GB Card & Partners is proud to congratulate Laura Bacon, Director, on being named one of Ground Engineering magazine’s Top 20 Women in Ground Engineering 2026.

Launched to highlight influential and inspirational women shaping the future of the sector, the initiative recognises professionals who are contributing to a more inclusive, innovative and sustainable ground engineering industry. With women representing approximately 23% of the geotechnical workforce, visibility and representation remain vital to encouraging the next generation and strengthening diversity across the profession.

Laura’s leadership, technical expertise and commitment to advancing engineering excellence and inclusive workplace culture make this recognition richly deserved. As a Director at GB Card & Partners, she continues to play a pivotal role in delivering complex projects while supporting and mentoring colleagues across the business. We are delighted to see her contribution to the profession acknowledged and celebrated across the industry.

Contact GB Card & Partners email info@gbcardandpartners.com.

Swanage Railway has appointed UK civil engineering consultancy GB Card & Partners (GBCP) to oversee urgent remedial works at Harman’s Cross station on the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, to arrest active landslips that threaten the integrity of the railway line and continuity of services.

The instability affects a deep cutting at the east end of Harman’s Cross station, created during the original construction of the Swanage Railway. This historic alteration to the slope’s stability has been progressively exacerbated by water runoff from surrounding hills, historic reprofiling works carried out approximately 40 years ago, and the increasing impacts of climate change.

The landslip risk has been known for some time. In 2019, GBCP was instructed by Swanage Railway to undertake a stability assessment of the railway cutting immediately east of the up platform at Harman’s Cross.

“Historic movement of the slope has been observed for at least 15 years, evidenced by the construction of a gabion mass gravity wall around ten years ago,” explained Dr Geoff Card, Managing Director of GBCP. “Our inspection identified clear signs of ongoing instability, including ground heave at the toe of the slope in front of the gabion wall, tension cracking at the crest, and significant settlement.”

GBCP has designed a remedial solution involving the installation of sheet piling to arrest further movement and provide long-term strengthening of the railway infrastructure.

Weather extremes—including prolonged heavy rainfall and drought—are increasingly contributing to slope failures. With many UK railway routes constructed long before modern design standards, landslips are becoming more prevalent across both the mainline and heritage networks.

In 2024, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) reported that British railway failures were “closely related to poor and extreme weather, especially high rainfall.” Network Rail data shows an average of 151 earthwork failures per year between 2020–21 and 2024–25. Recent remedial works have included embankment strengthening in south-west England, including between Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier, and at Axminster.

Dr Card, a recognised expert in heritage railway infrastructure, said: “Landslips in railway cuttings and embankments are occurring throughout the UK, whether on the Network Rail main network or heritage railways. We are seeing a clear increase in projects directly linked to climate change, with high rainfall affecting groundwater levels, soil erosion, and slope stability.”

The works at Harman’s Cross are being supervised on site by Dylan Wendorf-Brown, GBCP’s Senior Geotechnical Engineer. “The key challenge has been arresting slope movement that had caused the track to move out of tolerance,” he said. “Logistics have also been demanding, with restricted access meaning all construction activities must be carried out from trackside.”

Construction works are being delivered by Sonic Rail Services under the supervision and direction of GB Card & Partners. Completion is expected by March 2026.

Photo Credits Andrew PM Wright

Birmingham, UK — 28 August 2025 — The Environmental Services & Solutions Expo (ESS Expo 2025), the UK’s leading industry-wide event for environmental innovation and sustainability, has announced that Dr. Geoff Card, Managing Director of GB Card & Partners, will join a distinguished keynote panel on 17 September 2025 at the NEC Birmingham.

Dr. Card will contribute during the session titled “Managing Geotechnical Assets in a Changing Climate,” taking place from 1:45 PM to 3:30 PM. This high-impact discussion will explore how climate change is reshaping the risks and responsibilities tied to geotechnical assets, with a focus on resilience, remediation, and sustainable design.

“The topic we will be discussing is one that affects us all, and sustainable and creative solutions are required in order to meet the development challenges of the future,” said Dr. Geoff Card.

ESS Expo 2025 brings together thought-leaders, innovators, and experts across Resource & Waste, Energy & Resource, Water Management, Land Management, and Air & Emissions to explore fresh insights, discover breakthrough technologies, and shape the future of sustainability. The event will host 15,000+ attendees, 600+ exhibitors, and 400+ speakers across two days of dynamic programming.

Joining Dr. Card on the panel are:

• Tom Henman, Sustainability & Innovation Director, RSK Geosciences
• Joanne Kwan, Senior Research Manager, CIRIA
• Shon Williams, Geotechnical Director, RSK Geosciences

With over 45 years of experience in civil and geotechnical engineering, Dr. Card has led major infrastructure projects across the UK and internationally, including signature developments along the Thames Corridor, London Docklands, and the Olympic Park. He is the author of more than 40 technical papers and publications, including key UK guidance documents published by the Transport Research Laboratory and CIRIA. GB Card & Partners is a funder of the CIRIA climate change project, and Dr. Card serves on its Project Steering Group.

For further information on Dr. Geoff Card and GB Card & Partners, please contact: info@gbcardandpartners.com +44 01392 790020.