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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

    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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  • Recent projects

    TPH, PAH, VOC and SVOC Testing for Contamination Risk Assessments

    Extensive speciated total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH), polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), volatile organic compound (VOC) and semi-volatile organic compound (SVOC) soil and groundwater testing was undertaken as part of the contamination investigation and assessment for a former railway station and bitumen emulsion depot in Somerset. The locations of the samples and suites of the laboratory testing were targeted, based on the conceptual site model (CSM) and site observations. The laboratory testing was supplemented with in-situ VOC testing using a photo-ionisation detector (PID). The results of the laboratory testing, which was UKAS accredited, were used as part of the human health and controlled waters risk assessments, so that appropriate remedial measures could be provided. All of the analysis and reports were approved by the local authority, NHBC and Environment Agency.

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