AGS Magazine September 2023

MITIGATING ASBESTOS RISK WITH VAC-EX

A look at how vacuum excavators can help to mitigate the risk of asbestos fibres being released from contaminated made ground

September 2023

SURFACE EMISSION SURVEYS

Measuring the rate that ground gases are emitted into the atmosphere.

USE OF CHEMICAL PRESERVATION

Examining the importance of quality in sampling and analysis

INSIDE: GEOSENSE

Q&A with the Managing Director of Geosense - Tim Clegg

ABOUT THE AGS

The Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists (AGS) is a not-for-profit trade association established to improve the profile and quality of geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering. The membership comprises UK organisations and individuals having a common interest in the business of ground investigation, geotechnics, geoenvironmental engineering, engineering geology, geochemistry, hydrogeology, and other related disciplines.

EDITORIAL BOARD

Vivien Dent, AGS Chair

Chair’s Foreword

Welcome to the September issue of the AGS Magazine. I hope you all managed to take a break from work over the summer and that you have come back feeling refreshed.

In this edition, learn about the Safe use of Vacuum Excavators in Made Ground, surface emission surveys to measure ground gas and the use of chemical preservation.

This edition features a Q&A with Bradley Falcus who has recently joined the Business Practice Working Group. Bradley brings with him a lot of enthusiasm and energy and I’m looking forward to working with him.

Also read about Geosense from Tim Clegg who sits on the Instrumentation and Monitoring Group.

We also feature a flyer promoting the Ground Forum Undergraduate Mentoring Programme. Please share this as widely as possible with your social networks.

Looking ahead to upcoming

events: The AGS Eurocode Webinar is due to be held on 20th September and our Ground Risk Conference in November 2023. I hope you will be able to join us for these.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the magazine. If you have any ideas for future articles, please contact the AGS.

We are always on the lookout for additional, informative content for the magazine, so if you have a case study or technical article that you think the wider geotechnical and geoenvironmental public would find beneficial, please do get in touch.

We would be interested in your feedback on the magazine and our future plans. Please contact ags@ags.org.uk if you have any comments.

Vivien Dent AGS Chair

Sally Hudson, Coffey Geotechnics

Caroline Kratz, Forum Court Associates (FCA)

Katie Kennedy, FCA

Julian Lovell, Equipe Group

Calum Spires, Equipe Group

David Entwisle, BGS

Chris Vincett, Retired

Lauren Hunt, Arcadis

Adam Latimer, Ian Farmer Associates

Dimitris Xirouchakis, Structural Soils

Emma Anderson, HaskoningDHV UK

Daniele Fornelli, Geotechnical Observations

EDITORIAL STORY

If you have a news story or event which you’d like to tell our editorial team about, please contact the AGS on 020 8658 8212 or ags@ags.org.uk. Please note that articles should act as opinion pieces and not directly advertise a company. The AGS is under no obligation to feature articles or events received.

CONTACT US

AGS

Forum Court, Office 2FF, Saphir House, 5 Jubilee Way, Faversham, Kent, ME13 8GD

 ags@ags.org.uk

 020 8658 8212

 Association of Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental Specialists

 @agsgeotech

www.ags.org.uk

PAGE 16

COVER STORY

PAGE 24 

Mitigating the risk of asbestos when using vacuum excavators in made ground

Use of chemical preservation – the importance of quality in sampling and analysis

Geraint Williams, ALS & Tim Rolfe, YES Engineering, both members of the AGS Contaminated Working Group, discuss how representative samples should be collected to ensure subsequent laboratory analysis is robust and reliable.

SURFACE EMISSION SURVEYS

PAGE 21 

Measuring the rate that ground gases are emitted into the atmosphere.

INSIDE:GEOSENSE

PAGE 28 

The AGS Magazine conducts a Q & A with Tim Clegg, Managing Director at Geosense.

Q&A: BRADLEY FALCUS

PAGE 32 

The AGS Magazine conducts a Q & A with Bradley Falcus, Senior Geo-Environmental Administrator, Central Alliance.

MORE INSIDE

PAGE 4 

News in Short: Incl. upcoming AGS Events

PAGE 10 

AGS Webinar: Second Generation Eurocode

PAGE 36 

Standards Update: August 2023

News and Events

Breaking Ground Podcast: New Episode Now Live

Breaking Ground, a podcast collaboration between Ground Engineering Magazine and the Ground Forum, have released a new episode which is available for free listening:

Î Luke Deamer, Erica Russell & Alice Berry on Sustainability

Hosted by Steve Hadley, Breaking Ground covers a wide range of ground engineering related topics. Key themes include sustainability, design, commerce, diversity, health and safety, welfare, construction techniques, education, and industry challenges. Episodes also profile industry members' careers within the context of discussing industry issues, construction techniques and case studies.

Breaking Ground is available for free download on channels including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. To listen to the podcast, click HERE.

For further information on the podcast or for podcast sponsorship opportunities please email gforum@ground-forum.org.uk.

AGS Live and Virtual Events 2023

Second Generation Eurocode EN 1997: Where are We and Where are We Going?

Î Date: 20th September 2023

Î Fee: This webinar is free for AGS members. Non-members are required to pay a small fee of £30 (plus VAT).

Î Speakers:

Chris Raison (Raison Foster Associates

∙ Andrew Bond (Geocentrix)

∙ Matthew Baldwin (Independent Consultant)

Stuart Hardy (Laing O’Rourke).

Ground Risk Conference: Are you Managing Risks or Taking Risks? (live event)

Î Date: 22nd November 2023

Î Location: One Great George Street, London

Î Fee: £160 for AGS Members, £230 for nonmembers. A limited number of places are available for students, local authority and EA places for £95. All prices exclude VAT. To express an interest in attending, email ags@ ags.org.uk

Î Speakers:

∙ Steve Wilson (Technical Director at The Environmental Protection Group)

AGS Publication Updates

and Amy Juden (Associate at The Environmental Protection Group)

∙ Alex Lee (AGS Chair Elect and Principal at HKA)

Katharine Barker (Associate Geotechnical Engineer at CampbellReith, Matthew Penfold (Principal Geotechnical Engineer at Geotechnical & Environmental Associates) and Arash Azizi (Lecturer at University of Portsmouth).

∙ Nicola Harries (Technical Director at CL:AIRE)

∙ Stephen Tromans (KC at 39 Essex Chambers)

∙ Jon Palmer (Technical Director at HKA Global)

Î Sponsorship: Emerald, Gold and Associate sponsorship packages are available. Click HERE for full details or email ags@ags.org. uk to confirm your support.

AGS Annual Conference (live event and networking drinks)

Î Date: 25th April 2024

Î Location: One Great George Street, London

Î Fee: TBC

Î Sponsorship: A full range of sponsorship packages will be available. Please email ags@ags.org.uk to register your support.

Recent AGS publications available on the AGS website: Accident Reporting, Investigation & Learning Guidance

To download the publications for free; click here.

SPONSORED BY

Our next live event, Ground Risk Conference: Are you Managing Risks or Taking Risks? will be taking place in London on Wednesday 22nd November at One Great George Street, London.

Geotechnical engineering and geoenvironmental specialists deal with risk daily from commencement of a project through to final delivery. Working with the ground brings with it inherent risks and it can be a fine line between managing or taking risk. Our understanding of the ground is continually evolving and keeping up to date is important.

