Yesterday (6th February 2024), our Managing Director and Chair of the British Geotechnical Association (BGA), Andrew Ridley, delivered the closing remarks at the BGA's half-day mini-symposium on 'The Observational Method'...
"Today’s symposium has outlined the principles of the Observational Method and demonstrated how it can be applied. I hope it is clear that whilst good monitoring is an essential part of the Observational Method, it is not the only part, and just because one is undertaking field monitoring doesn’t mean you are adopting OM. Contracts, cooperation, back analysis and an action plan are also vital parts of the process.
Advances in technology are making it possible to undertake analysis of ground and structural behaviour in near real-time, but this means that those charged with making decisions on the basis of field measurements must have the experience to do so, and therefore the appointment of a monitoring specialist is essential. Rather like Formula 1, the opportunity exists to make rapid decisions on the basis of real measurements, to bring the car into the pits at the right time and send it out in the lead. However, there is always a potential for things to go wrong in the pits if the team has not made the proper preparations, and each role requires a trained and experienced person to ensure that the operation goes smoothly.
When applied well though, the Observational Method provides an excellent opportunity for geotechnical engineers to add significant value, not only in terms of time and money, but also in terms of safety and the increasingly important carbon footprint of a project".
Geotechnical Observations was a proud sponsor of this event.
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Ph.D Student of Civil Engineering
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