Established 2004

Ruddlesden geotechnical

Ruddlesden geotechnical provides ground investigation, geotechnical consultancy and contamination assessment services.

Based in Exeter, but covering the whole of the UK, albeit primarily concentrated in the South West, Ruddlesden geotechnical was formed in 2004.

Ruddlesden geotechnical works on behalf of a wide client base, including local, regional and national housing developers, housing associations, commercial developers, building contractors, structural and civil engineers, architects, building consultants, quantity surveyors, local authorities and private individuals.

Development projects range from single dwellings and extensions to large housing estates, multi-storey flats, offices, industrial units, roads, slopes, schools, hospitals and basements.

The services and projects listed on this web-site provide an indication of those undertaken by Ruddlesden geotechnical, but others are carried out. If your requirement is not readily identifiable on this web-site, please contact us as we may still be able to help you.

  • AGS
  • Constructionline
  • CSCS
  • SMAS
  • ECFC trust
  • Latest news

    05 Oct 2026

    Everything you always wanted to know about soakaway testing and groundwater monitoring*

    Everything you always wanted to know about soakaway testing and groundwater monitoring* (*but were afraid to ask).This was the title of a recent lunchtime CPD presentation that Simon and Callum recently gave to a company of drainage and civil engineers. Whilst the pun in the title, taken from a Woody Allen film, might have been lost on many of the audience, its content certainly wasn’t. I am all for sharing what we know, particularly if it takes less than an hour, over lunch, and especially if it helps make all of our lives easier and to the benefit of others. Whilst standing up in front of a room and talking for around 40 minutes isn’t my idea of fun, the benefits are great and many, so we are happy to provide a similar talk to others, if anyone fancies it.    Providing a pizza lunch is optional, but always helps with our availability!

    Everything you always wanted to know about soakaway testing and groundwater monitoring*
    Everything you always wanted to know about soakaway testing and groundwater monitoring*
  • Recent projects

    Residential Redevelopment of Former Garage

    A human health risk assessment at a proposed residential development site in North Devon was undertaken as part of a wider scope of works comprising a Phase 1 and Phase 2 contamination assessment, followed by the production of a remediation strategy and subsequent validation testing. The Phase 1 assessment indicated that the site was a former garage, part of a larger historical coach depot. The Phase 2 contamination investigation, which comprised windowless sample boreholes and contamination laboratory testing, recorded elevated levels of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH)and lead within both made ground and underlying natural soils, associated with a remnant underground storage tank (UST), fuel lines and an off-site tank, within the confines of the former coachworks. The contamination risk assessment indicated the recorded levels of contamination to potentially be harmful to human health, given the proposed residential land use. To protect end users, Ruddlesden recommended that all of the tanks and associated fuel lines be remove, and that all proposed garden/ soft-landscaped areas be capped with a minimum thickness of 600mm topsoil and subsoil underlain by a geotextile membrane. All of Ruddlesden’s reports were approved by the local authority’s environmental health officer and the contaminated land planning condition was satisfied.

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  • Recent projects

    Gas Monitoring for Residential Development in Cornwall

    Ruddlesden geotechnical have been undertaking ground gas monitoring to provide data for a ground gas assessmentfor the proposed residential development of land near Newquay, Cornwall. The Phase 1 Preliminary Contamination Assessment and mining risk assessmentidentified that an Elvan Dyke (coarse-grained igneous intrusion) had previously been quarried within the centre of the proposed development site and that the quarry had subsequently been used as a landfill site and infilled with domestic refuse. As part of the contaminated land assessment, ground gas monitoring wells were installed within windowless sample boreholes, to facilitate the long-term ground gas monitoring. Ruddlesden geotechnical use an infra-red gas analyser to monitor levels of carbon dioxide, methane, oxygen, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide and gas flow.

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