CL:AIRE is delighted to announce the publication of a new guidance document Piling and Penetrative Ground Improvement Methods on Land Affected by Contamination: Guidance on Pollution Prevention.
This report presents guidance on assessing risks associated with, and preventing pollution from piling and penetrative ground improvement methods, with a specific focus on their use on land affected by contamination. It also covers some specific aspects that are not solely related to contaminated sites, including the issues of turbidity from piling and the risk of it affecting water quality at abstraction wells, as well as the use of support fluids.
The Environment Agency originally published technical guidance for piling in 2001. This version captures research since then into the effects of piling on contaminant migration, supplemented by a literature review and industry consultation. A framework is provided that identifies various factors that affect the risk of adverse effects from piling and these are classified as low, medium and high risk. Seven possible pollution scenarios have been identified and described, representing situations where there is the potential for piling or penetrative ground improvement operations to cause pollution.
The Environment Agency appointed CL:AIRE to update the guidance which has been authored by Amy Juden and Steve Wilson of the Environmental Protection Group Ltd. The work has been guided by an industry steering group incorporating representatives from industry, consultancy, and regulators across the devolved administrations. CL:AIRE would like to gratefully acknowledge the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales for their seed funding for this project. The final document has kindly been reviewed and supported by the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), an executive agency within the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). CL:AIRE would also like to thank its Technology and Research Group for their peer review of the document prior to publication.
Industry steering group members and organisations
Andrew Tranter, RSK Geosciences & Christos Botsialas, TRC - representing the Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists
Nicola Harries and Rob Sweeney - CL:AIRE
Angela Haslam & Theresa Cory - Environment Agency
Amy Juden & Steve Wilson - EPG
Chris Oram, formerly Keltbray - representing the Federation of Piling Specialists
Hal Sambrooke, Cannock Chase Council - representing the National Contaminated Land Officers Group
Matt Llewhellin - Natural Resources Wales
Edward Lewis - Northern Ireland Environment Agency
Caroline Thornton - Scottish Environment Protection Agency
Lawrence Bowden, Geosyntec - representing the Society of Brownfield Risk Assessment
Frank Westcott, Ground Consultants Ltd - representing Specialist in Land Condition
Alessandro Marsili, Affinity Water - representing Water UK
The Piling guidance document can be downloaded for free on CL:AIRE's Technical Guidance page at www.claire.co.uk/piling (PDF 23MB).