Chalk 2018

Case histories of construction and engineering in Chalk

This Technical Theme includes case histories of construction and engineering in Chalk and assesses the impact of adverse geological conditions and the measures/procedures adopted in order to mitigate them.

Earthworks in Chalk

This Technical Theme includes the assessment of Chalk material characteristics in the laboratory and in-situ, its performance characteristics in handling and placing, and it’s performance (both short and long term) in cut slopes, fill embankments, in road and rail sub-grades, and in deep foundations.

Foundations and piling in Chalk

This Technical Theme includes aspects of foundations, retaining walls and piles in Chalk.

Future engineering issues in Chalk

This Technical Theme includes innovation and future issues for engineering in chalk. Possible subjects include digital and technological innovation (investigation, testing, construction, monitoring, modelling and design); issues of climate change (challenges, risks and opportunities); future issues of interface between engineering and Chalk natural resources (landscape, coastline, rivers, groundwater, habitats); issues of aging infrastructure on and in the Chalk; issues of knowledge transfer and legacy.

Geological hazards in Chalk

This Technical Theme aims to cover the measures taken to identify chalk hazards (e.g. hazard assessment techniques, investigation strategies) and provide engineering solutions (remedial & mitigation measures, also construction impacts). The types of geological hazard might include: naturally formed cavities (solution features), drift filled hollows, periglacial features, faulting, man-made cavities (mines, quarries, tunnels and others), unstable inland and coastal slopes (natural, man-made). Understanding the mechanisms of ground movement and their trigger is also of interest.

Offshore engineering in Chalk

This Technical Theme addresses aspects of Chalk geology and engineering related to offshore structures.

Site investigation/characterization in Chalk

This Technical Theme covers the desk studies, walkover surveys and investigations required to gather data for design and construction. It includes identification of information sources, site walkover and engineering geomorphological mapping, development of ground models, selection and deployment of appropriate investigation techniques, mass and material description and logging, design of appropriate testing regimes and presentation of data.

Testing in Chalk – in situ and laboratory

The laboratory and in situ testing Technical Theme aims to promote better understanding of the behaviour of Chalk under various conditions, either from samples or directly on the rock mass. Topics in this theme include the determination of engineering properties of Chalk, failure mechanisms, fracture propagation, transport mechanisms and permeability evolution, rock-fluid interactions and in situ stress determination.

Tunnelling in Chalk

This Technical Theme includes the design and construction of shaft, adits and tunnels (sprayed concrete lining, segmental lining tunnels etc) and associated research in Chalk. Possible subjects include factors influencing construction methods and equipment selection, geotechnical design parameters and design methods used, face stability considerations, details of temporary and permanent linings, ground treatment (for example grouting to reduce ground water flows), instrumentation data from tunnelling works, settlement data and any mitigation works.

Water and the environment

This Technical Theme includes hydrogeological and contaminated land aspects of Chalk. Possible subjects include groundwater resources, construction dewatering, ground source heating and cooling and contaminated land investigation and remediation.

• Professor Rory Mortimore

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  Professor Rory Mortimore

  Professor Rory Mortimore will deliver a Keynote Lecture at the conference in September 2018.

  Professor Mortimore’s keynote will be entitled Developing Ground Models for Chalk Engineering: Links across the Disciplines and will discuss the development of knowledge and understanding of the properties of Chalk, including weathering, porosity, density and ultra-structure of the Chalk.

  Professor Mortimore is probably the UK’s leading expert in the engineering geology of the Chalk, and is at the forefront of developing and disseminating practical knowledge about the properties of Chalk. He is widely published, with around 80 papers on the Chalk, and delivered the 11th Glossop Lecture of the Geological Society on Making Sense of the Chalk: A Total-Rock Approach to Engineering Geology.

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• Professor Richard Jardine

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  Professor Richard Jardine

  Professor Richard Jardine will deliver a Keynote Lecture at the conference in September 2018.

