Binnies’ work on the Blackbrook Reservoir Seismic Study shortlisted for two awards
The study has been shortlisted in the Award for Technical Excellence and for a UK project with a Geotechnical value of up to £500K categories.
As part of an inspection in 2024, the Inspecting Engineer requested a seismic assessment be undertaken to prove overall dam safety. Following a literature review, Binnies proposed to carry out finite element analysis (FEA) to USACE manuals using a Binnies-derived wave function rather than a pseudo-static approach. This was done because Binnies identified a risk to the upper wall section of the dam that could not be assessed using a mass pseudo-static approach. The results were aligned with design criteria given in the USACE manuals and satisfied overall dam safety requirements while identifying a possible mode of failure of the upper section. This was not initially required but was proposed to the client as an added benefit to enable further investigation and/or remediation to reduce costs, while the analysis proved the overall safety and stability of the dam.
Korin Cross, Binnies Geotechnical Engineer, is shortlisted in the Rising Star category
Korin’s extensive experience, from analyst in the military to site engineer and geotechnical consultant, has resulted in her becoming a strong geotechnical engineer. Contributing to a wide variety of projects, she has shown an ability to adapt and quickly understand technical nuances. She has led the finite element modelling (FEM) capability within her team, completing various designs including dewatering large excavations near critical infrastructure, designing proofs of concept for relatively new and untried construction methodologies and establishing methods to assess dynamic safety following the International Commission on Large Dams asserting pseudo-static methods of analysis were unsuitable for seismic analysis. Her work on reviewing contractors’ methodologies and as-built information for a complex construction scheme identified concerns of basal failure during construction and lasting effects to the integrity of the founding material. Her intervention was instrumental in prompting early warnings, risk assessments and contingency planning to safeguard the project outcome.
Empowering Talent, Embracing Diversity: The future of geotechnical engineering
The Geotech team has been making small sustainable changes to working and recruitment practices to improve the attraction and retention of a more diverse workforce during a period of sustained team growth. We are very proud this has been recognised by our shortlisting in the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Champion category.
The team has industry-leading diversity figures:
- 41% female staff (12.6% industry average)
- 91% of staff under the industry average age of 54
- 32% BAME (8% industry average)
- 10% STEM returners
- 5% army reservists.
This has changed the way that the team thinks and provides us with a much broader and more resilient outlook, enabling us to deliver genuinely outstanding work for our clients.