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Impact Geotechnical News

Plate Load Testing: HMS Victory

December 2025

In the run-up to Christmas, Impact Geotechnical Ltd were proud to support the National Museum of the Royal Navy in the ongoing conservation to one of Britain’s most iconic historic naval vessels – the HMS Victory.

 

Our experienced team undertook plate bearing tests around the perimeter of HMS Victory, providing the essential ground parameters needed to design scaffolding to support conservation works for HMS Victory: The Big Repair.

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Being part of the ongoing effort to conserve HMS Victory was a real privilege, and we’re proud to have played our part in safeguarding this national treasure for future generations.

Ground Engineering Awards 2023 - Finalist!

March 2023

We are absolutely delighted to have been shortlisted for Ground Investigation Specialist of the Year 2023 by the judging panel for the Ground Engineering Awards.


This is a fantastic achievement for the team and, win or lose, it is a great opportunity to celebrate the success the IGL team's hard work has brought about.

https://awards.geplus.co.uk/geaw/en/page/2023-shortlist

RISQS

February 2023

Great news for Impact Geotechnical Ltd we have now successfully passed our recent RISQS audit which will allow us to continue offering ground investigation and consultancy services to the rail sector although through our own sponsorship.


A big thank you to all involved in achieving this.

Down Street Disused Station

December 2022

What better place to hide from the cold weather than….. 25m under Mayfair at the bottom of a shaft in a disused London Underground Station?

We have recently completed a fascinating project at Down St Station which was closed during WW2 to accommodate Churchill’s offices.

A real challenge, with access through Green Park Station and along the Piccadilly Line; but the hole completed achieved great quality with continuous sampling/ testing.


Here's a fascinating video about the station! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Tm1L_RoTHI


Pipeline Investigations

Summer 2021

During the summer of 2021, IGL completed a series of 27 individual sites around entry points for proposed directional drilled fuel pipelines.


Works were completed along with Eurovia across Surrey and Hampshire within a variety of settings, giving Geotechnical and Geo-environmental soil parameters as well as buried services locations.

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Dollis Hill Retaining Wall
December 2020
Nice to be finished for the year after completing a restricted access cable percussive borehole, windowless sampling/probing and foundation exposure trial pitting project for Transport for London/London Underground in Dollis Hill London.

Happy Christmas everyone and here’s to a great 2021
Transport For London Substation
November 2020
 Impact have completed an extremely challenging combined Ground and Structural Investigation to a central London Substation premises.

The structural component included break-outs, pull tests and reinforcement scanning to the RC elements of the building.

To complete window sample boreholes in the basement, large diameter diamond coring was required along with our modular window sampling rig and  our new 110v hydraulic power unit.
Rig Mounted Jet Wash
June 2020
Simple but really effective improvement to our window sampling rig this week, it is now fitted with a 12v mini jet wash.

It has been a great addition for cleaning down after messy sites, washing grit out of the drill tools and cutting down on cross-contamination.
Birthday!
June 2020
This month we are Celebrating the 1st Anniversary of our first day trading! Its been a fantastic year for us, especially considering what a difficult time it has been since March. The company has worked on over 130 sites this year and we continue to be busy despite slightly uncertain times.

We've put together some photos from our first year, please take a look! https://sway.office.com/vsLRJ8Uthy9uo8eM?ref=Link

A huge thank you goes out to all of clients and suppliers for your support - we are looking forward to another positive year in what will hopefully before long will be a post-covid world.
Covid -19 
April 2020
The Coronavirus Pandemic and Lock-down have proven to be huge challenges to the UK construction Industry. Everyday site activities require reassessment and each job has to be risk assessed on it own merits to ensure we can keep everybody safe and protect those around us.

IGL have been working, where safe to do so, throughout the Lock-down period and would like to thank the support of our Clients in these difficult times, as well as the patience of the site staff and residents at the various sites we have attended this month.

Stay safe. 
TFL Deep Tube Upgrade
March 2020
Working with Norton Associates, Impact Geotechnical were commissioned to deliver combined Structural and Ground Investigations at three London Underground Substation buildings.

