It was our first all through site, from start to finish, with tank removal, garden validation and ground-gas/vapour risk assessment.

3. In October 2010 Ground & Water was commission to look at the use of a deep borehole soakaway on a site in Four Marks, mid Hampshire. This was our first job with a value over £5k, but also was our first foray into Engineering in Chalk… Something which has captivated Director Fran ever since.

4. In July 2011 we were commissioned on our first £10k job. It was an interesting job looking at the potential site for a Muslim Cemetery in Romford for the Gardens of Peace Muslin Trust. We have undertaken several cemetery/burial risk assessments over the years, and they are always interesting to do.

5. GWPR393 Hampstead Lane. This was our first foray into Camden Basement Impact Assessments. This has been a journey with ups and downs ever since. It has been one we have been determined to crack, and we believe we have done just that.

6. One of Director Dipalee’s most memorable jobs was Rydon’s Way in Woking. A Trial Pit SI, with soaks, in a soft landscaped area between two housing estates. It was memorable for the opposition to the development and the ferocity of the objectors!

7. Principal Engineer Alice’s favourite job was a complicated ground-gas risk assessment in Mortimers Lane, Fair Oak. Positioned adjacent to the Fair Oak Landfill Complex the works involved not only the geotechnical and drainage, but lots of ground-gas monitoring, external expert help and design and validation of a ground-gas dilution trench.

8. Interim Operations Manager Aubyn’s favourite is GWPR3994, a chalk dissolution risk assessment in Buckinghamshire. The job was in three phases, delineating the dissolution risk across the site and undertaking various works for different foundation types. Ground & Water developed a pivot table to show the varying probe result depths which has been used across the company as a standard tool. Subsequently this was combined with work for a deep bore soakaway and rationalised the use of the deep bore in the restricted access site and was cleared and agreed with by the council.

9. Senior Engineer Rob Terrell’s favourite job was GWPR4247: Passmore Way, Maidstone, Kent. This was a slope stability project undertaken in conjunction with expert help in Kent. The design team undertook 3D imagery of the whole slope (about 300m long and 20m high) using a drone survey, which also took topographic levels. It served as a great bit of CPD about rock failures.

10. Senior Engineer Roger’s favorite job was a large scale SI in Newhaven. Lots of boreholes, windowless sampling, trial pits and UXO. Unexpected ground conditions on what at first glance was a simple field.

11. Principal Engineer Miltos, along with Engineer Myles, fondly remembers the Chalk Dissolution and Engineering work undertaken on the Six Bells pub site, in Farnham. Here we defined different foundations for different areas based on high density probing and SI. We had to balance to engineering problems, chalk dissolution as well as tree influence.

12. Myles was also fond of the work we carried out at Bristol Zoo. Requiring a lot of Health & Safety and planning work (we even produced a GANT chart) and it utilised rotary cores (Limestones/Mudstones), windowless sampling, trial pitting and CBR tests. The works, in amongst the residents (who got acoustic protection), went according to plan and delivered for the client.

13. Engineer Libby’s most interesting site to date was Brook Lane, Warsash near Fareham. A full SI for a development on land previously home to greenhouses/nursery. The site had an interesting background. Three large sites combined, with several days of site works on each. It took a lot of organising, with access constraints from landowner, but turned out well and client was happy.

14. Senior Engineer Natasha’s favorite job is a PFAS assessment and remediation in the south-east of England, where some fancy technology was used to determine groundwater flow and gradients.

15. Engineer Adam ‘s favorite project was his recent work on the Olympic Park, East London. Ground & Water was instructed to undertake geotechnical investigations for new signage and video advertising boards. The complexity of the job was complicated further by health & safety requirements and the deep Made Ground present. The job was completed accurately, safely and swiftly as per our client’s needs.

And one day we will tell you the story of the site with the low Standard Penetration Test results… But that’s for another time.

Thank you

The brief descriptions above form a nice overview of the wide range and complexity of jobs we have undertaken. At the end of the day, we are geologists with a passion for all that lies beneath our feet. Being able to develop and use our knowledge by undertaking projects to enable you, our clients, to build houses, basements, offices, industrial units, roads and other infrastructure to improve people’s lives and our society is immensely rewarding.

We are who we are, because we care about what you do. Thank you to our clients and all the subcontractors who we have worked with, and here’s to the next 15 years.