AGS - Association of Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental Specialists

The AGS would like to wish its members a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Thank you for your support during 2024.

Registration for the AGS Annual Conference 2025 is OPEN! The AGS Annual Conference will be taking place on Thursday 1st May 2025 at One Great George Street in London. Chaired by Vivien Dent (AGS Chair and Technical Specialist: Green Growth and Delivery at the Environment Agency), this full day, CPD event will feature a series of expert speakers from across the geotechnical and geoenvironmental sector, each presenting on a topic with an overarching theme of The Future. The conference will also include short reports from each of the AGS Working Group Leaders which will summarise their aims and accomplishments over the past 12 months. The day will conclude with a networking drinks and canapé reception in the Smeaton Room. Further information on the event and speakers will be announced in due course. AGS Member companies are entitled to a limited number of complimentary tickets, as part of their membership subscription. To register for your free places, download the registration form from the website and return it completed to ags@ags.org.uk before 10am on Tuesday 22nd April. Additional tickets are priced at £115 for AGS Members, and £185 for Non-Members (ex VAT). Please note that students and retired Members may attend the event for £25 (ex VAT). To secure a ticket at this rate, please email ags@ags.org.uk. Registration strictly closes at 10am on Tuesday 22nd April. All tickets are offered on a first come, first served basis. To register for the event, please visit: https://lnkd.in/exEuE9vf

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The AGS Webinar on Effective Procurement of Ground Investigations is taking place on 26th March 2025 at 11.30am. In 2025 ICE Publishing will publish what will be a key reference document for the industry. Authored by the AGS in collaboration with the BGA and BDA. Effective procurement of ground investigations is a client’s best practice guide to procuring good quality ground investigations to ensure that ground related and other risks are suitably and sufficiently assessed and that the required data is obtained to meet the project objectives. This webinar will highlight that procurement of any size or type of investigation should follow a structured process, looking at: • planning • risk assessment • choosing a suitable procurement approach • adopting fair and appropriate conditions of contract • development of a clear and concise specification This webinar will also highlight key messages for clients including the importance of: • adequate ground investigations • creating the right team • fair allocation of risk • early contractor involvement • collaboration and flexibility Clients often underestimate the potential cost of not assessing and managing ground related risks and that inadequate or poor ground investigations can result in serious delays and additional costs to projects. This guide is aimed at clients but will be a useful tool for ground practitioners when promoting best practice. The guidance explains that clients who fairly allocate risks, obtain a more value for money ground investigation. The webinar demonstrates the value of adequate and timely ground investigation in the reduction of risk for the project and client. The webinar is free for AGS members and £50+VAT for non-members. To register, please visit https://lnkd.in/eb_rCJfm

The next AGS Webinar on A Client’s Guide to Cone Penetration Tests is taking place on 29th January 2025 at 11am. Join webinar Chair, Emma Bell (Senior Technical Engineer at SOCOTEC) and our expert speakers as they provide an introduction to the Client’s Guide to Cone Penetration Tests (CPT’s), highlighting each section and the pertinent points within it. This online event, taking place on 29th January, will be supported with case studies and personal practical experience from the presenters, and will provide a strong introduction to the concepts and terminology surrounding CPTs whilst highlight the usefulness of the new guide. The webinar is free for AGS members and £50+VAT for non-members. To register, please visit https://lnkd.in/eeeUmtAG

Catch up with the past issues of the AGS Magazine on the AGS website: https://lnkd.in/d_tTSwp

Cleat Hill Borehole Gas Explosion Update The Association of Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental Specialists (AGS) and British Drilling Association (BDA) are not party to the key facts or timeline of events which preceded the explosion which tragically killed 2 people in October this year. The AGS & BDA emphasises the requirement for risk assessment of the strata being drilled for any borehole, which should be carried out by a suitably qualified person and should include an assessment of the likelihood of encountering ground gas, and if the risk is identified, implementation of risk reduction and mitigation which could include use of gas monitors by trained personnel and a plan of what to do if gas is detected. The AGS & BDA encourages all the authorities involved in the investigation to publish the report as soon as possible so that any lessons learnt can be shared with the borehole drilling community to avoid future tragedies.

The AGS is pleased to announce James Codd (Technical Director, Mott MacDonald) will be presenting at the AGS webinar on Effective Procurement of Ground Investigations on 26th March 2025 at 11.30am. James will be presenting on Procurement Approaches. James will explain in this section of the webinar the most common procurement approaches, public, private and framework and the processes that are involved with each approach and how each differs. He will go on to present how seven key steps in procurement are identified and the importance of Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) as a key to a successful investigation. The webinar is free for AGS members and £50+VAT for non-members. To register, please visit https://lnkd.in/eb_rCJfm

The AGS is pleased to announce Dipalee Jukes (Co-Founder and Co-CEO at Ground and Water Limited) will be presenting at The AGS Annual Conference on Thursday 1st May 2025 at One Great George Street in London. Dipalee will be presenting on Leading from the Fringes – A Journey From Fear to Courage. The construction industry remains a male-dominated sector – and certainly a tough one for women to simultaneously start and grow a business as well as start a family. In 2009, Dipalee decided to rip up the rule book and founded Ground & Water, exactly one year before she became pregnant with her first child. Balancing motherhood, while growing a company and leading her team, proved to be a precarious juggling act. Yet, she has successfully built a well-respected, seven figure ground engineering company in the UK. Dipalee shares her life experiences as an intersectional woman of colour, a female leader and working mother in the industry, reflecting on challenges, successes, and her vision for creating more diverse leadership. Tickets: AGS Member companies are entitled to a limited number of complimentary tickets, as part of their membership subscription. To register for your free places, download the registration form from the website and return it completed to ags@ags.org.uk before 10am on Tuesday 22nd April. Additional tickets are priced at £115 for AGS Members, and £185 for Non-Members (ex VAT). Please note that students and retired Members may attend the event for £25 (ex VAT). To secure a ticket at this rate, please email ags@ags.org.uk. Registration strictly closes at 10am on Tuesday 22nd April. All tickets are offered on a first come, first served basis. To register for the event, please visit: https://lnkd.in/ejDN84uW

Have you registered for the next AGS Webinar on A Client’s Guide to Cone Penetration Tests? The webinar is taking place on 29th January 2025 at 11am. Join webinar Chair, Emma Bell (Senior Technical Engineer at SOCOTEC) and our expert speakers as they provide an introduction to the Client’s Guide to Cone Penetration Tests (CPT’s), highlighting each section and the pertinent points within it. This online event, taking place on 29th January, will be supported with case studies and personal practical experience from the presenters, and will provide a strong introduction to the concepts and terminology surrounding CPTs whilst highlight the usefulness of the new guide. The webinar is free for AGS members and £50+VAT for non-members. To register, please visit https://lnkd.in/edeUWmTc