Decision Making Processes in the Planning of Sub-structure Construction

The 17th June BGA evening meeting will follow our Annual General Meeting.

Urban Development: Decision Making Processes in the Planning of Sub-structure Construction

by: Prof Hugh St John (GCG)

As geotechnical engineers, many of us work on projects in urban areas where the construction of new buildings has an impact on the surroundings, be it the inconvenience caused by the process of construction or the possibility of physical damage to adjacent structures or services. The population of cities has increased as a result of general expansion and the shift from the rural areas, but constraints are imposed on expanding the city limits, urban development has had to use the available space more efficiently. As our cities get more mature, we have therefore to make better use of what we have got already and work within the constraints that this imposes. On the positive side we want to conserve what is good from the past, but we have to work round what the past has left us, for example, obstructions in the ground. Increasingly, the legislative framework within which we work has an enormous impact on the way that projects develop from their initial conception to final completion. This legislation is designed to protect our heritage, our environment and individuals. It is not designed to stifle development since a city without development cannot survive long term, it also provides the right to build things, provided that such development does not cause damage to the surroundings, in terms of visual impact, change to the environment and physical effects.
In this presentation, which is a repeat of the prestigious invited Fujita Lecture given in Seoul in 2014, Prof St John will put into context the sort of projects, observations and analytical approaches that affect the general development of building projects within the city environment. Sub-structures are a critical element of any project and are often the most controversial.
The presentation will also highlight the often neglected, but extremely demanding subject of the development of domestic basements and to look at the challenges that these present and how they differ from the large basements and substructures that mostly form the subject of technical discussions in this field.

Advanced registration will be required via the ICE website.

Download the June Meeting Flyer