http://www.nce.co.uk/RSS/NCEgeotechnicalRSS.xml The latest Geotechnical stories from NCE en-uk Cross London Rail Links has announced the names of companies and consortia bidding to become delivery partner, programme partner, and for framework agreements for the £16bn Crossrail scheme. http://www.nce.co.uk:80/news/2008/08/crossrail_delivery_and_programme_partner_shortlists_announced.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F http://www.nce.co.uk:80/news/2008/08/crossrail_delivery_and_programme_partner_shortlists_announced.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F 21 August 2008 17:30 http://www.nce.co.uk:80/images/transport_crossrail_inside_station_drawing_01_070927_resized_70_tcm15-97087.jpg Figures from the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) show a sharp slowdown in the workload of its members compared to April. http://www.nce.co.uk:80/energy/2008/08/ceca_predict_market_gloom.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F http://www.nce.co.uk:80/energy/2008/08/ceca_predict_market_gloom.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F 21 August 2008 13:08 http://www.nce.co.uk:80/images/p14%20analysis%20PIC%20resized_resized_70_tcm15-1704068.jpg Academics were this week furious at revisions to Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funding, which will cut cash to engineering MSc courses in favour of longer PhD courses. http://www.nce.co.uk:80/news/2008/08/row_over_funding_switch_from_msc_to_phd_courses.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F http://www.nce.co.uk:80/news/2008/08/row_over_funding_switch_from_msc_to_phd_courses.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F Tiffany Holland 20 August 2008 17:10 http://www.nce.co.uk:80/images/John%20burland_resized_resized_70_tcm15-1804309.jpg EDF Energy has contracted geotechnical firm Soil Mechanics to carry out £1.4M worth of ground investigations for a 90MW offshore wind farm in the North Sea. http://www.nce.co.uk:80/energy/2008/08/edf_energy_awards_14m_offshore_wind_farm_ground_investigation_contract.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F http://www.nce.co.uk:80/energy/2008/08/edf_energy_awards_14m_offshore_wind_farm_ground_investigation_contract.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F Alexandra Wynne 20 August 2008 11:54 http://www.nce.co.uk:80/images/NOWD%200361_resized_70_tcm15-1803527.jpg DP World has unveiled a £1.5bn development of the 750 ha London Gateway site on the north bank of the river Thames near Thurrock in Essex. http://www.nce.co.uk:80/news/2008/08/15bn_london_gateway_port_announced.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F http://www.nce.co.uk:80/news/2008/08/15bn_london_gateway_port_announced.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F 20 August 2008 11:44 http://www.nce.co.uk:80/images/port_resized_70_tcm15-1803511.jpg Applications to engineering and technology courses have jumped 7% over the past five years according to new research from the Engineering and Technology Board (ETB). http://www.nce.co.uk:80/energy/2008/08/engineering_applications_up_7_says_etb.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F http://www.nce.co.uk:80/energy/2008/08/engineering_applications_up_7_says_etb.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F Seán Flynn 19 August 2008 19:07 http://www.nce.co.uk:80/images/graduate_university_student_01_070906_resized_70_tcm15-86560.jpg The construction sector has come under attack from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) for failing to train its staff in one-third of cases, leading to very high rates of unfilled vacancies. http://www.nce.co.uk:80/news/2008/08/one_third_of_construction_firms_fail_to_train_staff.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F http://www.nce.co.uk:80/news/2008/08/one_third_of_construction_firms_fail_to_train_staff.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F 18 August 2008 11:35 http://www.nce.co.uk:80/images/Concrete_rebar_0030_resized_70_tcm15-1425303.jpg Government figures show construction orders falling in the first six months of 2008. Figures for housing showed the greatest falls, but public infrastructure orders continue to buck the trend for now. http://www.nce.co.uk:80/news/2008/08/construction_orders_down.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F http://www.nce.co.uk:80/news/2008/08/construction_orders_down.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F 08 August 2008 10:13 http://www.nce.co.uk:80/images/p14%20analysis%20PIC%20resized_resized_70_tcm15-1704068.jpg Consultant and contractor Hydrock Group this week announced that it had acquired structural engineering firm Structures1. http://www.nce.co.uk:80/news/2008/08/hydrock_acquires_structural_engineering_firm_structures1.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F http://www.nce.co.uk:80/news/2008/08/hydrock_acquires_structural_engineering_firm_structures1.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F Alexandra Wynne 04 August 2008 11:20 http://www.nce.co.uk:80/images/hydrock_resized_70_tcm15-1788135.JPG Work to produce an interactive guide for the world's geology has completed a little earlier than planned. Watch the video explaining the project. http://www.nce.co.uk:80/video/2008/08/worlds_geology_mapped_and_ready_to_access.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F http://www.nce.co.uk:80/video/2008/08/worlds_geology_mapped_and_ready_to_access.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F 01 August 2008 12:10 http://www.nce.co.uk:80/images/onegeology_UK_France_Italy_Czech_resized_70_tcm15-1778288.jpg Ground Engineering's annual Geotechnical Services File has revealed a market on the brink of a slowdown http://www.nce.co.uk:80/geotechnical/features/2008/07/gsf_2008_the_state_of_the_industry.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F http://www.nce.co.uk:80/geotechnical/features/2008/07/gsf_2008_the_state_of_the_industry.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F Alexandra Wynne 30 July 2008 12:22 Polymer injection has helped keep Victorian buildings at Exeter's Royal Albert Memorial Museum from settling into the ground. http://www.nce.co.uk:80/geotechnical/features/2008/07/stable_future_for_exeters_past.