We are committed to supporting all parts of our industry, and our Andy Goodwin has a breadth of industry involvement outside of the business of running Surepath. This includes being: – an Apprenticeship Ambassador – current Chair of the Industrial Liaison Panel for the Dept of Civil & Structural Engineering at the University of Sheffield – a professional qualification reviewer for the ICE, from applicants aspiring to EngTech through to CEng status – current chair of the ICE North Nottinghamshire North Derbyshire Branch of the ICE. Additionally we are pleased to support the ICE through sponsorship of their activities periodically. In January we sponsored the ICE NNND BIM Seminar, and last week we sponsored the latest in their Graduate & Student Evening Meeting Essay Competitions. The winner of that competition was Andy Connell of DNV GL Group, who you can see receiving his certificate from Andy Goodwin in the photograph below .  

Upcoming courses in April include: Retaining Walls – Principles and Practice, Chesterfield, 23 April 2014, £220 + VAT per delegate The ICE Professional Review – Overview & Preparation, Chesterfield, 28 April 2014, £220 + VAT per delegate Upcoming courses in May include: BIM – Principles and Practice, Leeds, 7 May 2014, £220 + VAT per delegate Introduction to Project Management, Chesterfield, 21 May  2014, £220 + VAT per delegate Ground Investigation – Principles and Practice, Chesterfield, 28 May 2014, £220 + VAT per delegate If you require any additional information before making a booking on any course, please contact us at enquiries@surepathtraining.co.uk.  

Upcoming courses in April include: Retaining Walls – Principles and Practice, Chesterfield, 23 April 2014, £220 + VAT per delegate The aim of this course is to develop the abilities of the delegates to understand the principles behind the design of retaining structures and to relate design to practice and help delegates apply their learning. The course will start from a review of how walls fail and progress to examine the soil mechanics principles behind earth and water pressures. Movements behind and around walls will be discussed, as will the analysis and design of both gravity and embedded walls. Design codes and practicalities discussed, and best practice guidance discussed.  The ICE Professional Review – Overview & Preparation, Chesterfield, 28 April 2014, £220 + VAT per delegate Success at your Professional Review depends on you and your preparations, but fully understanding the process near the start of your preparations will greatly assist you. Taught by an experienced Reviewer, SCE and Mentor, this course will explain the whole process in detail and give you practical tips and guidance. It will cover each element, the attributes you must demonstrate at review, your submission documents, and the review itself.  There will be a discussion session too for delegates to have their own questions answered, so that you leave the course ready to tackle this important career milestone with clarity and confidence. If you require any additional information before making a booking on any course, please contact us at enquiries@surepathtraining.co.uk.  

We are very pleased to announce that our provision of Supervising Civil Engineer (SCE) and mentoring support to the industry has recently expanded. Our Dr Andy Goodwin had already been approved in 2013 as an external SCE to support staff at one international company in their drive towards professional qualification with the ICE. This has expanded to include mentor support for staff progressing to achieve their CGeol qualification, and very recently he has been retained also to support a civil engineering apprentice at a small consultancy in the region. If you have any mentor support needs for you or your staff don’t hesitate to contact Andy by email (andy.goodwin@surepathtraining.co.uk) or telephone (01246 807808) to discuss your needs and how he could assist you.    

