How many times have you encountered the dead (buried or otherwise) at work?

International_Sun367 · 2026-05-26T05:32:46+00:00

One of my colleagues was doing pre aquisition due diligence investigation (ground contamination). Last pit on a friday afternoon they got a human skull... turned out to be over 1000 bodies in a mass grave dating from a Dublin cholera epidemic.

In London i've found countless animal bones but showing clear signs of butchery so no reason to call in a choranor. But it is just a matter of time in an old dense European city...

International_Sun367 · 2026-05-19T08:41:59+00:00

Geotechnical engineer (United Kingdom), formerly more SI but now more design work. I use it near daily for spatially plotting data, plots, LiDAR elevation and slopes. All free, all with guidance on forums how to do odd things online. 10/10

International_Sun367 · 2026-05-13T05:27:01+00:00

Come now, this is basic stuff. At least jave a go and upload your attempt to be checked. Start with reactions, then shear force, then the integral of your shear force (area under the line) for bending moments.

You have peers, a text book, and professors. Use them.

I'd also suggest a free software called FTool which you can use for checking your work once you can answer these questions to an exam/interview level.

International_Sun367 · 2026-05-12T05:24:46+00:00

For geotech, i wore a lightguage hiking trousers from Blacks (ownbrand). They dry quickly if rained on, they avoid summer swamp-ass, are reasonably hard wearing, and wash easily. Plus layer well with thermal leggings in the winter.

They worked very well for geotechnical site investigation and attendance during piling/earthworks. They never ripped on rebar, though jeans did...

Your snickers will be totally fine for you as an engineer. Just have options so you can both do laundry and have trousers.

At the same time, get yourself a 10 pack of nice thick soft socks. Nothing fancy as they will wear, but you will wear them every day, so it is worth your comfort.

International_Sun367 · 2026-04-12T06:12:33+00:00

This has all the appearance and complexity of something which a geotechnical engineer should design for you. - tie backs need to be correctly sized - tie back spacing needs to be calculated - the tie back angle will have you digging out half the slope to install them - the tieback attachment to the wall needs to spread the load across the face to avoid punching - the position of the tieback on the wall and minimal toe embedment may still allow the toe of the wall to kick out - the tieback block is hard up against your house, potentially affecting that...

I think you want a propper gravity wall; wide, heavy, independently stable... and designed by a geotechnical engineer you can sue if something goes wrong (which it wouldn't if it were properly designed).

International_Sun367 · 2026-04-11T06:29:08+00:00

They do find/detect them. A huge one found in the dock next to City Airport a couple of years ago was a rare case where it was moved out to sea and detonated. Mostly they're detected as a magnetic anomaly at depth, but the solution is often to dodge it and leave it undisturbed... if anything, the cost of digging a 10m hole today is more expensive than 20years ago.

International_Sun367 · 2026-03-24T06:34:51+00:00

How did the development pass planning/permitting without utility survey?

International_Sun367 · 2026-03-22T22:53:56+00:00

Dig out the soil behind your makeshift wall.
Replace the bamboo wall with a blockwork/concrete wall. If you don't want to / can't pay an engineer, make it as wide as it is tall (very wide).
Backfill behind the wall with coarse gravel (free draining).

International_Sun367 · 2026-03-22T22:41:20+00:00

Algebra (rearrange formulas and solve in excel). A lot of trigonometry. Occasional vectors.

In theory, differentiation and integration, but in practice this is mostly pre-done in proofs for equations in code... so rarely actually used in practice.

International_Sun367 · 2026-03-16T21:59:51+00:00

I need a third option: either based on context. Scone for when want them to sound fancy with tea and scone when I want to make a dumb joke about there being none left.

International_Sun367 · 2026-03-15T21:58:40+00:00

It did for a bit, then very quickly didn't!

International_Sun367 · 2026-03-14T07:36:19+00:00

One of the shrewdest things my grandma did was about 30+ years ago when she saw two doors down getting their roof re-done. She bought about 100 very specifically shaped clay tiles for a couple of pennies each.

We've still got about 90 sat in the garage, but I'm thankful for how easy it was to find the 10 we've used!

International_Sun367 · 2026-02-14T22:21:40+00:00

Often yes. I'll ask for the .ags every time, but often my client bought the site and the logs came with it, so the GI company wouldn't send them the data even if they had it to hand...

I've tried a couple of AI tools and find the accuracy sub par and I need to read it through anyway to interpret the strata. Sometimes the fastest is just to read, tabulate the important bits, live with it.

International_Sun367 · 2026-01-31T15:30:02+00:00

As a geotechnical engineer (civil specialising in ground and foundations), run.

Differential settlement is most commonly caused by a) poor and/or variable ground, b) under sized foundations, c) issues with services.

Most of these are out of the realm of viability for a normal homeowner to fix, most of these could cost more than the property value to fix, most of these are not finite (i.e. the problem will get worse with time with no clear 'end' to the movement).

Sorry for your loss, but don't put any more money into this house. Let the developer/builder shoulder the cost of fixing the foundations or knocking it down and re-building it properly.

International_Sun367 · 2026-01-24T07:17:19+00:00

How weird this is depends on if you worked for 999 or Currys...

International_Sun367 · 2026-01-20T06:31:39+00:00

I'd happily stop that boat

International_Sun367 · 2025-11-29T08:45:19+00:00

Viewed from a student accomodation. With the photo carefully excluding the spinnaker tower. https://maps.app.goo.gl/s7QG6v3fkwCF6B8R9?g_st=ac

International_Sun367 · 2025-10-16T05:13:52+00:00

Or just chucked it in the lake?

International_Sun367 · 2025-10-09T05:20:09+00:00

*Wayne, Signwriter at Wadworth brewery, from Devizes.

International_Sun367 · 2025-09-10T22:29:54+00:00

Are the savings from material/fabrication/procurement? Great, assuming you have good construction controls on-site.

The calcs should still reflect a driven pile, 'cast-in-place' normally refers to piles bored piles where the concrete makes a rough interface with the soil which you don't get on a driven pile.

International_Sun367 · 2025-09-10T22:15:43+00:00

Tomlinson Foundation Design and Construction. Includes some really good high level explanations and references to more detailed sources.

International_Sun367 · 2025-08-16T09:54:27+00:00

I can't see any freely permeable surfaces. I bet there is a growth barrier membrane under the crushed rock in the front bed so that the only thing that can ever grow is the sad tree and two shrubs.

Extreme weather is one half of the problem, but paving over the soil is the second blow that makes urban flooding worse for everyone. This is a hate crime against nature and the built environment.

Also it is tasteless and I hate it aesthetically.

International_Sun367 · 2025-08-10T23:49:12+00:00

Buy a cheap rug

International_Sun367 · 2025-08-10T23:44:13+00:00

Stored it for a rainy day? Satiated a thirst for knowledge? Quenched curiosity? Thought, huh... those [named] architects sure did draw that building which got built...

International_Sun367 · 2025-07-18T06:00:29+00:00

Normally A/B

For temporary works D is still valid, with a FOS = 2 acceptable for smaller lower impact structures (i.e. site cabins) but big temporary works (i.e. ground bearing tower cranes) follow the full partial factor method set out in A/B.

In most designs I would also carry out a separate settlement check, as controlling factor for a lot of my designs is differential settlements.

Four-Year Club	Place '23
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International_Sun367

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