Category Archives: EC7

EUROPEAN CONFERENCE PAPER

In September 2015 we had a technical paper published at the XVI European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering in Edinburgh. The paper is based on work undertaken in support of URS (now AECOM) in the design of a coastal protection scheme. Titled “The design of an anchored pile retaining structure to control landslide regression at Lyme Regis, UK”, the authors are Corrado Candian (formerly URS, now COWI), our Andy Goodwin, and Dimitri Daskalopoulos (URS).  We are very pleased to have worked with our partners on this paper and look forward to working with them further.

BESPOKE FOUNDATION ENGINEERING COURSE FOR THE COAL AUTHORITY

We are currently running a bespoke course on foundation engineering for The Coal Authority over two days. We worked with them to design a course that met their specific needs, was tailored for a small group, and which provided excellent value. It includes too information on the new British Standards for retaining walls and foundations. The course has received excellent feedback and it is now being developed further into a new course to be delivered from 2016 onwards. If you have even a small group of people needing training then contact us to discuss how we may be able to bespoke a course to suit your needs whilst making it cost-effective too.

NEWS ON NEW STANDARDS

Important updates to British Standards commonly used by geotechnical and structural engineers have been published:
  • BS 8002: 2015 Code of practice for earth retaining structures. This revised and updated standard conforms to the latest EN and EN ISO standards and provides recommendations for the design, construction, monitoring, and maintenance of earth retaining structures. It provides additional information to the recommendations in EC7 for surcharges, unplanned excavations and prop loads, and provides detailed recommendations for the content of Geotechnical Feedback Reports in accordance with EC7.
  • BS 8004: Code of practice for foundations. Providing recommendations for the design of both shallow and deep foundations to meet the latest EN and EN ISO standards, the new standard provides additional information to EC7 recommendations for spread foundations, provides recommendations for the design of piles that reflect modern practice, and and provides detailed recommendations for the content of Geotechnical Feedback Reports.
All related courses offered in 2016 will make reference to the new standards and provide guidance on their use in practice. Please contact us for the details of the revised course details.

BESPOKE COURSE SUCCESS

We recently ran a bespoke version of our ever-popular ‘Mentoring on Geotechnics for Engineering Geologists’ course for a major consultancy in one of their regional offices. What was different about that course? By working with them we found a way to deliver it cost-effectively for us both even though they only had two staff needing training. Quality was not compromised, and as ever feedback from the course was excellent. If you have just two or three people needing training then contact us to discuss how we may be able to bespoke a course to suit your needs whilst making it cost-effective too.

LEEDS LEP TRAINING FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

We are pleased to confirm that Surepath Training is now registered to deliver training for the LEP skills service. Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has launched a service that provides skills support to small and medium sized businesses. The LEP skills service helps businesses to identify their skills needs based on their business growth objectives and then find the right training solution. Small and medium sized business based in the Leeds City Region that have a budget to put towards training could be eligible for funding of between £500 and £50,000. To find out more about the LEP skills service and apply, visit: www.the-lep.com/skillsservice The LEP skills service will provide funding to those businesses that are poised for growth and will support collaborative proposals too. A grant will only be granted if an employer cash contribution is provided. The contribution must be a least equal to the level of grant. The minimum amount of grant that a business can apply for is £1,000, unless the business is a micro SME (less than 10 employers and has a turnover of less than 2 million EUR). The maximum grant amount that any one business can apply for is £50,000, cumulatively (multiple applications are allowed as long as the maximum grant amount is not exceeded). Please note that all skills service applications are subject to approval panels and are assessed on a case by case basis. To find out more about the above funding for training courses, please contact Andy Goodwin at Surepath Training, on 01246 807808. Alternatively contact us via the contact page on the web site.