CDM for Designers, Chesterfield, 12 March 2014, £220 + VAT per delegate The purpose of the CDM Regulations is to help designers think about the consequences of their design decisions on future operation and maintenance.  It is estimated that 90% of the “problems” that manifest themselves during construction and future operation is as a result of design decisions. What is often overlooked is that in addition to the headline health and safety implications, a good “CDM approach” will also allow the designer or architect to demonstrate and offer significant whole life cost savings to a Client. After all, for every £1 spent in design and construction, a further £5 will be spent over the lifetime of the asset. As a designer, would you like to offer your Client a reduction in that £5? The course will be run by a chartered civil engineer and registered CDM Co-ordinator who has over 25 years’ experience gained from site contracting and senior engineering consultancy roles, and will give delegates the opportunity to not just learn about the regulations but also discuss and explore practical ways of implementing them. Slope Stability – Principles and Practice, Chesterfield, 24 March 2014, £220 + VAT per delegate Many developments will require some degree of ground profile modification. This will commonly result in the ground being cut or fill being placed, and this new condition must be stable. The appraisal of slope stability for all but the simplest cases should be undertaken by a specialist, but those commissioning and / or managing a project should have an appreciation of the design issues and what is reasonable. The aim of the course is to develop the abilities of the delegates to recognise and address slope stability issues. It will start from a review of how slopes fail and the fundamental basis of why they stand up. It will examine the contrasting analytical issues in granular and cohesive soils, and the importance of time, before progressing to design codes and practicalities, and the principles of slope remediation. Delegates to each course receive full colour notes and worked examples to support the reinforcement of their learning after the course. If you require any additional information before making a booking, please contact us at enquiries@surepathtraining.co.uk.    

Mentoring for Engineering Geologists on Geotechnical Engineering 26 February 2014 in Chesterfield, £320 plus VAT per delegate Could you or your staff benefit from updating your skills in geotechnical engineering in a cost-effective day course? If so our upcoming course could be just for you. Aimed at Engineering Geologists and Civil Engineers that do not specialise in geotechnical engineering, this course aims to develop a core understanding of how soils behave in principle and to apply this learning to the design of foundations, retaining walls and slopes. The indicative content for the course comprises:

• Fundamental soil characterisation & visualisation
• Principles of total and effective stresses
• Conceptual models for strength, compressibility and permeability
• Conceptual failure theories for shallow foundations
• Conceptual failure theories for piles
• Principles of foundation design
• Essentials of earth pressures & movements around excavations
• Fundamental mechanics and design of gravity walls
• Fundamental mechanics and design of embedded walls
• Types of failure &  effect of material type on the time to failure
• Principles of circular slope stability analysis

This is an intensive course that provides the equivalent of 1.5 days training in a single ‘long day’ format (8.30am to 7.30pm) to make it both cost and time effective. Numbers are limited to a maximum of 12, usually 6 to 9, to ensure there is interactive learning and discussion with individual guidance. Delegates receive full colour notes and worked examples to support the reinforcement of their learning after the course. If you require any additional information before making a booking, please contact us at enquiries@surepathtraining.co.uk.    

The ICE Professional Review – Preparing for the Interview, 28 February 2014 at East Midlands Airport, £395 plus VAT per delegate This course is ideal for graduates who are sitting their Review in the Spring session, or possibly the Autumn session if your preparations are well advanced. The course gives you the opportunity to receive feedback on your draft reports (which must be submitted in advance), to discuss the review process, and most importantly to undergo and receive feedback from the experienced ICE Reviewer who will conduct a mock Professional Review Interview with you during the course. Numbers are strictly limited to a maximum of 4 delegates so early booking is advised. If you require any additional information before making a booking, please contact us at enquiries@surepathtraining.co.uk.    

Mentoring for Engineering Geologists on Geotechnical Engineering, 26 February 2014 in Chesterfield, £320 plus VAT per delegate Run last in November 2013 and back due to early demand, this course is aimed at engineering geologists wishing to develop / refresh their understanding of geotechnics. To make the course more cost and time effective, delegates receive the equivalent of 1.5 days training in a single ‘long day’ format (8.30am to 7.30pm). Numbers are limited to a maximum of 12 to ensure there is interactive learning and discussion with individual guidance. During the day we will cover the fundamental visualisation of soils, foundation design, gravity & embedded retaining wall design, and the stability of soil slopes. If you require any additional information before making a booking, please contact us at enquiries@surepathtraining.co.uk and we will get back to you as soon as possible.    

The 2014 course calendar is now available for download here. Bookings on all courses are now being taken. If you require any additional information before making a booking, please contact us at enquiries@surepathtraining.co.uk and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Separate notices for each event will follow in due course.