Over the summer GB Card & Partners have become part of the project team delivering sustainable green energy to meet UK Government commitment to achieving fully decarbonised electricity by 2035. The team at GB Card have investigated, analysed and designed the foundations for a wind farm in the south-west in a former sand quarry.

The individual 100m tall towers supporting the turbines are located in areas of the former sand quarry comprising disturbed or infilled ground overlying natural deposits. Using numerical modelling techniques to examine forces and bending moments generated in the towers , GB Card were able to demonstrate that mass gravity foundations are viable thus avoiding the use of conventional piled foundation techniques in such variable ground.

The mass gravity foundations comprise 19.50-meter diameter circular reinforced concrete plinth, 1.10m to 2.70m thick, which is entirely embedded below ground level.

Anna Smaje, GB Card’s geotechnical engineer for the project, describes her involvement “It’s been a great project to be a part of, and what’s more my verification inspections during construction coincided with some rare summer sunshine creating some fabulous pictures of the tower foundations under construction”.

To learn more of GB Card’s involvement in supporting green energy infrastructure projects please contact Dr Geoff Card on 01392 790020.

As GB Card & Partners continues to go from straight to strength, we’re pleased to announce the arrival of our latest addition to the team, Anna Smaje.

Anna is GB Card’s new Engineer with 3 years’ experience in the Geo-Environmental industry focusing on a lot of projects within the southeast, mainly in Portsmouth including various Geo-Environmental desk studies and Phase 2 reports.

In Anna’s spare time she enjoys hiking and has recently summited Ben Nevis with the aim of completing all the UK peaks in 2023.

To discuss any projects with Anna please email asmaje@gbcardandpartners.com.

Today, Wednesday 8^th March, is International Women’s Day and the 2023 theme is around #EmbraceEquity.

“The aim of the IWD 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign theme is to get the world talking about Why equal opportunities aren’t enough. People start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging require equitable action”.

Acknowledging equality & equity is very important to GB Card & Partners. Within all STEM  (science, technology, engineering & math) based industries the likelihood of men outnumbering women is high, statistically only 28% of the workforce is made up by women. At GB Card & Partners we’re proud to say our workforce is 50/50 which is a rarity but we appreciate there is still work to do within the wider geo-engineering field to ensure equality & equity for all.

Find out more about how you can support IWD 2023 here.