Geotechnical design at Joseph Norton Academy.

Our geotechnical team were back on site last week at the new Joseph Norton Academy project in Huddersfield – a great chance to see progress up close and capture a few photos of the enabling works taking shape 🏗️

Leading the civil, structural and geotechnical design, our teams have developed coordinated solutions to tackle the site’s challenges – steep topography, variable ground conditions and platform‑level constraints.

A big part of unlocking the site has been the use of innovative and sustainable geotechnical solutions. Using 3D earthworks modelling, we developed efficient strategies for moving around 40,000m³ of material – reducing double‑handling, cutting programme risk and lowering carbon impact. Our design brings together reinforced soil structures, gabion terramesh systems and a geopin nail solution for rock slope stabilisation, creating a coordinated retaining strategy that avoids unnecessary ground treatment. Early value engineering also allowed us to remove carbon‑intensive elements, keeping the scheme both cost‑efficient and environmentally responsible 🌿

Our geotechnical work includes detailed ground investigation, earthworks design, ground improvement, slope stability assessments and technical oversight of the specialist retaining and stabilisation systems.

This project is a great example of the value of early, in‑house collaboration across civils, structures and geotechnical design 💚

Fantastic to be working with:
⭐ Wates Group – Contractor
⭐ Kirklees Council – Main Client
⭐ Moorhead Excavations Limited – Earthworks Contractor
⭐ Maccaferri
⭐ Stabilisure
⭐ dla architecture – Architects
⭐ Commercial Services Design Limited – MEP Consultants – M&E
⭐ G&H – M&E

Adam Richardson | Alex Hopton | Ethan Reid | James Elliott | Kevin Egan | Kristen Jones | Matthew Lomas | Richard Osbond | Ronak Amirhosseiny | Ross Roebuck

#GeotechnicalEngineering #GeotechnicalDesign #LowCarbonEngineering #SustainableDesign #EducationProjects