Wardell Armstrong’s experienced land surveyors and geologists regularly design earthworks schemes for various types of development including development platforms for residential, commercial or industrial development; new landfill cells; highway embankments; slopes; and environmental screening bunds.The wider site constraints such as flood levels, contamination, highways, drainage and foundation solutions are all considered by our designers at the design stage to minimise waste generation and offsite landfill costs.Our engineers prepare earthworks specifications, based upon the results of geo-environmental site investigations, and utilising ground treatment where required, and can provide experienced supervisors during construction to enable final validation to be submitted.
Wardell Armstrong’s technical specialists have extensive experience with designing land clean up projects using a variety of methods and technologies. Our teams have successfully designed, supervised and validated contracts throughout the United Kingdom and worked successfully with specialist contractors.Our scientists and engineers work together with you to overcome physical, chemical, geotechnical and biological challenges associated with complex site clean up to deliver cost effective solutions.Material reuse would be optimised, in line with the results of contamination risk assessments (generic or DQRA) and other site levels factors, and the earthworks modelled to achieve a cut and fill balance.
Land development can take place where ground conditions are not optimal or where there is a risk of future subsidence occurring e.g. certain shallow mining areas. In such situations, provided the risks are thoroughly investigated by site investigation, Wardell Armstong’s experienced geotechnical engineers, geologists and mining engineers can assess the risks and consider options for ground improvement such as excavation and replacement; surcharge/preloading; wick drains; soils nailing; lime stabilisation/soil mixing; and drilling and pressure grouting.Following the selection of the preferred ground improvement method(s) the necessary designs, including the requirements for construction quality assurance and final certification can be prepared.
The generation of settlement of the ground and any overlying structures, caused by ground loadings or other external factors e.g. inundation of partially saturated soil with water, variation in soil moisture content, tunnelling etc., is a significant geotechnical risk to many developments.Our geotechnical engineers are experienced with the early identification of such risks and the available methods to estimate the magnitude of potential settlement from various causes.When the estimated magnitude and timing of future settlement is identified, then the design or programming of the construction works can be considered further to mitigate the potential damaging effects of settlement.
Our teams of geologists, environmental scientists and are trained to write effective technical reports, delivering information that our clients require, in an “easy to follow” format; they take pride in delivering high quality reports, on time and within budget.Where all, or a proportion, of the report content is dictated by regulators we ensure that their requirements are met and that regulatory approvals are not delayed on account of reporting.Wardell Armstrong also employ qualified staff who can independently assess and verify that remediation schemes are undertaken in accordance with the CL:AIRE Definition of Waste: Code of Practice.
Where soils or rocks underlying a proposed development are susceptible to future subsidence, mass movement, collapse or heave, our experienced geologists and engineers carry out assessments of the effects of such movements.These assessments may consider the natural dissolution of soluble rocks; slope failure in soils or rocks; relict ground stability hazards associated with former underground mining; or combinations of different sources of ground movement. When the potential mechanisms and risks of ground movement are understood we can then consider different methods of stabilisation to mitigate future ground movement and then design stabilisation remedial works including drilling and pressure grouting.