This full day, CPD conference organised by the Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists and brought to you by the Geotechnical and Contaminated Land Working Groups, will explore the management of risk across a variety of subjects, including updates to piling through layered ground guidance, underpinning and Cone Penetration Testing. We will also explore topics often not considered such as cognitive bias and learn about changes in environmental legislation and policy

Ground Risk Conference: Are you Managing Risks or Taking Risks? is aimed at attendees at any stage of their career, who are involved in development projects from concept and planning, through to implementation.

Attendees will be provided with opportunities for networking and will have the chance to question our expert speakers.

The conference will be chaired by Alex Dent (AGS Geotechnical Working Group Leader and Associate Director at WSP) and Geraint Williams (Associate at ALS Laboratories).

The event is currently sponsored by Eijkelkamp Fraste UK, Element, Groundsure, HUESKER, In Situ Site Investigation, Envirolab, Igne, Fugro and Landmark.

PRESENTATIONS

Foundation Risks & Problems; A Structural Engineer’s Perspective

Patrick Hayes, Technical Director at Institution of Structural Engineers

Patrick will draw on his own experience e, member feedback and CROSS reports to highlight the most frequent and serious building foundation design issues, look at underlying causes and how structural and geotechnical engineers can work together to resolve them. The range of topics will cover shallow foundations, deep foundations and basements.

Piling Risk Assessment for Contaminated Sites

Steve Wilson, Technical Director at The Environmental Protection Group and Amy Juden, Associate at The Environmental Protection Group

The presentation will discuss the update of the Environment Agency guidance on piling in contaminated ground, which is currently in progress. It will discuss some of the key contents of the new guidance.

Bias in the Delivery of GeoEnvironmental Assessments

Alex Lee, AGS Chair Elect and Principal at HKA

In performing geotechnical and environmental assessments, for example, when we develop and deliver our models and designs, then bias can and does on occasion arise. Such can bring both reputational damage and risks of litigation. Decision researchers1 have identified many biases in human judgment and decisionmaking. Most behavioral research addresses cognitive biases— faulty mental processes that lead judgments and decisions to violate commonly accepted normative principles. Equally important, but much less studied, are motivational biases, which include conscious or subconscious distortions of judgments and decisions because of self-interest, social pressures, or organizational context. In this presentation, the speaker will discuss several of the more common types of bias while making specific reference to examples from Geoenvironmental investigations and assessments. He will also introduce how we may self-check and move towards debiasing our reports.

1 Cognitive and Motivational Biases in Decision and Risk Analysis, Gilberto Montibeller and Detlof von Winterfeldt, Risk Analysis, Vol. 35, No. 7, 2015

National Brownfield Forum Industry Census

Nicola Harries, Technical Director at CL:AIRE

Nicola will provide an overview of the recent National Brownfield Forum industry census that has been circulated across the brownfield sector. The census has asked a series of questions across different themes to try and gather a national understanding of the obstacles and barriers that face Brownfield land development in the UK.

New Challenges: New Risks

Stephen Tromans KC at 39 Essex Chambers

Stephen will take a look at the new challenges, opportunities, but most of all risks, facing practitioners.

Groundworks Litigation & Contracts

Jon Palmer, Technical Director at HKA Global

The presentation will introduce to the scope and global distribution of engineering disputes drawn from the HKA database, with particular reference to the area of unforeseeable ground conditions, including: The definition of “unforeseeable” and importance of site investigations.

• The role of designers and contractors and difficulties determining liabilities.

• How “unforeseeable” is addressed in conditions of contract.

The presentation comments on the common issues of geotechnical disputes, centring on areas where general principles are often overlooked. Also, an introduction to dispute resolution methods, and the role of the expert witness in these proceedings, concluding with illustrative case studies.

Basement underpinning: Are we ‘managing’ the risks?

Matthew Penfold, Principal Geotechnical Engineer at Geotechnical & Environmental Associates, Katharine Barker, Associate Geotechnical Engineer at CampbellReith, and Arash Azizi, Lecturer at University of Portsmouth.

Underpinning is widely adopted in domestic basement construction with little or no (reported) impacts. However, current planning procedures often include a requirement for detailed assessment of the likely ground movements and predictions

of damage. This has highlighted the lack of consensus on the likely range of movements around underpinned basements, as well as exposing the general lack of guidance and supporting literature available to practitioners and auditors alike.

So, whilst underpinning may be a relatively low risk solution for many basement constructions, can we really say that this is by design and that we are truly ‘managing the risks’.

To better understand these issues, a focus group was set up by members of the Geotechnical Working Group with the University of Portsmouth with the aim to take the first steps to better understand and provide predictive tools for ground movements associated with underpinned basements.

Photo Credit: Debbie Darling

TICKETS

Tickets for this event are priced at £160 for AGS Members and £230 for non-AGS Members. Prices exclude VAT. A limited number of student, local authority and Environmental Agency places are available for £95, ex VAT. For further details please email ags@ags.org.uk

SPONSORSHIP

We have a range of sponsorship opportunities available for both members and non-members of the Association who wish to have a presence during the event. Please see packages below:

EMERALD SPONSOR

(AGS Member Rate: £1,100/ Non-Member Rate: £1,350)

• Entry for three delegates into the event

• A designated area to exhibit company initiatives, research and software. This exhibition space can also showcase marketing materials, literature and banners

• Full page advert in AGS Magazine (worth £400, over 5,700 subscribers)**

• Company logo on the event PowerPoint presentation holding slide

• Company logo and overview on the event programme

• Company overview on the AGS website

• Company logo on promotional emails

• Two announcements of your company’s involvement on the AGS Twitter page (over 3,490 followers)

• Two announcements of your company’s involvement on the AGS’ LinkedIn page (over 7,290 followers)

• Company mention in pre and post-event articles in AGS Magazine

*Limited packages available

GOLD SPONSOR

(AGS Member Rate: £950 / Non-Member Rate: £1,250)

• Entry for two delegates into the event

• A designated area to exhibit company initiatives, research and software. This

exhibition space can also showcase marketing materials, literature and banners

Company logo on the event PowerPoint presentation holding slide

Company logo and overview on the event programme

Company overview on the AGS website

1/4 page advert in AGS magazine (worth £160, over 5,700 subscribers)

Company logo on promotional emails

Two announcements of your company’s involvement on the AGS Twitter page (over 3,490 followers)

Two announcements of your company’s involvement on the AGS’ LinkedIn page (over 7,290 followers)

Company mention in pre and post-event articles in AGS Magazine

*Limited packages available

ASSOCIATE SPONSOR

(AGS Member Rate: £550 Non-Member Rate: £700)

Entry for one delegate into the event Company directory in AGS magazine (worth £50, over 5,700 subscribers)

Company logo on event PowerPoint

Presentation holding slide

Company logo on the event programme

Company overview on the AGS website

Company logo on promotional emails

Announcement of your company’s involvement on the AGS Twitter page (over 3,490 followers)

Announcement of your company’s involvement on the AGS’ LinkedIn page (over 7,290 followers)

Company mention in pre and post-event articles in AGS Magazine

If you’d like to confirm your support, please contact Caroline Kratz or Angharad Lambourne-Wade on ags@ags.org.uk before Friday 27th October Please note that packages are limited and are offered on a first come, first served basis.

