Environmental

Geo-Environmental

Ground Conditions and Environmental Due Diligence

Our specialist Geotechnical and Environmental expertise enables our clients to unlock the potential of sites and protect them from unforeseen challenges as they progress through their developments.  

Ground conditions, if not properly assessed and managed, can significantly impact every stage of a project’s life cycle - leading to increased costs and programme delays. That’s where our team come in. For over 20 years, we have provided ground conditions support to projects across all sectors and scales, including nationally important infrastructure. 

We stay ahead of emerging issues such as PFAS, evolving building regulations, and the shifting legislative and regulatory landscapes, which enables us to help clients manage risks effectively across their projects and asset portfolios. Together with our complimentary civils, structural and transport planning teams, we deliver sustainable outcomes that help build a better future for our communities.  

Geo-Environmental Service Brochure
Environmental Engineer
Land Reclamation

Core Services

We are a Member of the Association of Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental Specialists (AGS) with recognised practitioners covering both specialisms, and support our clients across the due diligence and environmental risk requirements.  

  • Desk Top Study (DTS) and Preliminary Risk Assessment (PRA) 

  • Intrusive Ground Investigation 

  • Human Health, Controlled Waters and Gas Risk Assessment 

  • Remedial Design and Verification Options Appraisal 

  • Minerals Appraisals 

  • Materials Management Plans (MMPs) 

  • Geotechnical Development Appraisals 

  • Earthworks and Ground Improvement Design 

  • Slope Stability Assessments 

  • Pile and Retaining Wall Design 

  • Earthworks Specifications and Validation Exercises 

  • Dewatering advice 

  • Temporary Works including Outrigger and Pile Mat Designs 

  • Retaining Wall Designs 

  • Basement Impact Assessments and Ground Movement Assessments 

  • Due Diligence 

  • Expert Witness 

  • Abnormal Costs Appraisals 

  • Land Remediation Tax Relief 

Specialist Assessments

What We Provide

The ‘industry standard’ approach to contaminated land and geotechnical appraisal can lead to unduly onerous outcomes. Often detailed risk assessments can mitigate the requirement for physical works and the associate costs and programme delays.  

Our specialist assessments aim to provide a more sustainable and cost-effective outcome for our clients, potentially avoiding or reducing the need for specific mitigation. 

Our team can provide a range of bespoke assessments :  

  • Human Health and Controlled Waters Detailed Quantitative Risk Assessment (DQRA) 

  • Asbestos Assessments 

  • Ground Gas and Vapour Assessments 

  • Ground Gas Appraisals (Bulk Gas, Vapour Membrane Permeation Assessments and Vapour DQRA)  

  • Materials Management and Waste Classification 

  • Sustainable Remediation Assessments 

  • Ground Movement Assessments 

  • Sustainable Geotechnics 

Human Health and Controlled Waters DQRA

We can deliver supplementary characterisation and DQRA to further evaluate the potential existence of unacceptable risks to human health and controlled waters receptors to seek to reduce or dismiss remedial requirements.  

We have extensive experience in the use of UK-specific models (e.g. CLEA, RTM, ConSim) using site-specific data to minimise conservatism and develop pragmatic assessment criteria. 

Asbestos DQRA  

Asbestos is ubiquitous in the environment impacting a high proportion of brownfield sites and continues to be a challenging contaminant. We offer specialist assessment services and advice to clients to inform appropriate and proportionate procedures during the handling of asbestos containing soils and demolition materials, in accordance with CAR 2012, and informed by relevant guidance including CARSOIL.   

Ground Gas and Vapour Assessments

Ground gas and vapour assessment is a highly complex area requiring specialist consideration of a site's ground conditions, groundwater regimes, gas sources and migration pathways to allow a proportionate assessment of risk.  

Our evidence based balanced approach to bulk gas assessment, vapour DQRAs and membrane permeation assessments provide proportionate outcomes, often dismissing the need for specific mitigation. 