Working in the run up to the Covid-19 lock-down, the investigations to the building itself included diamond coring, GPR and electromagnetic 'Ferroscans' to floor slabs and walls as well as Pull Out testing and measured surveys of structural elements.

For more information on the scheme please click this link: http://content.tfl.gov.uk/pic-20180516-item08-deep-tube-update.pdf

Safer Isolation Substations Project 
January 2020
As part of a widespread programme of electrical safety upgrades to Network Rail Substations, Impact have been working with Siemens Rail and Tony Gee and Partners LLP to provide design parameters for new electrical plant to two substations on the Ashford to Charring Cross line.

The project required specialist anti-static PPE as well as our recently purchased Hand Held Window Sampling Equipment. 

The lightweight window sampling kit is ideal for sites with challenging access site where working space is at a premium. Mobilising this equipment meant that the work could be conducted during normal weekday traffic hours and without the need for special protection measures. 
Step Free Access
December 2019
Working with Norton Associates, Impact Geotechnical were commissioned to deliver a complex Ground Investigation to a London Underground station which is due for significant remodelling, a capacity upgrade and conversion to a Step Free Access station. 

The step free access scheme is part of the Mayor's Pledge to make the London Underground wheelchair accessible, more information can be found at: https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/improvements-and-projects/step-free-access
Spanning three weeks of traffic hours and engineering hours, drilling upon London Underground station Platforms, as well as navigating buried obstructions; our team was able to deliver quality investigation data in a challenging setting and in difficult drilling conditions. Site work involved Cable Percussive Boreholes, Foundation Exposure Trial Pits as well as Modular and Hand Held Windowless Sample Boreholes.

As always when undertaking survey works on London Underground infrastructure, access was difficult and Impact employed a mechanical stair climber to move a modular Cable Percussive Drilling Rig into site to complete the drilling work. 

This rig can be broken down to facilitate easier access, but still has the capabiliity to drill to 30-40m depth and recover class 1 samples as well as completing insitu SPT tests.
New Equipment!
October 2019
Impact Geotechnical are delighted to announce two new items of investigation equipment added to our fleet.
Pictured left is our New Modular Windowless sampling rig, this allows high quality sampling and testing to depths of up to 10m on sites with limited access.

Pictured right is our new Dynamic Cone Penetrometer - this lightweight probe is designed to give CBR values and is great for providing lots of data in a short time
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Winter Groundwater Monitoring 
October 2019
Planning Authorities are regulating to ensure that new developments cause less environmental impact; including Sustainable Urban Drainage strategies designed to reduce the volume of water entering the sewerage network and inundating waterways, reduce pollutants from urban run-off and use environmental management techniques such as use of green space in developments to benefit wildlife and end users.

In West Sussex Winter Groundwater Monitoring is requested by local planning authorities including Arun District Council, Chichester District Council and the South Downs NPA to inform the design of new drainage systems; it is intended to identify the worst-case groundwater level of the wettest months of the year.

Useful guidance regarding the design of surface water systems can be found via the following links:
http://www2.westsussex.gov.uk/ds/mis/190717ih4a.pdf (West Sussex Lead Local Flood Authority Policy for the Management of Surface Water)
Typically, investigation of winter groundwater levels is conducted over the period October-March and involves the construction of groundwater monitoring wells across a site which are then measured at (maximum) monthly intervals. Monitoring is likely to be combined with soil infiltration / soakaway testing – more information about this service can be found here 

Impact Geotechnical can provide specialist services to allow this monitoring to be conducted at an early stage in your project, typically around existing site structures. The process usually involves drilling shallow 100mm diameter boreholes using our tracked mini-rig to allow groundwater monitoring standpipes to be constructed. 

The water level in these wells can then be monitored at whatever frequency is required. Impact Geotechnical can provide a specialist technician to complete this, or this can be done with a tape measure. Where high frequency readings benefit your project, Impact Geotechnical can also provide automatic water level loggers to regularly record level data, for instance where tidal influences may be important.