Digging deep with Geotechnical

Our geotechnical engineers work collaboratively with our structural, civil and transport teams to produce low-impact ground engineering solutions, advising on the reuse and efficient design of foundations as well as assessments of subterranean constraints and the potential impacts of a development.

We spoke to Andy, Katie and Matt, who make up our Geotechnical team, to find out more about the role of a geotechnical engineer, when you might need one, and the benefits they bring to our multidisciplinary projects.

What does geotechnical engineering involve?

Andy: At its core, this job is about understanding how the ground behaves and how it interacts with the structures we build on or within it. By combining engineering judgement with our understanding of soil and rock behaviour, we help assess ground-related risks, support design decisions and ensure safety and stability.

Katie: To me, it’s about understanding the ground – its behaviour, hazards, limitations and how it interacts with structures. Before I joined HTS, I did a lot of site investigation work. More recently, I’ve been doing a lot of BIAs (basement impact assessments) as well as Thames Water Assessments.

Matt: It involves many different aspects, and all three of us tend to do a bit of everything, though each of us have our own areas of specific expertise. For example, since joining, I have been focusing on building the team’s services through the production of earthworks specifications and slope stability assessments.

Our Geotechnical projects

How did you all get into geotechnical engineering?

Katie: I’ve been interested in geology since I was a teenager, with a focus on different minerals and rock formations, about where they come from and how they form. This grew into an understanding of how geology connects with the built environment and realising how geotechnics is incorporated into construction, which spurred me on to complete my BSc in Geology, followed by an MSc in Engineering Geology.

Matt: I always knew I wanted to do an engineering-based job – I really enjoyed Geology A-Level at college, and that lead me to me doing an Engineering Geology and Geotechnical degree. Right now, I have an interest in more detailed design work, and I’ve just completed a part time masters in Advanced Geotechnical Engineering.

Andy: I started my career as a geotechnical engineer at a ground investigation company after completing my undergraduate degree and masters over 20 years ago. Like many graduates at the time, I had considered heading into the oil industry, but I was lucky to find my way into Geotechnics instead – and I’ve never looked back.

What’s a normal day/week like in your role?

Andy: One of the things I’ve always enjoyed about geotechnical engineering is the variety – no two days are ever quite the same. We’re often working across several projects at once, which keeps things interesting and fast-paced. Last year, we were involved in 120 projects in our team alone – in that way, the work is a lot more fluid than our structures teams, who tend to have a more long-term involvement on a particular project.

Matt: Just last month, I worked on 15 separate projects – it’s very fast paced!

Katie: A normal week might involve reviewing ground investigation reports and building a ground profile for a site to inform the design, as well as bearing capacity checks, advising on foundation options, scoping site investigations and responding to general geotechnical queries from the structural and civils teams.

Southwark OSD

“The construction industry has an enormous responsibility to reduce its environmental footprint, and I think geotechnical engineering has a vital role to play in this transformation, both through a deeper understanding of the ground and by reusing materials wherever possible.”

Andy Tyler, Senior Associate and Head of Geotechnical

How do you think geotechnical engineering can help address industry-wide issues like the climate emergency?

Katie: The more we understand the ground, the more sustainable the designs can be – a thorough and comprehensive investigation can result in reduced carbon in the long term.

Matt: I think foundation reuse is the one big way we can make a difference with being sustainable in the geotech industry.

Andy: Exactly – the construction industry has an enormous responsibility to reduce its environmental footprint, and I think geotechnical engineering has a vital role to play in this transformation, both through a deeper understanding of the ground and by reusing materials wherever possible.  Looking ahead, our in-house research team, HTS+, is exploring lower-carbon alternatives to traditional concrete while deepening our understanding of how to future-proof foundations through active monitoring and instrumentation — making them adaptable and reusable for the next generation of developments. Alongside this, we are investigating advancements in material circularity and piling techniques to improve performance and capacity, as well as assessing the potential of deep foundation solutions that not only provide structural support but also harness the earth’s natural heat for efficient building heating and cooling.

Discover HTS+