Sustainable Remediation Assessments

Curtins can undertake sustainability assessments to evaluate whether the project's economic, social and environmental costs provide an overall net benefit for people and the environment. Where a net benefit is not apparent, consideration over whether the remediation should proceed can be discussed with the relevant regulator.  This may support a reduced scope of remediation or mitigate the need all together.   

Ground Movement Assessments

We deliver specialist Ground Movement Assessments (GMA’s) for buildings, tunnels, utilities, and other sensitive assets, in full compliance with relevant industry standards and best practice guidance (e.g. CIRIA, National Highways and BRE requirements). Our assessments quantify potential ground displacements, allowing risks to be clearly identified at an early stage. Where potential impacts are identified, we can develop and implement practical, cost-effective engineering solutions to mitigate against ground movement risks.  

Sustainable Geotechnics

Curtins are at the forefront of sustainable geotechnical practice, incorporating carbon calculators to assess the impact of foundation depths and optimise design efficiency. Sustainable geotechnical design can provide significant benefits to a project, from optimised foundation solutions including ground improvement techniques and the re-use of existing foundations to the selection of materials with reduced embodied carbon and the re-use of soils on site.

Land Remediation Tax Relief

We have extensive experience in designing, implementing, supervising and validating site remedial works to provide our clients with practical economic strategies whilst fulfilling regulatory requirements. Speak to us about:   

  • Remediation strategies  

  • Reclamation works method statements  

  • Materials management plans  

  • Reclamation works contract administration  

  • Reclamation works implementation  

  • Remediation validation and certification  

  • Post reclamation monitoring  

Materials Management and Waste Classification

Most development projects require management of ground arisings and wastes. Early consideration of waste regulations can allow such materials to be put to beneficial use, either on the site of origin or on other nearby schemes. Curtins can provide materials management advice at every development stage, including high level strategies, MMPs, exemptions and permits. 

Where waste disposal is unavoidable, Curtins can provide high resolution investigation and bespoke assessments to ensure that the volumes of hazardous waste are minimised.

View options for Waste Management Re-use below.

Wast Management Flyer  Options for re-use

Our Geo-Environmental Projects

Integrated Civil &  Infrastructure  Research Centre (iCAIR)
Industrial & Logistics

A state-of-the-art research centre for the University of Sheffield.

Integrated Civil & Infrastructure Research Centre (iCAIR)

LABORATORY FOR  VALIDATION &  VERIFICATION (LVV)
Industrial & Logistics

A national centre of excellence for structural dynamics research, acoustics and vibration testing for the University of Sheffield.

Laboratory for Validation Verification (LVV)

Rob Burrow Centre for MND
Healthcare

The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease is a purpose-built facility located at Seacroft Hospital in Leeds bringing together specialist care, research and support services for MND under one roof.

The Rob Burrow MND Centre

Edge Lane
Housing

Curtins provided multi-disciplinary services for a new-build housing development, supporting the broader regeneration of Liverpool’s key Edge Lane corridor and delivering modern housing solutions for the local community.

The Approach, Edge Lane

IADT
Higher Education

Completed at the Institute of Art, Design & Technology (IADT), Dun Laoghaire, this project is part of the HEB 1 Bundle under Ireland’s Public Private Partnership (PPP) programme, encompassing six major higher education developments.

Digital Media Building (IADT), Dun Laoghaire

North Manchester General Hospital
Healthcare

A new high quality acute hospital, using sustainable construction methods. The new healthcare facility accommodates clinical wards, office space, educational facilities, and a wellbeing hub.

North Manchester General Hospital

Our Approach

Foursite

Foursite

Learn More

Our innovative approach to due diligence, pre-planning and other development services.

What Our Clients Say

Curtins successfully managed to exclude the pre-existing requirement for gas protection measures within our Dyecoats development in Leeds through reassessment of the risks, reducing construction costs by £200,000, simplifying the floor slab construction and associated programme. The associated appraisal was undertaken at minimal cost and in line with the development programme.

Richard Whitehead | Turner and Townsend , Associate Director

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