NEWS, REPLAYS & UPCOMING EVENTS AGS WEBINAR

The AGS’ upcoming webinar entitled, Second Generation Eurocode EN 1997: Where are We and Where are We Going? will present an overview of the Second-Generation Eurocode EN 1997: Geotechnical design – Part 1: General Rules, Part 2: Ground Properties and Part 3: Geotechnical Structures.

Taking place on 20th September at 11am (approx. 2.5 hour duration), this virtual event will bring delegates up-to-date with the current development progress and will highlight some of the proposed changes and additions to the current published version of BS EN 1997-1 and 2.

The webinar will feature guest speakers Chris Raison (Raison Foster Associates), Stuart Hardy (Laing O’Rourke), Andrew Bond (Geocentrix) and Matthew Baldwin (Independent Consultant), and will also provide opportunities for delegates to ask the speakers questions about how the Eurocodes will affect geotechnical design.

TICKETS

This webinar is free for AGS members. Nonmembers are required to pay a small fee of £30 (plus VAT).

To register click HERE.

PRESENTATIONS

Eurocode 1997 Part 2

Mathew Baldwin, Independent Consultant

The revision of Eurocode 1997, (known as Eurocode 7), has resulted in a three-part document. Part 2, which used to be titled ‘Ground Investigation and Testing’, has been completely revised and reordered.

The new document which is titled ‘Ground Properties’ considers those ground properties relevant to geotechnical design. As such ground investigation is but one part of the processes of ground data gathering. Because the new document looks at all the on-site and off-site factors that might impact on design, it was sensible not to make this part of the standard all about ground investigation.

Prominence is given to developing a ground model for all designs and the development of this model along side the preparation of the Ground Investigation Report (GIR), is integral to the new document.

This presentation will highlight the changed content and layout of this part of the standard and will show its linkage to Parts 1 and 3 of EC7.

Getting ready for the 2nd Generation Eurocodes

Dr Andrew Bond, Director, Geocentrix

More than 10 years in development, the 2nd Generation Eurocodes are due to be published in the next couple of years, with Eurocode 7 undergoing major improvement and reorganization. This talk will summarize the key changes that will affect geotechnical professionals involved in ground investigation and foundation design and will give a clear timeline for the publication and implementations of the 2nd Generation codes.

Overview of Part 3: Geotechnical Structures. What does this Cover and What is New? Changes and Additions

Stuart Hardy, Technical Leader – Geotechnical at Laing

O’Rourke

This presentation will discuss the most important changes that have been made to the Clauses that relate to the design of specific geotechnical structures in the second generations of the Eurocode. Importantly, the presentation will also cover things that have not changed, or not changed significantly from current UK practice.

Photo Credit: Alan Beattie

Use of chemical preservation – the importance of quality in sampling and analysis

Article contributed by Geraint Williams, ALS Laboratories and Tim Rolfe, YES Engineering, both members of the AGS Contaminated Working Group

This article covers the preservation requirements for common contaminants and key chemical indicators of Monitored Natural Attenuation (MNA) including metals, ammoniacal nitrogen, cyanide, sulphide and manganese II. It provides practical guidance for those involved

in groundwater monitoring and surface water sampling and is relevant for risk assessors, remediation contractors and regulators.

In September 2022, members of the contaminated land group were invited to complete a short questionnaire. This survey highlighted inconsistencies in the use of chemical preservation. AGS received comments about a lack of confidence in laboratory results where preservation has not been used, the need to follow established practice and a call for more scrutiny and

oversight: “I would have no confidence in the data…”. Other direct quotes include: “we review reports where preservation has not been used and have to conduct further rounds of monitoring to obtain better quality data”.

Taking account of the concerns highlighted in the previous survey, the following article provides more information on why preservation is so important.

Dissolved Metals

to fix the ratio of ferrous and ferric iron. Adding the acid in the laboratory is not an acceptable substitute since the ferrous iron is highly likely to have oxidised in transport.

particularly redox conditions, pH or temperature which can

Dissolved metals can be impacted by many physical and chemical factors, particularly redox conditions, pH or temperature which can trigger changes due to precipitation, co-precipitation, sorption or dissolution of particulate matter. These factors can cause significant positive or negative bias to dissolved metal concentrations.

Samples are acidified to prevent precipitation of metals, especially iron. Once precipitation has occurred there is no way of knowing how much metal was in solution, or in suspension, at the time of sampling. The only way of resolving this is to filter out suspended metals in the field, placing the filtered sample in a dedicated nitric acid bottle to ensure that all metal dissolved at the time of sampling remains in solution.

Ferrous Iron

Ferrous iron, once sampled, will generally rapidly oxidise to ferric iron and precipitate as ferric oxyhydroxide. Hydrochloric acid is used

The concentrations of ferrous and ferric iron are used as supporting evidence for the presence of MNA of organic contaminants by biodegradation, therefore measurement of the correct species is essential to understanding the aquifer conditions.

When iron precipitation occurs in a sample, other metals can co-precipitate, causing substantial changes to the overall dissolved composition of metals. Co-precipitation of metals is covered in more detail in a previous AGS magazine article published back in August 2020. It highlights how concentrations of arsenic, lead and cadmium can be significantly affected with losses of between 80 to 97% reported.

Manganese II

Samples for manganese II require filtering in the field to remove insoluble Mn IV compounds before adding to a bottle containing hydrochloric acid. The acid prevents oxidation of Mn II to insoluble Mn IV. Mn II acts as an indicator of anaerobic degradation of organics, where manganese IV acts as an electron acceptor.

Ammoniacal Nitrogen

Ammoniacal nitrogen includes both the ionised form (ammonium, NH4+) and the unionised

“ Dissolved metals can be impacted by many physical and chemical factors,

trigger changes due to precipitation, coprecipitation, sorption or dissolution of particulate matter.

“ Ferrous iron, once sampled, will generally rapidly oxidise to ferric iron and precipitate as ferric oxyhydroxide. Hydrochloric acid is used to fix the ratio of ferrous and ferric iron.

Source: Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) (2010) Canadian Water Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Aquatic Life.

form (ammonia, NH3). An increase in pH favours formation of the more toxic unionised form (NH3), while a decrease favours the ionised (NH4+) form. Temperature also affects the toxicity and form of ammonia. This relationship is detailed in the Table 1.

It is possible to simply measure the ammoniacal nitrogen, and then to calculate the ammonia, if the pH and temperature of the sample were measured at source. As illustrated above, at the range of pH typically encountered in groundwater samples, the percentage of the more toxic un-

ionised ammonia can increase approximately threefold between a sample temperature of 10oC and a room temperature in the laboratory of 20oC.

Because of the volatility of ammonia, the action of nitrifying bacteria, and the changing equilibrium between ammonia and ammonium, groundwater and surface water samples must be collected using sulphuric acid to fix the ammoniacal compounds to prevent further change. Sulphuric acid reduces pH to <2. The acid will convert the ammonia to ammonium and the results

Table 1: Percentage Un-ionised Aqueous Ammonia (0-30°C, pH 6-10)

“ It is possible to simply measure the ammoniacal nitrogen, and then to calculate the ammonia, if the pH and temperature of the sample were measured at source.

are reported as ammoniacal nitrogen. This prevents microbial degradation and offgassing of ammonia.

