Session 1: Are current ground investigation techniques still fit for purpose?

Ten years ago, the original AGS/BDA Task Force produced a Spotlight on the Industry survey that caused a stir within the ground investigation industry by asking whether its investigation techniques were fit for purpose. Now, ten years later, Geotechnica will be asking that same question to determine whether positive changes have been made in the last decade.

The UK drilling industry is seeing a surge in Geobor S wireline rotary coring but cable percussion is still often specified even on the larger more prestigious projects. Is this simply down to cost or is the age old argument that the UK has such challenging geologies, still a valid reason for retaining such an ancient method. Cable percussion rigs are becoming scarce, competent operatives just as scarce and there are the safety challenges, perceived or true. We should recognise that rotary coring has its own challenges particularly in some ground conditions but are other emerging technologies such as sonic drilling now worth considering.

Are we approaching a time where methods, which we are all too familiar with, will no longer be considered and if that time does come is the industry in a good place to offer techniques which meet those needs?

Session Talk Title:

Will sonic drilling ever replace traditional drilling methods?
Presented by: Julian Lovell

Session 2: What is the point of British Standards?

Many of us like the spontaneity and sometimes chaos of life but others need a stricter regime to follow. It is therefore, not that surprising that in our work life some people rigidly follow the Standards and others feel the constraints too overbearing. Standards and guidance have been with us for all of our working lives and although the industry is still evolving it can be argued that it is now at a much slower rate than in the ‘early days’.

We are a mature industry which has allowed Standards to be developed which should meet our everyday technical needs. However, does everybody need to adopt and follow the Standards? Do they retrain good engineering judgement?

Session Talk Title:

Vertical Borehole Standard
Presented by: Chris Davidson

Session 3: Can we still trust the good old SPT?

The SPT has been a valued tool in the geotechnical toolbox for over seven decades but trusting them “as-is” is increasingly debated. It is perceived to be quick, cheap and reliable and results can be used in conjunction with a huge historical dataset to aid geotechnical design. However, SPT results are highly dependent on execution details—hammer energy, borehole conditions, operator technique, and equipment variability can all distort N-values. Even with corrections for energy and depth, uncertainty remains.

Many projects also demand tighter tolerances and more reliable soil parameters than SPT alone can provide. How can we continue to design in the modern era with such an antiquated testing method?

Session Talk Title:

Standard penetration tests in clays derived from weathered Jurassic mudstones in central England.
Presented by: Nick Sartain

Session 4: What might the Pandora’s box of AI contain?

AI is starting to reshape the UK ground engineering sector but despite the hype, the sector remains conservative. It’s less a sudden revolution and more a gradual shift in how engineers analyse data, design, and manage risk. AI is particularly strong at handling messy, variable ground data. Machine learning models can combine boreholes, field testing results, lab tests, and monitoring data to identify patterns humans might miss. Generative AI and ML tools are beginning to automate routine tasks which can significantly speed up workflows and reduce costs, especially in consultancy environments.

AI can also be used to predict things like settlement, bearing capacity, and slope stability. AI is being applied to real-time monitoring (e.g. tunnelling, slopes), helping detect anomalies and potentially enabling early warning systems for failures. Are we likely to see the demise of human reasoning, ground experience, and engineering judgement or will it augment ground engineering?

Session Talk Title:

If AI was a sandwich filling, would you feed it to your kids?
Presented by: Paul Nathanail

Session 5: Can ground engineering data be leveraged to benefit all stakeholders?

In theory it is easy to share ground engineering data if it’s standardised and actually trusted. All too often, huge amounts of data gets buried in PDFs at the end of a project, which is about as useful as filing it in a drawer. This data has long-term value far beyond the original project and can reduce investigation costs on future schemes, improve ground models, reduce uncertainty and support regional planning and infrastructure resilience.

Initiatives like NUAR, the British Geological Survey datasets and the National Underground Asset Register show how shared subsurface data can benefit multiple parties—engineers, planners, utilities, and asset owners. Treating ground data as a shared asset rather than a project by-product is the key shift but does this need cultural, contractual or legislative changes or all of the above?

Session Talk Title:

Evolving toward a digital ground model
Presented by: Neil Chadwick and Tomasz Daktera