  Richard Jardine is Professor of Geomechanics and Deputy Head of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Imperial College London. Professor Jardine is a Royal Academy of Engineering Fellow and gave the British Geotechnical Association’s 56th Rankine Lecture in 2016.

  His current research includes several international Joint Industry Projects into offshore foundation behaviour and soil behaviour. He has published over 240 papers and sits on six International Committees covering advanced laboratory experimentation to offshore Geotechnics and has delivered multiple international keynote lectures over the last decade. He has won 17 National and International research prizes, acted as a visiting Professor in Singapore, Japan and China and consulted on many major international engineering projects.

  Professor Jardine’s keynote will be entitled Behaviour of Piles Driven in Chalk. It will address some aspects of the geotechnical design issues associated with northern European offshore wind-farms being developed at locations underlain by chalk. It will describe streams of research undertaken by a team from Imperial College London in collaboration with industrial partners to investigate the response to loading of the driven pile foundations that may be employed to support jacket, tripod or even floating wind-turbine support structures founded in chalk. The investigations range from multiple small-scale field tests onshore, supported by laboratory and in-situ testing, through to full scale experiments and dynamic pile monitoring at offshore locations.

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• Dr Clive Edmonds

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  Dr Clive Edmonds

  Dr Clive Edmonds will deliver a Keynote Lecture at the conference in September 2018.

  Clive Edmonds is a partner at Peter Brett Associates LLP. He has 30 years’ experience in geological, geomorphological and geotechnical issues, particularly relating to instability in Chalk. Through academic studies and commercial experience he has developed geomorphological modelling, mapping, monitoring and risk assessment techniques for unstable land. He has been involved in a national study of natural cavity instability in Great Britain and the development of national land stability databases. He has authored more than 40 technical papers/articles/books and has lectured widely.

  Dr Edmonds’ keynote will be entitled Review of Collapse Events on Chalk Since 2000 and the Opportunity for Improved Engineering Practice. It will discuss major collapse events across the Chalk outcrop since 2000, many of which have resulted in damage to buildings, infrastructure and risks to people followed by expensive remedial works. The collapse events include both naturally formed sinkholes and man-made crown holes. The majority of collapses have been triggered by water inundation, either as a result of particularly heavy rainfall or leaking utility services.

  Compilation of natural cavity and mining cavity databases for the Chalk outcrop over more than 30 years has provided a useful archive for spatial analysis concerning the nature of cavity occurrence patterns and causal factors. Reviewing the geo-spatial setting of collapse events shows that there are several common characteristics. They can be used to identify areas of higher geo-hazard potential.

  Learning from review of spatial patterns of collapse events provides opportunities to de-risk all forms of new development by incorporating improved resilience into design and construction for both new, and renewal of, existing development and infrastructure. The role of planners, developers and water utility owners is crucial to reduce the risks and impacts upon urban development and communities.

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Conference Organizing Committee:

• Chairman: Dr Martin Preene (Chairman of the BGA)
• Organising Secretary: Dr James Lawrence (Imperial College London)
• Assistant Organising Secretary: Dr Roisin Buckley (Imperial College London)
• Assistant Organising Secretary: Dr Matteo Ciantia (University of Dundee)
• Treasurer: Alex Carbray (independent consultant)
• Publicity Chair: Patrick Cox (AECOM)
• Programme Chair: Dr Gareth Swift (University of Portsmouth)
• EGGS Representative: Dr Ursula Lawrence (Capita)

Technical Theme Leaders

• Case histories of construction and engineering in Chalk: Dr Tim Newman (Thames Tideway)
• Earthworks in Chalk: Keith Nicholls (Network Rail)
• Foundations and piling in Chalk: David Hard (Bachy Soletanche)
• Future engineering issues in Chalk: Neil Hadlow (CH2M)
• Geological hazards in Chalk: Dr Clive Edmonds (PBA)
• Offshore engineering in Chalk: Miguel Andrade (Orsted Energy)
• Site investigation/characterization in Chalk: Keith Reeves (HS2)
• Testing – in situ and laboratory: Dr Fanny Descamps (University of Mons, Belgium)
• Tunnelling in Chalk: Dr Rob Talby (Mott MacDonald)
• Water and the environment: Dr Ursula Lawrence (Capita)

Day 1

Day 1 of the conference on Monday 17th September 2018 includes two Keynote Lectures and 26 oral presentations in two parallel streams.