Cyanide

Laboratories use sodium hydroxide to keep the water alkaline and the cyanide in solution. If the water is not preserved and is slightly acidic, the cyanide may convert to hydrogen cyanide and be lost from the sample. The reported concentration from the laboratory will therefore underestimate the cyanide present in groundwater or surface water, and where speciated cyanide analysis is being undertaken the concentration of the more toxic ‘freecyanide’ will be most affected.

Sulphide

Sulphide oxidises to sulphate in contact with oxygen. The industry standard technique for preservation of sulphide utilises zinc acetate. Zinc ions from zinc acetate react rapidly to form zinc sulphide, an insoluble precipitate, sequestering the sulphide species and preventing off-gassing and oxidation. Ensuring that the correct proportions of sulphide and sulphate are reported is essential to assessments of concrete design classification and of aquifer conditions for MNA decisions.

Summary

How samples are collected and analysed is crucial to the reliability of human health

and controlled water risk assessment and in assessing the effectiveness of MNA. Chemical preservation is required to ensure that samples are representative of field conditions. Samples collected for analysis of unstable contaminants, that have not been preserved, are unlikely to provide valid, consistent, or defensible analytical data. This article is written in advance of guidance being published by Contaminated Land: Applications in Real Environments (CL:AIRE) on MNA.

References

• AGS Guide to Environmental Sampling, Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists, 2019

• BS EN ISO 5667-3: 2018 Water quality: Sampling – Part 3: Guidance on the preservation and handling of samples

• BS ISO 5667-11: 2009 Water quality. Sampling. Guidance on sampling groundwaters

• CCME (2010) Canadian Water Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Aquatic Life. Publication No. 1299; ISBN 1-896997-34-1

• Society of Brownfield Risk Assessment (SoBRA) Practical Tips to Share: Improving Risk Assessment – Field to Desk

Association of Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental Specialists

WHY BECOME AN AGS MEMBER?

Enhance your status in the industry. Make a statement about quality and good practice. Participate in the AGS Working Groups and help shape the industry and set the standards.

WHAT DO WE STAND FOR?

■ Good practice in geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering

■ Quality companies providing a quality service

■ Health and Safety

■ AGS Data Format

For further information on the AGS and details on how to become a member visit www.ags.org.uk

Established in 1988, the Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists is a not-for-profit trade association which represents over 140 leading companies specialising in site investigation, geotechnics, geoenvironmental engineering, engineering geology, geochemistry, hydrogeology, and other related disciplines.

WHAT DO WE OFFER?

■ Guidance to good practice

■ Listing in the Directory of Members

■ AGS Magazine focused on ground engineering ‘hot topics’

■ Legal helpline

■ Chemical safety helpline

■ AGS Loss Prevention Guidance Document

■ Seminars, meetings, conferences and webinars

■ Collaboration with other bodies

■ Liaison with UKAS

■ Lobbying on matters important to the sector

■ Developing and maintaining the AGS Data Format

MEMBERS CAN CONTRIBUTE BY PRODUCING SUCH DOCUMENTS AS:

■ AGS good practice guidance

■ AGS publications

■ AGS safety guidance

■ AGS client guides

MEMBERS CAN PARTICIPATE IN AGS WORKING GROUPS:

■ Laboratories

■ Contaminated Land

■ Safety

■ Business Practice

■ Loss Prevention

■ Data Management

■ Executive Committee

■ Geotechnical

■ Instrumentation and Monitoring

Surface emission surveys to measure ground gas

Surface emission surveys are used to measure the rate that ground gases are emitted into the atmosphere, which can be quantified in order to determine the risk to the environment or other receptors, such as a property and human health. The concentration and flow of ground gas can alter depending on the location of a monitoring point, source material, geology, atmospheric conditions and groundwater levels. Therefore, an emissions survey can be a useful line of evidence to better conceptualise the actual concentration/ volumes of ground gas that may be impacting a given receptor.

Surface emission surveys are commonly used on landfill sites following the placement of a temporary or permanent capping layer, in order to confirm compliance with the environmental permit or conditions. Guidance on this subject can be found in the Environment Agency’s document LFTGN07 V2 (2010). A useful precursor to a survey, and requirement of landfill surrender is to visually assess any evidence of vegetation stress or dieback that could be caused by ground gas, as well as note the condition of the surface layer i.e. note any defects in the capping layer that may allow a route for ground gas to escape.

A surface emissions survey typically comprises two elements:

i. A walkover survey taking gas readings just above the ground surface, and landfill

Article contributed by Andrew Tranter, Principal Environmental Consultant at RSK

Photo Credit: Continous monitoring device supplied by RSK

infrastructure (which is often referred to as the surface emissions survey)

ii. flux chamber tests at selected locations based in (i) or on a grid.

The walkover survey uses a handheld instrument, such as a flame ionisation detector (FID) or tuneable laser diode, which detects organic compounds such as methane at very low concentrations (0.1 parts per million). This again can be used to assess any defects in the capping layer and leaks from landfill infrastructure. The EA guidance states that if an FID survey records concentrations of over 100ppm over the capping layer, or 1000ppm next to a discrete feature such as a monitoring well, then remedial action should be undertaken. The survey results should be geo located and typically contour plots of the data produced.

The flux chamber survey is used to quantify the volumes of methane emitted from a landfill to confirm that any active gas venting systems are working correctly and to minimise the amount of methane emitted into the atmosphere, a requirement of the Landfill Directive (1999). In the UK it is most common

to use a static flux chamber. Essentially a flux box is a vessel of a known area/volume where the concentrations of gas can be monitored (using an FID or other monitoring device with an equally low detection limit) over a period of time in order to calculate the emissions based on the flux in concentrations (see Pictures above). However, it is important to note that the flux box, like any other gas monitoring method, has its limitations. It can be difficult to create a good seal between the flux box and underlying ground, therefore a level surface with the vegetation removed is necessary. Also, a flux box can provide skewed readings if placed over preferential points such as cracks or on the edge of a capping layer where gas can escape, so the survey requires careful design involving multiple points spread across an area, based on the initial surface emissions survey.

With respect to contaminated land investigations where the principal objective is to assess the risk to an existing or future development, a surface emission survey is a valued line of evidence to confirm calculated rates using measured borehole data, along with empirical data. In relation to calculated rates, the ‘Peckson method’ is often cited,

Photo Credit: Example of Flux Box supplied by RSK

which assumes that borehole’s zone of influence is 10m2. However, this method does not consider differences in the permeability of the underlying geology (leading to over conservatism) or potential preferential pathways such as services. A more detailed assessment to calculate the movement of ground gas via diffusion or advection can be undertaken using Ficks or Darcey’s Law.

A flux box survey can also be a useful technique where there is a shallow source of gas and where shallow groundwater levels limit the use of monitoring wells (flooding the response zone, which prevents the ingress of gas), assuming the conceptual site model indicates a viable risk. Other lines of evidence, including visual description of the source material and soil testing for organic matter, should always be used alongside the emissions test to provide robust risk assessment. The flux box test is not well suited to assess risk from deep sources, or if new pathways for ground gas migration are introduced by the development from foundations or services.

