Graham Birch Email and Phone Number

Appointed by Railtrack at Waterloo Station to the newly created post of Earthworks Asset Steward with responsibility for the Region’s 2010 embankments and cuttings. The role provided the technical focus for all geological and geotechnical aspects of the operation of a safe, timely and dependable railway network comprising 1580 route miles of which some 928 miles, approx. 60%, are on or within earthwork structures. Associated responsibilities include the safe management of ancient mine workings,… Show more Appointed by Railtrack at Waterloo Station to the newly created post of Earthworks Asset Steward with responsibility for the Region’s 2010 embankments and cuttings. The role provided the technical focus for all geological and geotechnical aspects of the operation of a safe, timely and dependable railway network comprising 1580 route miles of which some 928 miles, approx. 60%, are on or within earthwork structures. Associated responsibilities include the safe management of ancient mine workings, coastal and river defences and areas affected by underground fires. The role involved close co-operation with that of the Tunnelling Engineer regarding the geological, hydrogeological and monitoring aspects of the Region’s tunnels assets.The extreme weather of 2000/01 led to an unprecedented number of earthworks failures throughout the Southern Region and my first task on joining Railtrack was to establish and direct an Emergency Response Team charged with providing a 24 hour remediation facility. In excess of 60 incidents were rectified within the first year at a cost of £20m. Sites were prioritised according to the severity of the incident, the propensity for failures in that area and the impact on the railway operation. Show less

This role was to assist in the development and broadening out of the Geotechnical Division of this major international consultancy. The introduction of specialist tunnelling and engineering geomorphological skills met with the Division’s aspiration to move beyond being a responsive service to the civil engineering section of the consultancy by introducing their own clients and independent portfolio of projects. This provided me with the opportunity to promote the application of engineering… Show more This role was to assist in the development and broadening out of the Geotechnical Division of this major international consultancy. The introduction of specialist tunnelling and engineering geomorphological skills met with the Division’s aspiration to move beyond being a responsive service to the civil engineering section of the consultancy by introducing their own clients and independent portfolio of projects. This provided me with the opportunity to promote the application of engineering geomorphology to both surface and subsurface transport systems. Show less

This appointment was to head up the Engineering Geomorphological Team of this small, Newport Pagnell based, consultancy involved in the provision of specialist services to the engineering and legal fields, worldwide. The Consultancy was established by a group of leading geomorphologists from academia (J.C.Doornkamp, R.U.Cooke, D.K.C.Jones, D.Brunsden, J.N.Hutchinson, P.G.Fookes) who, through a variety of commissions with industry, had successfully demonstrated the potential for the application… Show more This appointment was to head up the Engineering Geomorphological Team of this small, Newport Pagnell based, consultancy involved in the provision of specialist services to the engineering and legal fields, worldwide. The Consultancy was established by a group of leading geomorphologists from academia (J.C.Doornkamp, R.U.Cooke, D.K.C.Jones, D.Brunsden, J.N.Hutchinson, P.G.Fookes) who, through a variety of commissions with industry, had successfully demonstrated the potential for the application of geomorphological skills to engineering projects. I was successful in securing new business from previous clients, including Wales Gas. Show less

Joining the Sidcup based consulting arm of this major contracting organisation provided openings to develop my belief that the application of air photo interpretation and engineering geological mapping would prove beneficial to the efficiency and execution of civil engineering projects. This somewhat innovative approach won recognition on a number of major overseas projects.For example : CHANNEL TUNNEL PROJECT. Seconded to TML - Tunnel Engineering. Responsible for site direction of… Show more Joining the Sidcup based consulting arm of this major contracting organisation provided openings to develop my belief that the application of air photo interpretation and engineering geological mapping would prove beneficial to the efficiency and execution of civil engineering projects. This somewhat innovative approach won recognition on a number of major overseas projects.For example : CHANNEL TUNNEL PROJECT. Seconded to TML - Tunnel Engineering. Responsible for site direction of geotechnical design aspects of the marine tunnel drives, undersea crossover cavern, spoil reclamation, environmental aspects and permanent records. Liaison with design sub-consultants and Nature Conservancy Council and representation of TML’s interests at conferences in Paris in 1989, in Brighton in 1989 and in Nottingham in 1989. Show less

Appointed to the Geotechnical Division at Leatherhead, Surrey as an Engineering Geologist I was assigned a variety of projects which utilised the experience previously gained in the design, specification, supervision and reporting of ground investigations and, more especially, in the use of geomorphological techniques for the evaluation of hazards to engineering projects. For example:NATURAL GAS STORAGE/REINFORCEMENT PIPELINES, SOUTH WALES. Project Engineer responsible for geotechnical… Show more Appointed to the Geotechnical Division at Leatherhead, Surrey as an Engineering Geologist I was assigned a variety of projects which utilised the experience previously gained in the design, specification, supervision and reporting of ground investigations and, more especially, in the use of geomorphological techniques for the evaluation of hazards to engineering projects. For example:NATURAL GAS STORAGE/REINFORCEMENT PIPELINES, SOUTH WALES. Project Engineer responsible for geotechnical aspects of a £21M (1982) natural gas storage and transmission project for Wales Gas in the industrial valleys of South Wales. Reconnaissance surveys and detailed site investigations for 36km of 1200mm diameter VHP steel welded pipeline and associated decompression stations. Evaluation of geotechnical and mining hazards, including ground stress calculations, in relation to pipeline design and ground stabilisation. Liaison with specialist consultants and representation of client’s interests on geological and environmental aspects at meetings with local and regional authorities. Full responsibility for assessing the Client’s needs, submitting budget estimates and ensuring that work tasks were delivered on time and within budget. Show less