Category Archives: Structures

NEWS ON NEW STANDARDS

The following changes to British Standards commonly used by geotechnical and structural engineers have been published:
  • Amendment to BS EN 1991-1-1: 2003 + A1: 2015. Eurocode 1. Actions on structures. General actions. Snow loads.
  • Amendment to BS EN 1993-1-4: 2006 + A1: 2015. Eurocode 3. Design of steel structures. General rules. Supplementary rules for stainless steels.
  • PD 6688-1-4: 2015. Background information to the National Annex to BS EN 1991-1-4 and additional guidance (supersedes PD 6688-1-4: 2009)
In addition the following standards have been confirmed as being of continued currency:
  • BS EN ISO 12236:2006. Geosynthetics. Static puncture test (CBR test).
  • BS EN ISO 13431:1999. Geotextiles and geotextiles related products. Determination of tensile creep and creep rupture behaviour.
  • BS EN ISO 13433:2006. Geosynthetics. Dynamic perforation test (cone drop test).
Finally, you may be interested to know that the following BS implementation of ISO text has been made without any change to the international standard:
  • BS ISO 18325:2015. Geosynthetics. Test method for the determination of water discharge capacity for prefabricated vertical drains.

PRICES HELD FOR 2016

We are pleased to announce that our Course Calendar for 2016 is now available for download from here or from the bottom left of our web site pages. You will be pleased to know that:
  • prices have been held at 2015 levels;
  • discounts are available for group bookings or delegates attending more than one course;
  • more open courses are being offered; and
  • a wider geographic spread of course venues is to be used.
We are still offering bespoke courses to suit your needs too, so if you wish to run a course just for your team then feel free to call us to discuss your needs. See our full list of courses for ideas. We look forward to seeing you in 2016.

LAST GEOTECHNICAL COURSES IN 2015

We have just two more geotechnical courses coming up in 2015, as follows:
  • NEW DATE… Slope Stability Design to EC7 on 26 November 2015
  • Foundations and Building Settlement – Principles and Practice on 7 December 2015
Each course is running in Chesterfield and costs just £220 + VAT per delegate for full day courses. Discounts are available for group bookings or delegates attending more than one course. Please call us to reserve your place on a course.

MORE NEW GEOTECHNICAL STANDARDS

The BSI have announced changes to a number of geotechnical engineering related standards in recent months. Though by no means exhaustive the list of changes affecting this sector includes:
  • BS 8002:2015 Code of practice for earth retaining structures.
  • BS 8004:2015 Code of practice for foundations.
  • BS 5930:2015 Code of practice for ground investigations.
  • BS 8081:2015 Code of practice for grouted anchors.
  • BS EN 1536:2010 Amendment 1, Execution of special geotechnical work. Bored piles.
  • BS EN 1538:2010 Amendment 1, Execution of special geotechnical work. Diaphragm walls.
  • BS EN 1992-1-1:2004 Amendment 1, Eurocode 2. Design of concrete structures.
  • BS EN 1993-1-1:2005 Amendment 1, Eurocode 3. Design of steel structures.
  • BS EN ISO 17628:2015 Geotechnical investigation and testing. Geothermal testing.
  • BS EN ISO 25619-2:2015 Geosynthetics. Determination of compression behaviour.

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.

GEOTECHNICAL TRAINING FOR SITE INVESTIGATION COMPANY

We are running a bespoke course on geotechnics for a site investigation company in the UK. The aim was to broaden the existing skills profile of  their staff in the design of shallow foundations, piled foundations, retaining walls, and slope stability. We worked with them to design a course that met their specific needs and could be delivered in half day sessions over several months to allow the skills to be developed progressively. We would be delighted to work with you or your company to deliver a similar course or any other bespoke training you need to address your business needs. We are skilled at helping you identify the core areas to be developed, and at designing a course that addresses those areas through a combination of taught material and worked exercises. If interested please contact our Andy Goodwin to discuss how we may be able to bespoke a cost-effective course to meet your needs.

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.