COURSES FROM JULY TO SEPTEMBER 2015

Though the summer break is almost upon us we have a selection of courses coming up from July to September that we hope you will find useful and interesting:
  • LAST CALL…Retaining wall design to EC7 on 20 July 2015, costing £220 + VAT per person
  • The ICE Professional Review – Preparing for the Interview on 7 August 2015: this is an intensive course for a maximum of 4 candidates looking to sit their ICE professional review in Autumn 2015; delegates receive feedback on their draft reports and will undertake a mock interview, all for £295 + VAT per person
  • CDM 2015 for Designers on 7 September 2015, costing £220 + VAT per person
  • Slope Stability – Principles & Practice on 21 September 2015, costing £220 + VAT per person
Please contact us to book onto any of these course or for more information. All are running in Chesterfield. Discounts are available for group bookings or delegates attending more than one course.

RETAINING WALLS – PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE, NEW DATE: 13 MAY 2015

Course Date Change….. from 27 April to 13 May 2015 Most developments require some degree of ground profile modification, and where space is at a premium the ground will be retained rather than sloped. The aim of this course is to develop the abilities of delegates to understand the principles and practice behind retaining structures. Starting from a review of how walls fail, it will examine the principles behind earth and water pressures, and look at the form of movements behind and around walls. The main focus though will be on the analysis and design of both gravity and embedded walls, with delegates having to practice their skills with the aid of worked solutions. The course will close with a brief review of the contrasting design code requirements of BS8002 and EC7. The course is next running in Chesterfield on 13 May (rather than the original 27 April) at a cost of just £220 plus VAT. If you require any additional information before making a booking on this or any other course, please contact us at enquiries@surepathtraining.co.uk. Note too that all courses can be run bespoke for your company if there are sufficient numbers – just contact us by phone (01246 807808) or using the enquiries email address above for more details.

EARTHWORKS – PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE, 18 MAY 2015

Earthworks form part of most development projects, for example development platforms and highways. Design and construction must be considered holistically if a successful earthworks scheme is to be delivered that cost-effectively delivers the required performance. This course will provide delegates with a good grounding in the theory and practice of earthworks. Starting with the typical forms of earthworks and design philosophy, the course will progress to cover key elements including the range and nature of specifications, defining appropriate acceptability criteria to achieve the required performance, monitoring and control in the field, and reporting and certification requirements. With easy access from the M1 or public transport, the course is running in Chesterfield on 18 May at a cost of just £220 plus VAT. If you require any additional information before making a booking on this or any other course then contact us at enquiries@surepathtraining.co.uk. Note too that all courses can be run bespoke for your company if there are sufficient numbers – just contact us by phone (01246 807808) or using the enquiries email address above for more details.

RETAINING WALLS – PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE, 27 APRIL 2015

Most developments require some degree of ground profile modification, and where space is at a premium the ground will be retained rather than sloped. The aim of this course is to develop the abilities of delegates to understand the principles and practice behind retaining structures. Starting from a review of how walls fail, it will examine the principles behind earth and water pressures, and look at the form of movements behind and around walls. The main focus though will be on the analysis and design of both gravity and embedded walls, with delegates having to practice their skills with the aid of worked solutions. The course will close with a brief review of the contrasting design code requirements of BS8002 and EC7. The course is next running in Chesterfield on 27 April at a cost of just £220 plus VAT. If you require any additional information before making a booking on this or any other course, please contact us at enquiries@surepathtraining.co.uk. Note too that all courses can be run bespoke for your company if there are sufficient numbers – just contact us by phone (01246 807808) or using the enquiries email address above for more details.

LAST CALL – SHALLOW FOUNDATION DESIGN TO EC7

We have a few places left on our Shallow Foundation Design to EC7 course on 23 March. This one-day course will begin with a refresher on the various forms of foundation and failure modes, before moving  to the main focus of the day – the use of EC7 in practice. Delegates will be guided through the code and guided examples will be used to provide delegates with the opportunity to apply their learning. The course costs just £220 + VAT. If you require any additional information before making a booking on this or any other course, please contact us at enquiries@surepathtraining.co.uk. Note too that all courses can be run bespoke for your company if there are sufficient numbers – just contact us by phone (01246 807808) or using the enquiries email address above for more details.