With regards to monitoring, the placement of shallow monitoring wells (<5m) over a deeper source can aid characterisation of the risk if there are intervening cohesive layers that limit the vertical migration of the gas, or in establishing flow dynamics in historical landfills by contrasting the results with deeper wells. Careful consideration should be given to the existing and possible future pathways of gas migration when designing the monitoring positions, ideally placing them at some significant point between the source and receptor. The use of continuous monitoring

devices that record gas concentrations and flow (depending on the device) along with atmospheric conditions (typically every 1 hour) have become a well-established method of monitoring ground gas. They are extremely useful for rapidly assessing any trends in concentrations and the ‘worst-case conditions’, the results of which can be used when calculating the emission rate.

with the

In summary, emission surveys are commonly used on active landfill sites to ensure compliance with the environmental permit. These techniques can also be used as a line of evidence when assessing the risk to a development from ground gas. However, these surveys do have limitations and should not be used in isolation. Anyone using the approach should ensure that the design of the survey is relevant to the CSM for the site. Further technical guidance would therefore be beneficial to the contaminated land industry to ensure consistency of approach in different ground model and risk assessment situations.

References

• The Ground Gas Handbook, Steve Wilson, Geoff Card and Sarah Hains, 2009.

• LFTG07: Guidance on measuring landfill surface emissions, Environment Agency, 2010.

• BS8576 Guidance on investigations for ground gas – Permanent Gases and Volatile Organic Compounds, British Standard Institute, 2013.

• Ground gas – an essential guide for house builders, NHBC, 2023

“ In summary, emission surveys are commonly used on active landfill sites to ensure compliance

environmental permit. These techniques can also be used as a line of evidence when assessing the risk to a development from ground gas.

Mitigating the risk of asbestos when using vacuum excavators in made ground

Vacuum excavation1 is widely used in the ground investigation industry as a means of excavating inspection holes

and trenches to check for utility services prior to drilling or probing. The significant safety benefits of vacuum excavation compared to hand digging are that the operatives are not as close to any exposed utility services and that the hazards associated with damage to utility services by hand-held digging equipment are significantly reduced from the activity, a true reduction of risk through engineering controls.

Article contributed by Madeleine Bardsley, Technical Director at WSP and Jon Rayner, Director SH&E at AECOM

Urban and brownfield sites typically contain made ground and industry suggests that asbestos is detected on most brownfield sites that are investigated2. A recent SOBRA report indicated that the asbestos detection rates in soil samples submitted for laboratory analysis vary from 1.4% to 20%3. SOBRA concluded that: ‘Anecdotal information from the industry suggests that asbestos is detected at the majority of brownfield sites that are investigated. This data suggests that, on average, asbestos is detected in a small (but nevertheless potentially significant) proportion of samples from those sites.’ Excavation on brownfield sites could therefore encounter asbestos in soil both as visible asbestos containing material (ACM) or as loose fibres, which are not visible to the eye.

The Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) guidance1 states that if asbestos is suspected during vacuum excavation, work should stop so advice can be sought, and that disturbance of asbestos should be prevented. It suggests that suitable documented control measures and in some cases specialist or dedicated suction/vacuum excavator machines are required for the removal of asbestos impacted soils.

To comply with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, CAR-SOILTM and AGS Guidance, the CPA recommended that where asbestos is suspected additional controls should be introduced which include: use of suitable PPE and a grade P3/FFP3 face mask; working with a water lance (not air lance) which is less likely to cause asbestos fibres to become airborne; cleaning and disposal of outer clothing; good hygiene;

and decontamination of the machine. The guidance indicates that if asbestos was seen, a laboratory could attend site and undertake monitoring of the machine’s exhaust air, at the downwind public boundary, as well as personal monitoring and swab testing of the machine including the filter. These control actions are reliant on the presence of asbestos being identified or suspected by the Vacuum Excavation operatives or pre-notified to them.

As asbestos in soil can be difficult to identify and loose fibres would not necessarily be visible to the naked eye, the principles of the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015 (regulation 12.2 including Schedule 3 & 12.4) should be followed. Those employing vacuum excavator should set out the arrangements for controlling risks within the construction phase plan, Schedule 3 ‘Work which puts workers at risk from chemical or biological substances constituting a particular danger to the safety or health of workers or involving a legal requirement for health monitoring’. In addition, where members of the public could be at risk from vacuum excavation of impacted soils within an urban or residential setting, the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Section 3 ‘General duties of employers and self-employed to persons other than their employees’.

It is therefore a requirement for any contractor adopting vacuum excavation to provide to subcontractors suitable and sufficient information about the risk of asbestos being present within the target area soils and the controls required to mitigate this risk.

Therefore, for those proposing to use

“ The Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) guidance states that if asbestos is suspected during vacuum excavation, work should stop so advice can be sought, and that disturbance of asbestos should be prevented.

vacuum excavation in environments where soils contain or are suspected of containing asbestos; it is recommended that:

they notify operators of the vacuum excavation equipment of the presence (or potential presence) of asbestos in the soil.

• they consider adopting mitigation controls (in addition to those identified by CPA described above) such as would be required for asbestos in soils environments e.g. using controlled wetting, mist curtains, etc.

• the control measures within the CPA guidance are adopted for all brownfield sites until the risks to workers and the public from airborne asbestos resulting from the use of suction/vacuum excavators are better categorised; and

• asbestos in air monitoring is undertaken to support the use of vacuum / suction excavators on brownfield sites including both personal monitoring, boundary monitoring and monitoring of exhaust air to better understand the risk levels to workers and the public.

The CPA guidance suggests that exhaust air emissions could impact other workers and the nearby public, highlighting that the type of filtration used within vacuum excavators does not capture and contain asbestos fibres. While it is possible to dampen the soils entering the vacuum excavator, the mechanical action of the vacuum causes the excavated soil to be dried and could therefore facilitate fibre release, both at the location being excavated and also at subsequent sites using the same plant, prompting a need for thorough decontamination of the plant (in line with

the requirements of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012) when it is used to extract asbestos impacted soils.

The management of waste is also a consideration when undertaking vacuum excavation where the presence (or potential presence) of asbestos in the soil is known. In such a scenario, the extracted material and plant decontamination washout, cleaning and swabbing materials should all be treated as waste, handled, transported, and disposed of in line with legislative requirements.

The use of vacuum excavators to expose utility services or to disprove the presence of utility services remains a lower risk than conventional machine and hand dug excavation and remains a preferred excavation method when excavating made ground with on urban or brownfield sites where there is a risk of utility services. However, careful planning of these activities is required to ensure that the significant physical risk posed by the utility services is not replaced by a significant health risk posed by potential asbestos release.

By following the principles of good task planning; communicating potential risks, assuring safe systems of work, waste control and staff competence, suitable and sufficient risk mitigation for the use of vacuum excavators on made ground can be achieved.

There will, however, be some conditions which limit the ability and effectiveness of these control measures to mitigate the risk of asbestos, especially when working within heavily populated areas. In such cases careful evaluation of available risk controls effectiveness is required.

“ The use of vacuum excavators to expose utility services or to disprove the presence of utility services remains a lower risk than conventional machine and hand dug excavation...

References

1. Industry guidance ‘Safe Use of Suction/ Vacuum Excavators, Good Practice Guide, Construction Plant-hire Association, Safety Publication Series, SAVESIG GPG1, January 2019’ describes suction/vacuum excavators as ‘items of plant utilising a powerful fan or pump to cause a pressure reduction in a suction hose in order to excavate pre-loosened earth and granular materials, and draw them into a temporary store in a receiving hopper for subsequent discharge. As the spoil reaches the hopper, it is separated from the moving air by cyclonic and other filtration methods, with cleaned air exhausted via an outlet system whilst the spoil is contained within the sealed hopper.’ Ground engaging tools that break soils can be utilised with suction/ vacuum excavators and ‘air or water

pressure through a lance is considered a safer system than manually breaking soils and allows quick and easy displacement of material around sensitive areas of services. The use of a lance minimises the need for the operator to be at the edge of or within an excavation.

