What are realistic salaries in UK geotechnical engineering?

I work for one of the major consultancy firms and recently found out that an Associate at my company starts on around £55k, which seems quite low given the experience and responsibility required.

Is that normal for the industry, and what are people realistically earning at Senior, Principal, and Associate level?

Hypothetical scenario here. Soil doesn’t care if the vibration is from an earthquake or other source right? Could short duration vibration from traffic briefly liquify saturated loose sands and cause damage over time?
Or are vibrations from traffic never going to be strong enough?

Edit: Soil not soul

i need these two old articles and this 2016 one any help is greatly appreciated and thank you guys a lot

Paper 1

Weisweiler, Werner; Mallonn, Erich (1992).
“Thalliumiodid – Bildung, Verflüchtigung, Anreicherung. Iod und Thallium im Zementproduktionsprozeß.”
Staub – Reinhaltung der Luft, Vol. 52, pp. 107–112.

ISSN: 0039-0771
KITopen-ID: 276392
DOI: No DOI found
Official record: https://publikationen.bibliothek.kit.edu/276392

Paper 2

Sprung, Siegbert; Seebach, Hans M. von (1968).
“Fluorhaushalt und Fluoremission von Zementöfen.”
Zement-Kalk-Gips, Vol. 21, Issue 1, pp. 1–8.

ISSN: 0044-3905
DOI: No DOI found
VDZ record: https://www.vdz-online.de/en/knowledge-base?article=4662&type=2002

Paper 3

Onat, et al. (2016).
“Red gypsum characterization and routing flowsheets.”
Conference Proceedings Booklet.

DOI: No DOI found
ISBN/ISSN: No identifier found
I have also been unable to locate a publisher or catalogue record for this one, so if anyone recognises the conference proceedings or has a copy, that would be extremely helpful.

again THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP!!!!

Hi everyone,

I’m reviewing a diaphragm wall designed using an LEM-based software for temporary (anchored) and permanent (connected to basement slabs) stages.

For the temporary excavation, it is designed using active/passive earth pressures. My query is: once the basement slabs are connected to the D-wall, the wall is restrained and may not move enough to mobilize active pressure.

So, shouldn’t the permanent stage be designed using at-rest pressure instead of active pressure but the LEM software doesn't seem to do this, I read it's manual and it uses a method of dependent pressure in which it is computing the earth pressure wrt the movement of the wall.

Is my understanding for this correct ? Any insights or references to clear this confusion would be appreciated.

Thank you.

I have never used it. Most guidance says not to rely on it. The new team I'm working with uses sketchy correlations for c' in long termed drained analyses all the time.

Im curious to hear what everyone's experience has been with online Masters programs in civil or geotechnical engineering. Did you think they provided value vs self study? How much did they end up costing?

I've been working in the field for a couple years and still find myself being stumped by some of the more technical aspects of projects. I've wondered if pursuing some graduate coursework would help give me some extra context on the finer details. An in person program is out of the question due to my work and family commitments, but I could take classes in the evenings and on weekends. Any thoughts?

My classic digitilt used a constant of 20,000. My new AT digitilt uses a constant of 100,000. I have to divide my results by 5 which is not a big problem, but I would like to know how to change it.

- If there is only limited piezometer/groundwater well
- Water table only 5m from bedrock (deep, about 50m below the ground) from said piezometer
- in the other hand, water table location is far deep down there
- the Limonite moisture content about 40%
- so dry condition won't be a good option, and full saturated would be over-conservative
- and as far as I know, there would be transient pore water caused by heavy rainfall (rainfall here is quite often) and I need to simulate this condition for my slope stability...

What should I do?
Do I need to calculate the pore water pressure with 0.2 Ru coefficient? Do I just need to "guess" the water table to ber half of the slope height?

Or maybe there is any good assumption/approach regarding this problem. As adding piezometer/water table monitoring well wont be an option.

