BUILD Q1 2018 Bridger Steel Issue

Build Q1 2018 8 eo-Environmental is a fast growing consultancy firm providing a variety of services, varying from desk studies, through to on-site intrusive investigations, which are used to provide ground models for contaminated land assessments, foundation and pavement, road and drainage designs. In addition, the firm undertake slope stability analysis and design, basement impact assessments, building damage assessments, contamination remediation strategies and validation reports, together with earthworks specifications and material management plans. To date, the firm has undertaken investigations for a wide range of projects including; investigations of former gas works, petrol stations, landfills, chemical works, government sites, airports and railways, as well as schools, hospitals and green field sites. Glyn tells us what differenti- ates the firm from its competitors, demonstrating a strong understanding of what is needed to succeed in the build industry. “At a time when the industry was still very traditional, it was our belief that IT would start to play an increasingly important part in our business. Subsequently, we commenced a programme of upgrading and expand- ing the capability of IT hardware and scoured the market for software packages that would improve our analytical capabilities, the presentation of our reports, our interconnectivity with other systems and the productiv- ity of our work. “Essentially, we underpinned this by employing an IT managed service company to manage and maintain the systems, which reduced the amount of time lost from IT issues and allowed us to concentrate on our core business. As a result of these improvements, when challenges such as BIM came along, we already had a system in place that could meet them. In parallel with this, we have invested heavily in ensuring that as an organisation we have all of the accreditations that we need to trade. We are therefore ISO9001, ISO14001 and OHSAS18001 accredited, and are also accredited on Achilles RISQS and UVDB, CHAS, Construc- tion Line, SMAS and CQMS. “Finally, in order to ensure that our staff are up to date with the latest industry developments we have a developed a structured training pro- gramme. The focus of this training programme is provided by our clients, who guide us concerning their needs and our membership of industry bodies such as the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE), Association for Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists (AGS), Environmental Industries Commission (EIC), Institute for Institute of En- vironmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), Institute of Directors (IoD), Society of Brownfield Risk Assessment (SoBRA), Green Growth Platform (GGP) and CL:AIRE.” What else separates the company from the rest, is its ability to en- courage and support all staff in planning their own self-improvement programmes, for example; achieving chartered status, improving their qualifications and gaining new skills, whilst also working within a budget for training purposes. As such, Glyn goes on to tell us what he would consider to be his most successful project to date, and what has the most important thing that he and the company has learnt from this. “Geo-Environmental undertook a comprehensive ground and structural investigation for a new bridge and viaduct structure, which forms part of the £5.5bn Thameslink Programme. The site works included intrusive in- vestigations in busy public spaces, including Borough Market, Southwark Street and Railway Approach (leading to London Bridge Station). “One of the key difficulties encountered on the site, was how to take core samples areas with a high density of utilities. The complications of working in the area included a major carriageway, a subway, utilities, the need to work in a confined environment with a risk of elevated gas levels and the need to minimise disruption to local trade within an allotted two-week window. “Ultimately, the key lesson from the project was how important stakehold- er engagement is in achieving investigations. With such a complex pro- ject Geo-Environmental had to work with a wide range of stakeholders which included: Network Rail, Skanska, Tfl, Atkins, Museum of London, Planning Authority, and Borough Market. Since this project we have put stakeholder engagement at the core of our project delivery strategies.” Furthermore, Glyn is excited to tell us how he ensures that the firm are constantly being innovative, creating solutions which will help Geo-Envi- ronmental maintain its reputation as a leader within the industry. “Here at Geo-Environmental, we guarantee innovation in a number of ways; we have fostered a culture of continuous improvement through us- ing the appraisal process to incentivise staff to innovate. This is backed up by evolving policy to reflect industry best practice. “Moreover, our memberships play a key role in supporting the direction of our organisation, providing access to the latest developments in legis- lation, industry leading training and a vehicle to raise our views on issues affecting our industry. A Record of Success In its 21st Year, Geo-Environmental Services Limited offers a comprehensive range of services for a range of developments. Glyn Evans, Managing Director, gives us an in-depth insight into the inner workings of the company. G