2. The Distribution of Asbestos in Soil – what can the data mining of sample results held by UK laboratories tell us? Discussion Paper by the SoBRA asbestos sub-group, March 2020

3. The March 2020 SOBRA paper considered asbestos test results from five laboratories across different time periods since 2011. The origin of the soil samples was not known, and the test methods varied.

Accredited to ISO17025 and MCERTS, we don’t compromise on quality. We use our industry-leading experience to ensure the highest standard is set every time. Contact us on 01613684921 or ask@envlab.co.uk

INSIDE GEOSENSE

bridge, deep excavations, infrastructure, mining and more.

Where is Geosense located?

We have a purpose-built manufacturing facility in Suffolk.

How many people does the company employ?

How long have you worked at Geosense?

I worked part time during school holidays from the age of 16. My full-time role at Geosense started in 2013 so I would say I have been at Geosense 10 years. Time does fly!

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

Geosense is a leading UK manufacturer and global supplier of Geotechnical Instruments and data acquisition systems. We specialise in the design and manufacture of MEMS and Vibrating Wire monitoring sensors which are used in many sectors including site investigation, dams,

Currently 59. Interestingly, three years ago it was around half that, but we have needed to grow to meet the rising demand for our products. We recruit mainly from the local area, with many of our staff joining us as school leavers and working their way through the business to hold managerial roles. Since Covid, we have also been able to expand some roles to fully remote working with two members of the sales team based in Manchester and a member of technical support near Oxford. We have also recently employed our first overseas employee in the US.

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

My career background is short! I started as a pot washer at a local pub and worked at a local supermarket before heading off to the University of East Anglia in Norwich. I studied Economics for 3 years before joining Geosense assisting in the production department.

Geosense is a family business but working at Geosense was not always a route I wanted to go down, nor one which was expected. However, I can say I love my job and consider myself lucky to have the opportunity to work in this industry.

Knowing what I know now, the best part of working at Geosense is the exciting projects we work on, and the people we work with. This industry is full of passionate

Getting to know Geosense with Managing Director, Tim Clegg.

“ We specialise in the design and manufacture of MEMS and Vibrating Wire monitoring sensors which are used in many sectors...

people who genuinely care about the work we do and the value we provide on every project.

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

I am currently Managing Director. A typical day? I am incredibly lucky that I get to work across multiple departments all performing important functions in the business. Officially my role is to ensure everyone is happy and to make decisions on current and future strategy. Unofficially I do anything that is required on any given day. In short, I get to work with a great team to make some very exciting stuff happen.

This week I have been working

with our software developer on an exciting new development digitising our calibration data. I was also looking at new types of sustainable packaging and had a 6am call with Singapore and a trip to the Houses of Parliament. As I said, quite varied!

Having been Commercial Manager, Sales and Customer relationships is what I know and I help a great team who look after our customers across the globe. Customer care and support is key to every member of the Geosense team.

What are the company’s core values?

We recently did a workshop with the whole company to put forward and agree on

our companies values as we enter into an exciting period of growth in the company. The company has grown significantly, and we wanted to develop new values that could help us navigate the future whilst recognising what made us successful. We chose the following:

• Open & Honest Communication

• Care & Respect

• Collective Responsibility

• Client Focused

• Agile

These values embody what Geosense is and how we want to work, they were decided and agreed by every single member of staff.

Are there any projects or achievements which

Geosense are particularly proud to have been a part of?

In 2022 Geosense was one of 141 companies in the UK to win a Queens Award for Enterprise for International Trade. Seen as the most prestigious award a UK company can receive, we are particularly proud that the certificate was one of the last to be signed by the late Queen Elizabeth II. The main thing is that it recognised the hard work and skill of every single member of the company, past and present, during the last three years.

As for projects, we are proud to have been involved in many well-known UK projects such as Tower Bridge, Tideway, HS2, Battersea Power Station, HARP and Woodsmith Mine, to name but a few.

I am hugely proud when I walk around London and know that our sensors have helped monitor some of the capital’s most iconic structure. Often very frustrating for friends and family who join me scouring buildings for the total station or dataloggers!

How important is sustainability within the company?

As a responsible modern business, we have sustainability in mind on what we do right now and our plans moving forward. Our production facility is heated/ cooled using ground source geothermal and our roof is full of solar panels.

We have an internal environmental committee, with members from all areas of the business discussing and

creating our vision to have as small as possible negative impact on the planet. We are also currently implementing a roadmap to zero plastic packaging for all products.

Recently we digitised all our calibration data which means that we will be phasing out paper calibration records in favour of QR code-driven digital records. If clients do want paper copies, we will be donating £1 for every paper copy to Forestry England.

We are a proud UK manufacturer and, where possible, keep the majority of our supply chain within the local area and the UK. We firmly believe in managing a sustainable supply chain.

How does Geosense support graduates and early career professionals

who are entering the industry?

We are big advocates of training and personal development for our staff. A number of the team are completing formal qualifications as part of their roles at Geosense.

Geosense has always been proactive in providing training and support for engineers. Recently we launched our Geosense Academy which provides tailored training on our products/applications to a wide range of professionals, including graduates and early career professionals. To date over 80 engineers have been through the academy.

We are always open to summer placements for graduates if they want to learn more about the industry or manufacturing.

How has COVID-19 impacted Geosense today? Are there any policies which were made during the pandemic that have been kept to improve employee wellbeing and productivity?

I think the main impact that should be addressed is the affect that COVID had on everyone’s wellbeing. I am very glad that this is now something that is being discussed more and businesses are taking a more active role in managing wellbeing. At Geosense, we have increased the number of

mental health first aiders to 5, and also offer an EAP system to offer support to staff. We are also providing food in the canteen to help ease some of the burden of the cost of living for our staff.

Flexible working was already being implemented but COVID certainly sped things up for us! Since COVID we have continued with flexible working and have also introduced flexible working patterns for production which has been really well received.

One small thing we introduced in the sales team was a Monday morning meeting where the first section of the meeting was to go through what everyone did at the weekend, with a Friday meeting to share what the plans were for the weekend. This made the meetings not just about business and made a huge difference during COVID. At least the things we do at the weekend now are a lot more exciting than they were during COVID!!

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

I must admit I used to think the AGS was mainly centred around data format.

However, having attended many conferences and being involved in the AGS I&M working group, I have seen a large group of passionate professionals who want to help standardise the industry and make the use of Geotechnical methods as easy and useful as possible. Also, while a lot of our work is construction aligned, we often get ‘lost’ within the construction industry bodies. The AGS fulfils an important role for the sharing of ideas and discussing how best to pass this information to different parts of the wider industry,

I now see the AGS as a group who want things done properly in our industry!

What are Geosense’s future ambitions?

To grow while still enjoying the journey!

Our industry is experiencing an exciting period with great innovation and increased adoption. We are at a point we can shape and point the industry in a good direction.

With greater connectivity options, digital innovations, and the ability to do more with data the future is very bright indeed.

“ We are always open to summer placements for graduates if they want to learn more about the industry or manufacturing.

