ESP were asked to provide an integrated geotechnical and geoenvironmental service to determine the cause of the movement in some existing residential houses that were showing signs of structural distress. A desk study indicated that the houses were built on an old landfill, and a subsequent site investigation was designed to provide geotechnical information to allow the foundations to be supported by underpinning.
The investigation also collected information on the contamination status of the old landfill materials and assessed its impacts on an adjacent stream, as well as the residents. A period of soil testing, ground gas monitoring, groundwater and surface water sampling helped prove to the Local Authority and Natural Resources Wales that the landfill was not a risk to groundwater or the adjacent river.
Our contaminated land risk assessment showed that risks to residents needed to be reduced and recommendations for remedial work were provided in a separate Remediation Method Statement which provided several options for the client to adopt at the site.
ESP are undertaking independent validation of the installation of gas protection measures and a clean cover system and produce a Verification Report for issue to the Local Authority.