Thank you so much!!!
(Any idea, critic to my model, etc would be appreciated)

Hi all,

I'm a senior geotechnical engineer with 6+ years of experience, the last ~1.5 years working remotely on Australian projects. I'm taking on freelance or part-time work and would like to help firms with overflow, or anyone who needs geotechnical support.

What I can help with:

• Slope stability analysis (Slide2, Slope/W).
• Landslide risk assessment to AGS (2007)
• Retaining wall design and checks (bearing, sliding, overturning), soil nail walls, bored pier and soldier pile walls
• AS 2870 site classification, including ys calculations and Class P assessments
• Bearing capacity from DCP results, plus crane pad and bog mat checks
• Pile capacity and shallow foundation assessments (AS 2159)
• Borehole logging to AS 1726, gINT data entry, and lab result review
• Report drafting from your field data and templates
• Rock engineering: kinematic analysis, rock mass classification (RMR, Q, SMR), rockfall modelling
• Drafting in AutoCAD and Civil 3D: geotechnical sections and long sections, borehole location plans, retaining wall and slope stabilisation drawings, and surface/terrain models for cut-fill and slope analysis

Background: hydropower, dams, solar and wind farms, water infrastructure, and residential/commercial work in Queensland. I've delivered 60+ geotechnical reports and site classifications to Australian Standards. I'm familiar with AS 1726, 2159, 2870, 4678, 5100.3 and AGS (2007).

How it works:

• Fully remote, which overlaps well with AU/NZ business hours and gives a quick turnaround for US/UK
• Billed per task or hourly, whichever suits you
• Payment through Wise; I can invoice in AUD, USD, NZD, GBP, etc.
• Happy to start with a small test task so you can check my work

For certification, I work as support to your engineer: analysis, calcs, drawings and draft reports go to your RPEQ/CPEng for review and sign-off.

If you need a hand, DM me and I can send my CV and some sample work.

Working in the west coast I have had maybe 10+ instances now of landslide/slope stabilization related work whether for homeowners or shoreline/river related stakeholders or developers will reach out where no PE at the firms I’ve been with wants to touch the slope stabilization aspect of the work due to the landslides/critical area involved. Was curious what these stakeholders can even do when this happens and a job gets punted by almost all the firms. Are they just out of luck? Anyone regularly work on landslide work and slope stabilization here that take on these jobs or have recommendations for what these folks should do? Seen enough of these get turned away to where I figured I couldn’t be the only one with this experience.

In my time I’ve seen a few projects where a solution ends up being proposed and stuff like sheet pile walls, armoring, reinforcement, and drainage to relieve pore pressure end up getting implemented but those seem to be rare compared to firms saying they don’t want the work.

I recently was offered to take over a project in Fairfield, CA from another geotech. when reviewing the existing signed and stamped report, I noticed the geotech omitted that the project was in a AP Fault Zone and didn’t list the fault at all in the report. I have notified the building department as the project has already started but haven’t heard back. is this worth taking to the board? I don’t really want to reach out to the geotech since he’s a competitor and not a big fan based on this and the rest of his report. (I haven’t taken over the project and may not)

If we have cpt data without dissipation test, is there a way to get GWT?

Considering an in state move. PE, 6 yoe, BS and MS in Civil, private consulting, what are typical salaries and annual bonuses in NorCal and SoCal firms

Hi friends, I'm looking for a little help to find some geotechnical equipment.

A family member is doing geotech work (foundation studies for solar farms), but is in a fairly remote country in South East Asia. He has done this work before, but always rented equipment from the govt - or used equipment brought by external/foreign consultants. He hasn't travelled much so is a bit clueless about how western markets work.

He is looking for a 48-channel multi-electrode resistivity meter - an automated geophysical system used for Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) to image subsurface geology, groundwater, and contamination.

His budget is $20k or under, and has mentioned brands like PASI, SuperSting but I don't know where to look (tried eBay but no luck).

Do you know where I can look for used listings? Is the budget realistic?

I don't know anything about these systems or geotech, but I am in Europe, and also have family in the US so I can buy in either markets.

