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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

    27 Aug 2026

    LiDAR, UAV and GIS used for Slope Stability Assessment

    Geoff Davis has recently been working on another coastal caravan site with slope stability problems.On this site, Lewis Brown Chartered Land Surveyors used remote sensing (LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)) from a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) to help understand the locations and magnitude of ground movements.Ruddlesden geotechnical then used GIS (Geographic Information System)  to highlight areas of concern, to quantify the degree of movement, which might have otherwise been missed.These technologies have been great in helping us understand the landslide processes at this site and, equally importantly, convey to others what is happening. However, they are of little use without a detailed understanding of the geological and geomorphological processes, which inform the all-important ground model, i.e. they should be seen as a useful tool to help us understand and communicate landslide processes, rather than a replacement for the understanding of them.

    LiDAR, UAV and GIS used for Slope Stability Assessment
    LiDAR, UAV and GIS used for Slope Stability Assessment

  • Recent projects

    Economical Recommendations Provided for Ground Floor Slab Design, Devon

    Ruddlesden geotechnical were commissioned to review historical site investigation data to form a ground model and provide guidance on the use of a ground bearing slab for a proposed warehouse for a regional wholesaler. Consideration was given to the bearing capacity of the subgrade, volume change potential of the soil, slope of the ground, groundwater table, ground aggressivity and the presence of non-engineered fill materials. To avoid the requirement for a suspended floor slab, it was recommended that the superficial shrinkable soils be removed and engineered fill be imported to support the proposed ground bearing slab.

  • Recent projects

    Combined Geotechnical Consultancy Services Provided for Residential Development, Devon

    Ruddlesden geotechnical has provided a combination of several geotechnical consultancy services for a large and on-going residential development site in Torbay. The geology of clay underlain limestone has resulted in a number of geotechnical hazards, primarily associated with solution features in the limestone, which have had implications on foundations, drainage and excavations. Using information obtained from a combination of geophysics, trial pits, dynamic sampling/ windowless sample boreholes and rotary boreholes, foundation recommendations have locally included reinforcement and widening to reduce ground bearing pressures. Deep bore soakaways have been recommended to avoid the potential wash-out of near surface soils, which might be caused by conventional soakaways in these ground conditions. In addition, terracing of a slope in part of the site generated significant quantities of soil. Rather than disposing of this at landfill, a material re-use suitability assessment was undertaken, which allowed an earthworks specification to be produced, which itself enabled ground levels to be raised on another area of the site, reducing the need to mechanically break-out near-surface bedrock for excavations.

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