G&J has extensive experience of working on a wide range of earthworks projects on both brownfield and greenfield sites. We have looked after everything from the construction of large acoustic bunds on greenfield sites to ground improvement works on inner city brownfield sites with significant thicknesses of unengineered Made Ground.

 

 

G&J typically get involved in earthworks projects in the early stages by carrying out any necessary ground investigations, including taking samples for soil classification tests to allow a suitable, and achievable earthworks specification to be written. A practical and pragmatic earthworks specification is then produced that is suitable for the client's needs and the materials that will be available for use; this is usually a performance specification or an end-product specification, but we can produce method specifications if required. Typically the client, or their structural engineers, will have specific minimum bearing capacity and maximum settlement criteria that will be incorporated into the specification. The finished document will also include minimum compliance testing requirements including the types of testing required and its minimum frequency.

 

Earthworks projects may range from relatively simple 'cut-and-fill' schemes (with unsuitable materials being removed, and then suitable materials being laid down and compacted in layers) to those including various dynamic compaction methods such as rapid impact compaction (RIC) and rolling dynamic compaction (RDC) to achieve the required improvement depths.

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Once the proposed earthworks specification has been agreed by all necessary parties (including the relevant regulators and warranty providers), and the site works have begun G&J will typically have a site presence during the works. Depending on the nature of the works and the proposed end-use this could range from simply visiting the site on a weekly or fortnightly basis as the client's 'eyes', to a full-time supervisory role. During this period, if the client wishes, G&J can arrange for some independent soil characterisation testing and/or compaction and strength compliance testing to be carried out to compliment that arranged by the contractor.

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Once the earthworks project (or a phase of the works) is completed G&J will usually compile a completion or verification report including all test results and plans provided by the contractors, and assessing if, or confirming that, the specified earthworks requirements were achieved.

 

Although G&J is usually involved in earthworks projects from 'cradle to grave', we are happy to fulfil specific parts of the overall process, such as site supervision or writing a completion or verification report based on a specification produced by others.​