GEA Technical Director, Mike Plimmer, has provided a thought-provoking piece in this month's AGS magazine on the effects of different methods of sample preparation on results of contamination testing. The article revisits the way a soil sample is prepared prior to analysis and how this varies between laboratories.

Over the past year, our Technical Director Mike Plimmer has delivered a range of presentations at conferences organised by EPUK, RICS and the Geological Society. Mike specialises in the development of risk assessment models for contaminated land remediation and in the classification and re-use of construction waste; he leads GEA’s contaminated land team and has over 30 years’ experience in geotechnical and contaminated land projects.

The Association of Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental Specialists (AGS) has recently published guidance on the classification of waste soils (as either hazardous or non-hazardous) with the intention of providing simplified guidance for the sampling and classification of waste soils on straightforward sites.

Martin studied Civil Engineering at the University of Manchester, graduating in 1989 and in many ways opening up our new office in Manchester brings his career a full circle.