2023 August – 2024 July, Your Environment: 5G mast GI, Senior Geologist.
A nationwide scheme, in partnership with government backed telecoms clients, to introduce 5G masts and connect rural areas. The individual jobs are by their nature very rural and therefore often difficult to access, requiring meticulous planning and execution - and often specialist equipment like this adapted window sampler pictured left. Although relatively shallow, the design only requiring the installation of a concrete platform suitable for supporting a telecom's mast, so the GI for each location generally requires just 2-4 boreholes and associated trial pits. However, due to it being framework contracts across scores of locations all over the UK, the work is extremely varied, but also fast paced.
My role here is much more wide ranging than a typical contracting job due to YE being quite new to coring, but also because the clients offer generally less technical expertise and assistance. From tender application; to site walk through; job planning and project managing; works execution; to logging and report writing; interpretation and design recommendations; right through to handing back to the client – I am involved with pretty much everything!
Just a fun little side project I made for Your Environment during my time there. A substantial core logging photograph/demonstration box
2023 January - April, John F Hunt: Geotechnical Engineer.
A large scale Earthworks project near Coalville to treat the ground in preparation for housing developers.
This projected started with initial validation trail pits and soil testing; on to trial pads and clay testing for
moisture content, plasticity and void compaction to bring a CBR test upto >95%; then removal and
redistribution of top soil; ongoing environmental and ecological observations were also made throughout the
project. I was also responsible for report writing, 3D CAD drawings and presenting various large-data fields in
easy to digest formats.
2023 March – June, Structural Soils: A66 Ground Investigation, Geotechnical Engineer.
The largest single-Principle Contractor GI project ever undertaken in the UK, the >50 mile stretch of the A66 was a very large infrastructure project. Split into East and West side work groups and compounds, I have worked in the logging shed which took soil and rock core samples from both; involving a quick turn around of photographing, logging, laboratory-sample picking and organising or the samples. Over a 4 month period, I've had a hand in all facets of the logging shed, plus given regular toolbox talks and feedback to the large team of engineers. The team of around 15 in the Penrith based logging shed really gelled and I particularly enjoyed working with them thanks to a structured and well planned administration with strong leadership.
2022 July – October, Tetra Tech: Site Agent, Liaison & Geotechnical Engineer.
A detail-sensitive Vinci contract working in the world famous Yorkshire based Steelworks. Working in close proximity to 500 tonne ingots of steel that are being cast and forged at temperatures upto 1200°c, plus other contractors in a steelworks factory that is the very definition of "heavy industry".
My job here has been to co-ordinate a team of 3 Dynamic Sampling rigs to drill a series of boreholes upto 40m, mostly to establish the depth, orientation and state of coal seams in the bedrock and to liaise with the client and host. Obstacles included working in a fully operational forgery, restricted access, huge moving ganrty cranes, drilling through upto 4m of surface concrete to get 150mm casing through, low light, uneven ground surfaces and a huge amount of steelworks floor debris.
2021 Jan – March, Geotechnical Engineer – A57
A very busy worksite with 6 rigs, juggling multiple rotary core and CP rigs as supervisor and coordinator on a ground investigation project for the long awaited A57 "Mottram bypass" (a controversial road scheme that has been debated for decades). The project also uses new Geophysics camera technology which along with daily logs are communicated to the designer and client.
Just a few examples from my journal to demonstarate that my notes may not be shakespeare, but they are read-able and my labels are printed and neat. A few choice redactions have been made to photos to protect the innocent!
2020 March – 2021 Jan, Geotechnics: Agricultural Liaisons Officer & Geotechnical Engineer.
A United Utilities contract working on the Haweswater Aqueduct (HARP), my role within Geotechnics was to liaise with farmers, land owners, land agents and local residents, to pass on information from and to a multiple contractor’s team in an ecologically sensitive area, requiring careful diplomacy and a high level of professionalism. I also logged a lot of the rock cores and soil samples for Geotechnics where necessary and carried out various environmental and water sampling.
2021 June – November, Socotec: HS2 Phase 2a routewide GI: client and planning liaison person.
Access and planning liaison for the client HS2 and Balfour Beatty. My first HS2 contract and quite an eye opener! Regular protests and extreme sensitivity regarding land access and communication between contractors, land owners, the Investigation Supervisor (designer) and the client. From walk through surveys, right through the ground investigation and installations, to final hand backs. This has been an extremely testing contract, delicately managing some very sensitive and occasionally political relationships and communications with the various stake holders.
2019 January – March, BAM Ritchies - Transpire: Contracted Engineer
Railway contract work for Ritchies regarding the “Transpire” alliance to upgrade the railway between Manchester and Leeds. As geotechnical engineer, I work with the soil and core describing (to BS 5930) and logging of Window Samples, plus Core Holing and all the associated administrative tasks in planning, creating RAMS and post work sketches.
2021 July
Lantra training is about much more than simply driving a 4x4 offroad and finding its limits; it's a training course designed to increase awareness of all the implications of vehicles transitioning from on to off road and back on again, and crucially to improve safety for staff and decrease costs incurred by vehicles being damaged during their off road duties.
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