Residential
Luton, Bedfordshire
Site Assessment for a 4-6 storey development of over 100 apartaments, comprising timber framed construction over a semi-basement car park. The site was shown to be underlain by Upper Chalk. Clay with Flints outcrops immediately to the north and a dry valley was indicated a short distance to the south west. The initial scope of works specified by the Architect comprised a Phase 1 Desk Study including a review of earlier works by others, and a site walkover survey.
The Phase 2 Investigation then comprised a series of 6 Windowless Sampler boreholes and 5 Trial Pits, with in-situ testing and sampling, and two cable percussive boreholes to 20m to provide data for pile design. Constant head soakage testing was undertaken within the boreholes to establish soakage potential. Subsequently two 140mm diameter deep bore soakaways were constructed. A detailed interpretive report giving account of ground conditions, possible problems which may be encountered, likely foundation solutions, and assessment of soil contamination was provided.
Tunbridge Wells, Kent
This former gasworks site was purchased
for residential redevelopment with a scheme comprised of 176 units of mixed “market” and “affordable” dwellings
with private and open landscaped areas. Proposals included;
adoptable access roads, cycle and pedestrian access linking with the nearby
parkland, retained woodland to be enhanced as part of the wider parkland,
and the “opening up” of a culverted stream through the entire
length of the former gasworks to create a landscape feature designed and
managed to enhance its ecological diversity and to increase wildlife populations. 
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Biggleswade, Bedfordshire
The site, which extended to over 74 ha, primarily comprised of open farmland. It was proposed to redevelop the site with a mixed use residential, educational and recreational development. Geological records indicate the site to be underlain by Glacial Till over Woburn Sand with an area of Alluvium. A Phase I Desk Study was carried out and indicated the site had a history of agricultural use, although two sites of mineral extraction fell within the site footprint. One had been backfilled in the 1960s with domestic waste.
The ground investigation revealed significant depths of made ground, with a high ground water table. Groundwater monitoring wells were installed in boreholes. A prolonged period of monitoring was required for planning purposes as part of a detailed hydrogeological risk assessment. Subsequent, geotechnical and environmental interpretative reports were provided for design purposes.
Teddington, Middlesex
The site, which extends to an area
of approximately 2 hectares, encompasses the entire former Hampton Court
Gas Works site, which was used for gas production from 1852 and closed
in the mid 1970’s. Permission was granted to redevelop it with 198
residential apartments incorporating communal soft landscaping, a 72
bed Nursing Home, and 800sqm of mixed use including offices and a crèche.
The development also incorporates access roads, parking (including a
semi basement car park), and pedestrian access.. read
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Mayfair, London
Redevelopment of existing terraced five-storey (with associated basement) mansion house to include extension of the basement with a swimming pool and removal of internal load bearing walls. The scope of works comprised a 20m deep borehole drilled using a modular breakdown percussion shell and auger boring rig, and a series of trial pits excavated using hand excavation techniques to establish existing foundation profiles of the neighbouring party wall and external/internal foundations. Each trial hole was extended using percussive window sampling techniques to assess foundation bearing conditions and other soil parameters relevant to the proposed development.
Buckinghamshire
A risk from solutions features was
perceived on this development of 2 and 4 storey blocks of residential apartments.
Southern Testing designed and undertook a detailed ground investigation, comprising
geophysical surveys, trial pits and dynamic probing to delineate the presence
of dissolution features, followed by a second phase of dynamic probing where
anomalies were encountered along proposed foundation lines. read
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Chelsea, London
A ground conditions investigation for a proposed basement covering the whole footprint of the existing house. Windowless and mini flight auger boreholes drilled, with installation of piezometers to establish the depth of overlying Terrace Gravels and monitor groundwater. Geotechnical laboratory testing and report with recommendations for excavation and foundation design parameters.
Sutton, Surrey
Southern Testing were contracted to
carry out a ground investigation and advise on foundation design for two
blocks of thirteen and sixteen storey buildings on chalk. Due to the high
column loads, the designer initially assumed that piled foundations would
be required. However, the results from boreholes indicated that good quality
chalk was present from near ground level and that raft foundations might
be feasible. read
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Ashford, Kent
Southern Testing were awarded a Contract with Ashford Borough Council to prepare Phase 1 Desk Studies and Geotechnical / Environmental Site Appraisals for 10No lock up garage sites within the Ashford area, which were to be developed with affordable housing. The work was completed within a month to meet with the Clients fast tracked timetable.
