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

    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

    Mineral Resource Assessments, Dorset

    Mineral Resource Assessments have been undertaken for three sites in close proximity to each other for the same developer on the outskirts of village near Poole, in Dorset, where minerals resource assessments are commonly required due to the quarrying of sand and gravel deposits. Ruddlesden geotechnical carried out site-specific desk-based assessments of the superficial and bedrock geology and potential mineral resources, including the study of geological maps and memoirs, historical data, nearby borehole records, site investigation reports and British Geological Survey Mineral Resource Information for Development Plans. The mineral resource assessments, which were undertaken at the pre-application planning stage, as part of the viability assessment, identified that deposits beneath two of the sites were unlikely to be quarried, whereas further work was required to assess the risks at the third site. This information was used by the developer to help prioritise the developments.

  • Recent projects

    Successful Foul Drainage Tests Facilitate Residential Development in Devon

    It was proposed to construct a foul water drainage field at a proposed residential development site in South Devon. Ruddlesden geotechnical undertook in-situ percolation tests in accordance with Building Regulations drainage and waste disposal Approved Document H. Infiltration rates (percolation values) were provided for use in the design of the drainage field. As there was no mains drainage in the area, if the infiltration rates had been unsuitable for foul drainage, this would have precluded the development of the site.

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