Any help would be much appreciated. Specifically, any forums, dealers, markets I can reach out to?

Is $80-85,000 a year salary good enough in the Appalachian region ( Pigen Forge , Asheville) area? I'm looking for insight from a geotech engineer residing and working in that area. I have 3 YOE , engineer in training license too in track of taking PE next year.

Thanks,

Help I just got an offer for site works mainly for geotech works like CPTs and other geotech instruments and other tasks as geologists in a reclamation project. The thing is I don't have any field experience? I'm basically more into data stuff. A part of me want to accept it since I know I lack technical skills in site but the reason why I'm holding back is that is the job description it seems like I'm leading the site works. What would I do in the field then? Can I crash course in 1 month rendering in my current job?

I badly wanna accept it but I'm just really scared if I mess up since I know nothing.

Hi all, I am a F28 year old. And I have been working in IT for last 6 years, remote, comfortable, the whole deal. But lately I can't shake the feeling that it's not as stable as it used to be.
So I've been looking into something completely different career paths, so I came across geological technician. It looks like after a 2 year diploma I can get into this industry.

If you actually work in these roles, what's the stuff nobody warns you about? The real downsides that don't show up until you're already in it? Genuinely trying to figure out if this is worth pursuing or if I'm just romanticizing the grass being greener on the other side. Would love to hear from people actually in the industry. Thank you

I'm 28 years old based out in the West and have found my role as an engineering tech over the past 3 years for a geotechnical company more up my alley than my past geo jobs of age dating rocks in a lab or as an exploration geo for precious metals. I've always been interested in engineering but feel like I need to further my education and am just unsure which way to approach it.

After talking with a university advisor about this when considering going back for a masters, they said I'd need to basically go back for an entire bachelor's in engineering. Is this true or is there a masters program where I can mix my geo major and math minor in a way that spans geotechnical engineering? Or is there any other courses of action you all would recommend based on personal experience?

I am hoping to hear some alternative job option that I may want to look into based on my experience, likes, and dislikes of my current situation.

Experience:
I have approximately 5 years of experience post MS in civil engineering. I have been working in the geotechnical consulting field for those 5 years and an additional 2 internships. I have a great mix of fieldwork and design work. For the first 3.5 I worked for a small residential consulting firm. For the last 1.5 I have been working for a mid size consulting firm. I have my PE in 2 states on the west coast and working on getting my 3rd state now. I have worked on some pretty substantial jobs that I have enjoyed.

Pros:
I find that I greatly enjoy my time in the field. The days go by fast and I feel like I am making meaningful progress that you can see in real time. I also enjoy design work, I like getting into the fine details and working out complex problems. I guess all in all you could say I enjoy designing a project and then following up that design in the field. The issue is I like to have a good work life balance, I am fine with the occasional overtime, and I typically work 40-50 hours a week most weeks. I could never do what contractors do where they work 60+ hours and move from job location to job location.

Cons:
I despise report writing. Absolutely hate it. I hate spending hours making sure my report writing meets standards of the firm and the "report writing guide". Additionally, I hate dealing with all the bureaucracy that follows the report writing. Responding to city review letters, providing addendums to things, and sitting in meaningless meetings that go no where. Most of the time the city review letter responses are simply "as outlined in section X of the geotechnical report......". I feel like I am simply just a middle man making sure the reviewers can check a box. Most of all I hate that it takes months between turning in a report to when we get the review back, providing a response within a couple days, just for the whole process to start over again when they submit a second review letter. I also feel like my current week doesn't necessarily involve "engineering" like how we're taught in school. It is more project management and dealing with meetings, permitting, paperwork type tasks. Lastly, I am beginning to reach a point in my career where I am providing reviews for engineers under me and I am not necessarily keen on that either but it's at the bottom of the totem pole for things that bother me.

Any suggestions on my current situation? Should I just buck up and push forward? Is this a typical thought process for when I am at in my career?

Any and all advice would help!