Bradley Falcus

MESci (Hons) FGS

Job Title:

Senior Geo-Environmental Administrator

Company:

Central Alliance PreConstruction Services Ltd

Brief Biography:

I’m an early career professional who believes that the power of people can never be underestimated, nor should it be underappreciated. Over the past four years since my masters degree, I have become experienced in the geotechnical sector working in archaeology, geophysical exploration and ground engineering. I have quickly adapted to a management role within this timeframe, developing a team of trained geo-environmental and business administrators before the age of 30. I am passionate and driven to make a difference in the geotechnical sector, be that business-by-business, or wider reaching to the AGS’ members.

Are there any projects which you’re particularly proud to have been a part of?

I suppose my answer to this is split into two, one for my role within Central Alliance and one for my role within RSK. Working as one of the Data Managers on the Wales and Western Framework (Network Rail) has been a fantastic opportunity for me to learn and develop. The role is multifaceted and requires a great attention to detail and seems to continue to grow arms and legs with every week that passes. I enjoy working with my colleagues at Central Alliance on framework projects like this, it gives me the opportunity to work closer with them as part of the project management team and share in the delivery of great results to our client.

Within the wider RSK Group, I am a co-chair of the RSK Pride Network, an employee ran network which supports and welcomes LGBTQ+ people in the workplace. In July 2023, RSK were one of the sponsors of Bristol Pride. We brought together staff members from

across the UK and had a wonderful celebration of our RSK Family. I can honestly say it has been an amazing event to organise and run –hopefully we’ll have more like it in the future and maybe we can extend the invite to other AGS members.

What are the most challenging aspects of your role?

Time! I think with a role like mine, it’s quite easy to forget when to switch off. Some days it will be nine hours of meetings, some days it will be nine hours of tender compilations, some days it will be nine hours providing training. Every day is different from the one before it; and even though that makes it interesting, it can be overwhelming if you don’t have the right procedures in place. Best advice from me is to make sure you take time for yourself, in and out of your work hours - don’t be a martyr to Ground Investigation by slaving away for hours and hours.

You have recently joined the AGS Business Practice WG to help develop Equity, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion within the AGS. What are your aspirations for the AGS?

Two of the UN Sustainable Development Goals are Gender Equality and Reducing Inequalities; these are targets that we as an industry have to take seriously going forward. I believe that trade associations like the AGS have a fundamental role to play in changing the attitudes of businesses across the UK and internationally on how we can be more equal and inclusive. I really do have aspirations

that the AGS will be able to champion employment equality and equity, increase graduate opportunities and to represent the underrepresented. I hope that we can, as the BPWG, spark conversations around the topic of reducing inequalities across our industry and continue to welcome generations of new bright minds to the fold.

What do you enjoy most about being an AGS Member?

I love being able to connect with so many intelligent and interesting people that are part of the AGS. It’s inspiring as a young professional (I think I

qualify for that title) to attend conferences and webinars to learn from the vast amount of experience there is in the group. Personally, I cannot wait for the next in-person meeting and hope to see many friendly faces there.

What do you find beneficial about being an AGS Member?

Being able to keep on the pulse of all the updates from the geotechnical and geoenvironmental sector –rules, regulations, guidance and procedure change so quickly, it’s always good to be part of the movement than behind it. Also being able to interact with the different working groups is invaluable, by attending conferences and meetings you have the opportunity to shape the future of the geotechnical industry.

“ I hope that we can, as the BPWG, spark conversations around the topic of reducing inequalities across our industry.

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

The AGS is one of the best platforms for collaboration in our industry - Helen Keller, an activist for disabled rights, said that ‘Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much’ and I think about that quote quite a lot and what it means for us. It’s important to know that we aren’t as secular or ‘alone’ as we sometimes believe to be. The AGS is a shining example of fantastic minds, creative people and keen advocates coming together for the future of our sector.

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

In my dreams? I would love to have collaborative networks created between AGS member businesses which minority communities (for example: POC, LGBTQ+, people who are neurodivergent, people who are disabled, etc) would be invited to join. These networks could have regular

meetings, chaired by the AGS, where they would be able to give direct feedback and guidance on what the industry can improve upon. I’d hope we could create a welcoming space for all people to join us from all backgrounds and ensure that their voices are heard. In the meantime, I would love to see guidance from the BPWG on tackling unconscious bias and good hiring practices in our industry as a fundamental step in the right direction.

“ I’d hope we could create a welcoming space for all people to join us from all backgrounds...

Standards Update

STANDARD SUBJECT / TEST

BS ISO 4974:2023 Soil quality – Guidance on soil temperature measurement

New

BS ISO 5120:2023 Soil quality – Determination of perchlorate in soil using liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) New

BS EN ISO 16387:2023

BS EN ISO 224772:2023

BS EN ISO 224765:2023

Soil quality – Effects of pollutants on Enchytraeidae (Enchytraeues sp.) –Determination of effects on reproduction BS

Geotechnical investigation and testing – Testing of geotechnical structures –Part 2: Testing of piles: static tension load test New

Geotechnical investigation and testing – Field testing –Part 5: Prebored pressuremeter test

BS

BS ISO 23992:2022 Soil quality – Framework for the recording and monitoring of changes in dynamic soil properties New

(a) This table is derived from the work programmes of BSI Technical Committees EH/4-Soil quality and available for review and comment via AGS.

SELECTED INTERNATIONAL & EUROPEAN

STANDARD SUBJECT / TEST

CEN EN 1997-1 Eurocode 7 - Geotechnical design – General Rules Will

CEN EN 1997-2 Eurocode 7 - Geotechnical design – Ground properties Will

CEN EN 1997-3 Eurocode 7 - Geotechnical design – Geotechnical structures Will

ISO CD 18674-7 Geotechnical investigation and testing – Geotechnical monitoring by field instrumentation – Part 7: Measurement of strains: Strain gauges

ISO FDIS 18674-8

CEN FprEN 18674-8

Geotechnical investigation and testing – Geotechnical monitoring by field instrumentation – Part 8: Measurement of forces: Load cells

New

New

ISO DIS 22476-16 Geotechnical investigation and testing – Field testing –Part 16: Borehole shear test -

PUBLISHED STANDARDS (a)

B/526/3-Ground investigation and ground testing. Copies of draft standards (e.g. CD, DIS) are usually

“GEOTECHNICAL” STANDARDS – In preparation

August 2023 Standards Update

SELECTED INTERNATIONAL & EUROPEAN STANDARDS

STANDARD SUBJECT / TEST SUPERSEDED/WILL

ISO CD 7303 Soil quality - Simplified method for oral bioaccessability of metal(oids) in soils New

ISO DIS 8259 Soil quality – Bioaccessibility of organic and inorganic pollutants from contaminated soil and soil-like material New

ISO DIS 11074 Soil quality - Vocabulary BS ISO CEN FprEN 17516 Waste – Characterization of granular solids with potential for use as construction material – Compliance leaching test – Up-flow percolation test

Characterization……upward FprCEN/TS 17943 Characterization of waste - Determination of the content of elements and substances in waste New ISO CD 18718 Assessment of soil functions and related ecosystem services: definitions, descriptions and conceptual framework New

ISO CD18721 Assessment of soil functions: indicators and methods New ISO FDIS18400301 Soil quality – Sampling – Sampling and on site semi-quantitative determinations of volatiles in field investigations New

ISO DIS 22036 Soil treated biowaste and sludge – Determination of elements using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES)

Includes

ISO DIS 24212 Soil quality - Remediation techniques applied at contaminated sites New

STANDARDS ON SOIL & SITE ASSESSMENT - In preparation

Will complement BS ISO 17924 – see also ISO CD 8529

Will complement BS ISO 17924 – see also ISO CD 7303

11074:2015 & EN ISO 11074:2015+A1:2020

Text identical to that in revised standard CEN TS 16637-3 Construction products –Characterization……upward percolation test

Includes merger of ISO TS 16965 & EN 16171

Training Courses

Equipe Training: Specialist Geotechnical Courses

Equipe Training's specialist geotechnical training courses are delivered both in person at our dedicated training facility just outside of Banbury, Oxfordshire, and also online via Zoom!

