Geological and Geotechnical Hazards in South East England – Part 1 Introduction
Roger Smith, a recently retired director of Southern Testing, presented a talk on Geological and Geotechnical Hazards in South East of England to the South East Regional Group of the Geological Society on Tuesday 12th January at the Bell Inn, Godstone, Surrey.
With over 40 years experience in the Ground Investigation Industry Roger provided a very interesting and informative talk about his, and Southern Testing’s experience of sites where a variety of geohazards had been encountered, and outlined how such problems can be anticipate from review of geological maps and other desk study sources. Knowing the location of these geohazards is essential to ensure that future construction projects adopt the correct geotechnical design solutions to prevent the need for later costly remedial measures.
Rogers talk broadly divided commonly encountered geohazards into five groups.
- Soluble Rocks – Chalk Solution Features, Sink Holes, Swallow Holes, Dissolution Pipes
- Cambering
- Landslips
- Swelling and Shrinkage in Clay Soils
- Man Made Features – Deneholes, Chalk Wells, Bell Pits, Mines, Gavel and Sand Pits
This introductory article provides an overview of the principal geological and geotechnical hazards found in South East England. In Part 2, we explore solution features in chalk in greater detail, including sinkholes, swallow holes and dissolution pipes, and the challenges they present for development. Read Geological and Geotechnical Hazards in South East England – Part 2: Solution Features in Chalk.