Construction Monitoring, Foundation Inspection and Verification
The key to successful implementation of engineering designs is good site management. The complex nature of geotechnical and geoenvironmental designs and the frequent requirement for third party certification requires skilled engineers to support client teams during construction. CGL employs dedicated engineers who understand construction and the importance of timely integration of ground-related solutions into development and building projects.
CGL’s activities during the construction process may be broadly divided into two main elements: firstly, monitoring and supervision of remediation measures on contaminated sites, and secondly, inspection of earthworks and building formations. Additionally CGL regularly provides inspection and monitoring services to temporary works schemes.
Activities on contaminated sites range from simple inspection, testing and certification of capping layers in domestic gardens to supervision of large-scale hydrocarbon remediation projects. Some sites necessitate the use of innovative methods, requiring detailed knowledge of soil chemistry and engineering properties to arrive at successful conclusions. For instance, we have used e-clay stabilisation and in-ground barriers to avoid issues with regards to migration of groundwater contamination that would entail several years of monitoring to satisfy the regulator.
On a more routine level, CGL engineers direct and validate the removal of old underground fuel storage tanks or assist in classification of waste materials to minimise waste disposal costs. Because of our independence during these operations, clients and regulators alike are confident that the remediation solutions are pragmatic and implemented to meet or exceed programme timings and limit costs.
Geotechnical engineers at CGL are experienced in supervision of earthworks and the assessment of monitoring and compliance data from earthworks operations. Their involvement and ability to make immediate decisions can avoid costly delays in the event of unplanned circumstances. Our pragmatic recommendations provide confidence that construction conditions are appropriate for support of foundations, floor slabs and sub-structures. At the Woolwich site, CGL’s recent involvement has allowed higher foundation levels to be adopted and material to be reused rather than discarded, saving the client both programme time and material handling costs.
Within the construction process both contractors and developers can benefit from the capabilities and skills of our engineers alongside our independence that is valued and respected by regulators. At CGL we take pride in providing ground solutions for difficult sites and then assisting construction teams to implement the measures needed to make each project a success.
When verification of a construction is required post-completion, or as part of a refurbishment or extension project, CGL has a proven track record of innovative solutions. Typical examples of our works include exposure, inspection, testing and measurement of existing buried or above-ground structures such as piled/shallow foundations or retaining walls. We are able to examine structures through physical exposure, typically by trial pitting, coring or other techniques. Sampling and testing of materials is also possible to determine the physical condition and remaining service life of a structure. Where appropriate we employ Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) techniques including pile testing and more recently a boom mounted 3D LIDAR – all techniques that allow inspection or investigation while avoiding various practical, physical or health and safety constraints.
