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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

Recent projects

  • Latest news

    09 Jun 2026

    Mini golf in a Cornish rock garden

    A bit of rain did not dampen the spirits at the Ruddlesden geotechnical golf day this year, when retaining the trophies became the theme of the day.Smashing balls into a field in Cornwall (Trackman driving range) was followed by lunch in the feasting barns, with the main event – mini golf in a Cornish rock garden – in the afternoon. Geoff and Sarah retained their first male and female prizes, Becky put a lot of effort in hanging on to her wooden spoon trophy, and Catherine won the nearest the pin trophy for the first time. As always, there was no winner of the ‘beat-the-boss’ prize, but this year that was only because having the same score does not mean beating!

    Mini golf in a Cornish rock garden
    Mini golf in a Cornish rock garden

  • Recent projects

    Mining Supervision, Somerset

    Following a coal mining risk assessment, which indicated the proposed residential development site in Kingswood, Bristol, to potentially be at risk from historical coal mining, a geotechnical investigation was undertaken to ascertain the depth (and thickness) of any historical mine workings. The geotechnical investigation and updated coal mining risk assessmentindicated that remedial works were required to guarantee the safety of end users and serviceability of the structures, as the shallow depth of the historical workings meant that the site was at risk from crown-hole collapse. As construction works had already commenced, the only option to avoid the demolition of the newly built houses/ flats was to consolidate the mine workings, to remove the risk of collapse. Ruddlesden designed the remedial works, which comprised a number of boreholes on a fixed grid surrounding the footprint of the part-constructed building, and appointed a specialist contractor to undertake the grouting. Ruddlesden geotechnical supervised the remedial works throughout and signed off the works on completion.

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  • Recent projects

    Multiple Contamination Assessment and Consultancy Services at Holiday Park, Cornwall

    A full range of contamination investigation and assessment services have been provided for a large and on-going holiday accommodation development in Cornwall. The Phase 1 Contamination Assessmentidentified that much of the site was underlain by a former licensed and unlicensed landfill site. The dynamic sampling/ windowless sample boreholes and trial pits, together with contamination laboratory testing, identified the site to be underlain by made ground/ fill, most of which comprised locally derived soil with no significantly elevated levels of contamination; however, localised areas of elevated levels of contamination were identified. A detailed quantitative risk assessment (DQRA) was undertaken, which included bioaccessibility testing and modifying the exposure duration within the CLEA model, to demonstrate that whilst some of the recorded levels of contamination might exceed the generic assessment criteria (GAC) for a standard residential land use, the recorded levels of contamination were unlikely to be harmful to human healthgiven the proposed end use. Particularly high levels of ground gas (methane and ground gas) have been recorded. Long-term gas monitoring and a large dataset has been required to undertake a robust ground gas assessment, where peak and steady flow rates and maximum concentrations, together with groundwater level and atmospheric pressure fluctuations, have been studied in detail to ensure the correct site characterisation and gas protection measure proposals. Continuous client and local authority engagement together with clear reporting have been crucial at this site to ensure that relatively complex issues were understood by all and the relevant planning conditions have been discharged.

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