CIVIL ENGINEERING SEMINAR
Wednesday 3rd February 2016, 5.00 pm
Room A401
Geotechnical challenges of HS2
Nick Sartain, Lead Geotechnical Engineer, HS2
ABSTRACT
HS2 is the proposed high speed railway linking 8 of the UK’s biggest 10 cities. The design and
construction represents a huge engineering challenge in terms of both scale and complexity.
This presentation will cover a high-level review of the Phase 1 route and will look at some of the
geotechnical challenges on the project including the ground investigation, geodynamics, ground
movements (in disturbed and undisturbed ground), earthworks, slopes, geohazards,
foundations and geotechnical data management.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Nick Sartain graduated in Engineering in 1997 before working in geotechnical consultancy.
Latterly he concentrated on the geotechnics of linear infrastructure projects, but also gained
particular experience in foundation design, seismic engineering and quantitative risk
assessment. He is now the Lead Geotechnical Engineer at HS2, working in HS2’s Technical
Directorate and is responsible for the specification, integration and assurance of geotechnical
workstreams on the project.
Nick has authored or co-authored 11 conference or journal papers, is on the Editorial Panel of
the ICE’s Geotechnical Engineering Journal, the scientific committee for the 5th International
Symposium on Geotechnical Safety and Risk, the BSI Committee RAE/2/-/8_13_0009, UK Mirror
Group to CEN/TC/256 “Design of Ballastless Track Systems”, and the drafting committee for the
forthcoming revision to the ICE’s Specification for Piling and Embedded Retaining Walls. He is a
former chairman of the MGS.
This seminar is open to all and refreshments are
provided. For more information, contact Dr Stefano
Utili by email at s.utili@warwick.ac.uk