The keynotes will be Professor Rory Mortimore on ‘Developing Ground Models for Chalk Engineering: Links across the Disciplines’ and Dr Clive Edmonds on ‘Review of Collapse Events on Chalk since 2000 and the Opportunities for Improved Engineering Practice’.

Parallel sessions will cover Case Histories, Earthworks, Foundations & Piling and Geological Hazards. Highlights include presentations of the Andrew Lord Memorial Papers on HS1 earthworks, case histories from Crossrail, Tideway and the Lee Tunnel, and discussion of cliff stability problems in chalk.

Day 1 will finish with conference drinks and a buffet reception.

Day 2

Day 2 of the conference on Tuesday 18th September 2018 includes one Keynote Lecture and 32 oral presentations in two parallel streams.

The keynote will be Professor Richard Jardine on ‘Behaviour of Piles Driven in Chalk’

Parallel sessions will cover site investigation, in-situ and laboratory testing, future engineering issues, offshore engineering, tunnelling and water & the environment Highlights include presentations on the mechanical and hydraulic properties of chalk, discussion of rota-sonic drilling in chalk and a comparison of EPB and slurry TBMs for tunnelling in chalk.

The main conference will finish at the end of Day 2.

Technical Visits

After the end of the main conference Technical Visits will be held, for those delegates who selected this option (numbers are limited), on Wednesday 19 September 2018.

Two technical visits are available:

Excursion to the chalk exposures of the Sussex Coast

This trip will be led by Professor Rory Mortimore.

Coaches will leave Imperial College at approximately 08:00 and will return by approximately 18:00.

Lunch will be provided.

Starting at the West end of Brighton Marina we will discuss the local engineering/geology: Black Rock Marina; Brighton & Hove Stormwater Tunnel; Brighton to Peacehaven new sewer tunnel; coastal engineering and cliff instability. The group will be introduced to some of the issues related to cliff retreat, the methods of monitoring and the different types of remedial engineering. Working along the undercliff walk behind Brighton Marina for approximately 1 kilometre. Upon reaching the East end of the Marina the group will stop for lunch.

In the afternoon the group will travel to Saldean where Prof Mortimore will introduce the group to Chalk geology and some key marker beds; dry valley and Quaternary processes.

Visit to chalk mine legacy sites in the Reading area

This trip will be led by Dr Clive Edmonds.

Coaches will leave Imperial College at approximately 08:30 and will return by approximately 19:00.

Lunch will be provided.

This will involve a walk around Coley area, Reading in the morning to view evidence of past quarrying/mining and crown hole collapses. This will be followed by a visit to the Emmer Green chalk mine visit near Reading (this in an underground visit and requires climbing of ladders).

Delegates who have booked a Technical Visit will be contacted by email to request their preference for which visit to attend. Note that places are limited and first preferences will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

A Technical Exhibition to be held in the Queen’s Tower room at Imperial College, immediately outside the lecture hall, close to where the delegates will be served refreshments during coffee breaks and lunch.

The Technical Exhibition will be an important element of the conference event and the conference agenda allows ample time for delegates to circulate amongst the stands

The following organisations will be exhibiting at Chalk 2018:

• Bachy Soletanche
• BAM Ritchies
• British Geological Survey
• COWI
• European Geophysical Services
• Fugro
• Geobrugg
• Geolabs
• Geological Society of London
• Geotechnical Observations
• Geoterra
• Highways England
• Huesker
• In-Situ Site Investigation
• Peter Brett Associates
• SOCOTEC
• Southern Testing
• Terradat
• Tideway
• WJ Groundwater