1-906 Forensic Examination of Critical Special Geotechnical Measures (Phase 1)

Tender description

Highways England requires a contract for the provision of technical services to forensically investigate selected Special Geotechnical Measures (SGMs) to determine their long-term efficacy in terms of their original purpose. Most SGMs are subject to design and specification in accordance with DMRB, MCHW and/or British Standards etc. Such standards typically specify the required long-term design performance. However, the validation of such performance is neither tested nor validated. Close collaboration with the project teams will allow a responsive approach to opportunities to review, inspect, exhume and examine SGM installations that will be destroyed by the works. The knowledge gained from the research will help to a) Improve confidence (and design optimisation) of Strengthening Measures used in Improvement and Renewals schemes. b) Understand the long-term performance of these measures so that future investment decisions (future RIS's and in the design of Improvement schemes) are suitably informed (given that a good number of these engineering measures have been used for a good number of years and will be reaching the end of their notional design life in RIS3 - the regulator will expect a higher level of knowledge to justify future expenditure).