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F http://www.nce.co.uk:80/geotechnical/features/2008/07/stable_future_for_exeters_past.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F 28 July 2008 16:24 http://www.nce.co.uk:80/images/geotechnical_underpinning_exeter_01_080731_resized_70_tcm15-1767026.jpg Cantilevered beams designed to 'float' within the ground are being installed beside an old property in Kent to offer structural stability and overcome the threat of clay heave. http://www.nce.co.uk:80/geotechnical/features/2008/07/a_test_of_stability.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F http://www.nce.co.uk:80/geotechnical/features/2008/07/a_test_of_stability.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F 28 July 2008 16:28 http://www.nce.co.uk:80/images/geotechnical_underpinning_highangle_01_080731_resized_70_tcm15-1767022.jpg Piling contractors were last month facing bankruptcy and redundancies as the dramatic slowdown in the private housing market threatens to plunge the industry into crisis. http://www.nce.co.uk:80/news/2008/07/slowdown_in_housebuilding_threat_to_geotechnics.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F http://www.nce.co.uk:80/news/2008/07/slowdown_in_housebuilding_threat_to_geotechnics.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F Damian Arnold 30 July 2008 16:09 http://www.nce.co.uk:80/images/abbey%20pynford%20007_resized_70_tcm15-1770397.jpg The £16bn Crossrail project finally achieved Royal Assent last week. Project boss Doug Oakervee sets out the next moves. Listen to the interview here http://www.nce.co.uk:80/video/2008/07/crossrail_get_ready_to_rumble.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F http://www.nce.co.uk:80/video/2008/07/crossrail_get_ready_to_rumble.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F Antony Oliver 31 July 2008 10:48 http://www.nce.co.uk:80/images/people_crossrail_doug_oakervee_01_071018_resized_70_tcm15-167819.jpg 12,996 contracting jobs are at risk, and 196 firms in 'imminent danger' according to a new survey of industry confidence. http://www.nce.co.uk:80/news/2008/07/industry_braced_for_12996_job_losses.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F http://www.nce.co.uk:80/news/2008/07/industry_braced_for_12996_job_losses.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F 15 July 2008 11:17 http://www.nce.co.uk:80/images/geotechnical_tunnels_limerick_steel_piles_01_070628_resized_70_tcm15-74148.jpg Another piling contractor was this week scaling back its operations in the face of  the oncoming  construction downturn. http://www.nce.co.uk:80/news/2008/07/more_gloom_for_piling_contractors_as_simplex_axes_precast_factory.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F http://www.nce.co.uk:80/news/2008/07/more_gloom_for_piling_contractors_as_simplex_axes_precast_factory.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F Damian Arnold 14 July 2008 10:55 http://www.nce.co.uk:80/images/geotechnical_piling_cfa_piles_01-0710_resized_70_tcm15-120069.jpg Transport secretary Ruth Kelly today announced an indefinite delay to the results of its consultation into Heathrow's expansion, which examines the construction of a third runway, amongst other projects. http://www.nce.co.uk:80/news/2008/07/heathrow_expansion_delay.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F http://www.nce.co.uk:80/news/2008/07/heathrow_expansion_delay.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F 08 July 2008 13:23 http://www.nce.co.uk:80/images/transport_airports_heathrow_no_3rd_runway_01_070906_resized_70_tcm15-75620.jpg Piling contractors were this week facing bankruptcy and redundancies as the dramatic slowdown in the private housing market has plunged the industry into crisis. http://www.nce.co.uk:80/news/2008/07/piling_contractors_hit_as_housing_market_plunges.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F http://www.nce.co.uk:80/news/2008/07/piling_contractors_hit_as_housing_market_plunges.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F Damian Arnold 02 July 2008 14:50 http://www.nce.co.uk:80/images/geotechnical_machinery_stent_piling_01_0710_resized_70_tcm15-168937.jpg Cowboy grouters are to blame for poor grouting in post tensioned slabs, it was claimed this week. http://www.nce.co.uk:80/news/2008/07/cowboys_cause_post_tension_grout_grief.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F http://www.nce.co.uk:80/news/2008/07/cowboys_cause_post_tension_grout_grief.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F Jessica Rowson 01 July 2008 18:30 http://www.nce.co.uk:80/images/Post-Tensioning-Cables-4_resized_70_tcm15-1678155.jpg Contractor Balfour Beatty today announced that their forward order book grew by £400M in the first five months of this year, taking current total orders to £11.8bn http://www.nce.co.uk:80/energy/2008/07/rapid_growth_for_balfour_beattys_order_book.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F http://www.nce.co.uk:80/energy/2008/07/rapid_growth_for_balfour_beattys_order_book.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F Kevin Walsh 02 July 2008 11:05 http://www.nce.co.uk:80/images/grad04_balfour_resized_70_tcm15-74349.gif The number of deaths due to incidents in construction have fallen by almost 9% to 72 in 2007-2008. http://www.nce.co.uk:80/energy/2008/07/dip_in_construction_deaths.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F http://www.nce.co.uk:80/energy/2008/07/dip_in_construction_deaths.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F 01 July 2008 10:40 http://www.nce.co.uk:80/images/Hse_Logo_resized_70_tcm15-214750.gif Downturns in the property and housing sector are starting to hit site investigation firms, contractors said this week. http://www.nce.co.uk:80/news/2008/06/credit_crunch_hits_site_investigation.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F http://www.nce.co.uk:80/news/2008/06/credit_crunch_hits_site_investigation.html;jsessionid=51D1F191E9464A0581DFF7E621F52B4F Sean Flynn 27 June 2008 11:32