New kid on the block
The creation of the new company is also set to expand the overall environmental services that can be offered in ground engineering for a range of sectors, from rail and healthcare to housing and commercial property. This new company falls under the BBGE umbrella that comprises Stent (foundation and piling), Pennine (ground improvement), Branlow (mini and micro piling) and Testal (pile testing, diagnostic testing and environmental monitoring).
Ian Gatenby, Balfour Beatty GeoEnvironmental director, has over 30 years experience in the construction industry and most recently held the position of director of White Young Green's environmental consultancy business. Ian is looking to strengthen BBGE's environmental offering through his expertise, and will focus his attention in land remediation to begin with.{mosimage}
Ian said that it is important to be involved at the early stages of each project to not only give advice but also to provide clients with practical and cost effective solutions that can be seen through from start to finish.
BBGE already has a strong record for innovation such as the first carbon calculator for piling, dubbed Green Siesta, it provides customers with the most carbon efficient design for their project as well as enabling BBGE to approach design with carbon efficiency in mind. Green Siesta has been greeted with considerable interest following a presentation to the European Federation of Foundation Contractors and BBGE is in the process of developing best practice guidance in this area for the Federation of Piling Specialists. Similarly, Gatenby is looking at new innovations for remediation projects such as a carbon footprinting measurement tool for contaminated land remediation methods.
With clients far more knowledgeable nowadays about contaminated land and its liabilities, the main question developers ask is 'how much will it cost to clean-up the site' and 'how can we minimise the impact on the overall programme?' Gatenby’s answer to both questions is that it is all about what he terms 'smart ground engineering' that is strong design, hands-on contracting capability and access to the resources provided through BBGE. He added that the need for 'smarter' land remediation techniques is expected to increase significantly due to escalating Landfill Tax, and the phasing out of tax exemptions for contaminated land redevelopment projects. Gatenby says 'it's no longer a case of 'dig and dump'. He added: 'The future of contaminated land remediation lies with firms such as Balfour Beatty GeoEnvironmental providing practical bespoke ground engineering solutions balanced by high quality risk assessment and design. Smart ground engineering comes down to using the best land remediation solution that is appropriate to the contamination characteristics of each site whether that means in situ or ex situ, whether the site is cleaned up with thermal desorption, bioremediation or steam injection.'
BBGE successfully delivered contaminated land remediation services in the past, such as soil mixing (a process whereby contaminants are immobilised through the addition of cement to the soil and mixed using augers). Other examples of BBGE's commitment to environmentally sound practises include a project to trial different rapid tests on existing foundations to assess their suitability for reuse; use of recycled aggregate, such as green glass, in stone columns for ground improvement techniques and; installation of geothermal piling to reduce the amount of purchased energy by using ground source heat. Additionally, Gatenby’s new company is looking at new ways of making an impact through innovations for remediation projects.