Available upcoming dates are provided below:

Î 26th September 2023 - Professor David Norbury’s Soil Description Workshop

Î 4th October 2023 - Basic Foundation Design

Î 5th October 2023 - Further Foundation Design

Î 10th October 2023 - Professor David Norbury’s Rock Description Workshop

Î 19th October 2023 - Earthworks Design and Construction (Online)

Î 18th October 2023 - Slope Stability Design (Online)

Places on these courses can be booked online here, or via contacting Equipe on +44 (0)1295 670990 or info@equipegroup.com

Equipe Training: Specialist Geotechnical Heath and Safety Courses

Equipe Training and their health and safety training partners RPA Safety Services and EB Safety Solutions are delighted to announce their collection of specialist health and safety courses for the geotechnical market have resumed being delivered in person, as well as being delivered online where required.

These courses are approved and certified by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and meet the requirements of UK Health and Safety regulations for working on geotechnical and land drilling sites. Upcoming courses have limited numbers of places available in order to maintain social distancing within the classroom environment. Upcoming dates include:

Î 13th Sept' 2023 - Managing and working with Asbestos Risk in Ground Investigation (MARGI)

Î 14th September 2023 - IOSH Avoiding Danger from Underground Services

Î 7th – 9th November 2023 - IOSH Safe Supervision of Geotechnical Sites

Places on these courses can be booked online here, or via contacting Equipe on +44 (0)1295 670990 or info@equipegroup.com

WITH WORLD CLASS GEOTECHNICAL TRAINING FROM EQUIP E

Health and Safety Courses

Delivered in partnership with RPA Safety Services

IOSH Safe Supervision of Geotechnical Sites (3 Days) - £495 + VAT

Learn in detail how to keep yourself and your on-site operatives safe in the field - industry SSSTS equivalent

IOSH Avoiding Danger from Underground Services - £175 + VAT

In accordance with the requirements and guidance set out within HSG47

Other Health and Safety Courses

Delivered in partnership with EB Safety Solutions & RPA Safety Services

MARGI - Managing & working with Asbestos Risk in Ground Investigation - £225 + VAT

Comprehensive guidance to deal with asbestos in a GI environment, including CAR 2012

Geotechnical Courses

Prof. David Norbury’s Soil Description Workshop - £295 + VAT

Providing a detailed approach to soil description practices and techniques

Prof. David Norbury’s Rock Description Workshop - £295 + VAT

Providing a detailed approach to rock description practices and techniques

Online Geotechnical Courses

Delivered in partnership with Plough Geotechnical

Basic Foundation Design - £250 + VAT

Shallow foundation overview for geotechnical practitioners and engineers

Further Foundation Design - £250 + VAT

Complex & deep pile foundations for geotechnical practitioners and engineers

Earthworks Design and Construction - £250 + VAT

A general overview of materials sourcing / selection for design & construction

Slope Stability Design - £250 + VAT

Comprehensive overview for geotechnical practitioners and engineers

How to become a Member of the AGS

AGS Members all share a commitment to quality in the geotechnical and geoenvironmental industry. This has become widely recognised by clients, governmental bodies and other associations that touch issues to do with the ground.

We welcome both companies and individuals who want to be recognised for their quality of practice to join our growing membership of over 130 Members. We shape our industry, continually improve practice and collaborate on issues that affect us all; from clients, all the way through to the people who use the land and the buildings we help develop.

To become a Member of the AGS, please visit http://www.ags.org.uk/about/become-a-member and submit your application online. Please note that all membership applications are reviewed by the Membership Committee 6 weeks in advance of each quarterly Executive meeting. The deadline for the next round of completed applications is 10th October 2023

AGS Chemical and Legal Helplines

All Members of the Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists are entitled to free chemical and contractual advice through the use of Loss Prevention Committee Members, Marquis & Lord and Beale & Co.

For advice on chemical safety and best practice, Marquis & Lord will provide 30 minutes of free advice to all AGS Members.

Additionally, if you’re an AGS Member and are looking for legal advice, please contact Beale & Co and quote ‘AGS Helpline’ where the first 15 minutes of legal advice will be free of charge.

CHEMICAL SAFETY HELPLINE

Marquis & Lord

Tel: +44 (0) 121 288 2386

www.marquisandlord.com

(Please quote ‘AGS Helpline’)

LEGAL HELPLINE

Beale & Co

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7469 0400

www.beale-law.com

Member Reporting Service for Industry Issues

If you have any queries regarding AGS Data Format, there is a discussion forum on the AGS Data Format website, where queries can be posted and answered by the Data Format team.

If a Member has any issues with regard to Safety, Contaminated Land, Geotechnical, Instrumentation & Monitoring or Laboratories which you think the industry should be aware of please email ags@ags.org.uk, we will then forward your email to the relevant AGS Working Group.

Disclaimer

All articles in the AGS Magazine are the opinions of the authors and are not intended to be a complete or comprehensive statement of the law, nor do they constitute legal or specialist advice. They are intended only to highlight current issues from date of publication that may be of interest. Neither the writer(s), nor the AGS, assumes any responsibility for any loss that may arise from accessing, or reliance on the material and all liability is disclaimed accordingly. Professional advice should be taken before applying the content of the articles to particular circumstances.

Advertising and Rates

An online advertising campaign within the AGS Magazine will help to build and increase industry awareness of your company’s profile, initiatives and offerings.

The AGS can help build a package to suit your needs and budget; whether it’s a series of adverts across multiple issues, a combination of event sponsorship and advertising, or a single advertorial.

How to Advertise in the AGS Magazine

The AGS Magazine is a free email publication that looks at a range of topical issues, insights and concerns, whilst publishing new guidance notes, working group activities and information on upcoming industry seminars.

With 6 issues each year, our subscribers include industry professionals such as practitioners, chartered specialists, senior decision makers and managing directors

To receive a media pack or to discuss advertising rates, please contact Caroline Kratz on 0208 658 8212 or email ags@ags.org.uk

Advert Sizes and Rates

 FULL PAGE

W: 210mm

H: 297mm

RATE: £400

 HALF PAGE

W: 210mm

H: 145mm RATE: £250

 QUARTER PAGE

W: 105mm

H: 145mm

RATE: £160

 DIRECTORY

Company name, address, contact number, email and one logo.

RATE: £50

Advertising Requirements

All adverts should be sent in a PDF, PNG, JPEG, TIFF, PSD (Photoshop) or EPS (Illustrator) format.

All advertising artwork must be supplied in 114 dpi resolution.

Artwork must be delivered to the AGS using the agreed artwork specification size listed left.

Artwork should be emailed to ags@ags.org. uk no later than 10 days prior to publication.