About GWP

GWP is an independent consulting partnership which has been supporting a wide range of clients for over 40 years in the evaluation, design, delivery and management of their earth and water resources projects.

Our well qualified and experienced team provides excellence in geology, geotechnics, mining engineering, hydrogeology, hydrology and surveying. These skill areas are applied to the mining, quarrying and landfill sectors, as well as to various aspects of infrastructure and development projects, sustainable water resources planning and management and the modelling, monitoring and mitigation of environmental impacts.

GWP’s in-house drawing office comprises experienced staff who support our technical team, providing quality CAD draughting and graphic services and delivering technical drawings and presentation material to the highest standards.

To compliment our in-house team, senior retained and associate consultants provide high levels of academic expertise and technical experience to reinforce and support specific aspects of our work.

From our office in Charlbury, Oxfordshire, GWP is well placed to provide support to our clients throughout the UK and overseas.

An associated company of GWP is Blast Log Ltd which provides specialist consulting services in the areas of blasting, vibration and air overpressure for the quarrying and mining sectors and for demolition, tunnelling and civil engineering projects. For more information visit their website at www.blastlog.co.uk.

Areas of expertise and qualifications of GWP’s key personnel are as follows:

Partners

Dr Alan Cobb PhD, CEng, MIMMM, FGS.

Joint Senior Partner and Chief Geotechnical Engineer.

Alan Cobb is a graduate of Durham University, obtaining his first degree in Geology in 1973 before going on to complete a PhD funded by the NCB on the behaviour and weathering of coarse and fine colliery waste. This research was part of the ongoing research programme being undertaken at that time at Durham University following the Aberfan tip disaster. He joined GWP in 1976.

Alan is a specialist in the field of geotechnical engineering relating to excavations and fill slopes. He has extensive experience in matters relating to blasting, mining subsidence, materials handling and the environmental impacts arising from mining and quarrying. Recent research includes the effects of blasting on tunnels.

Alan has frequently appeared as an expert witness in Public Inquiries, the High Court and the Lands Tribunal.

Key qualifications:

Over 35 years experience in geotechnical engineering, opencast mine and quarry design, sampling and testing, slope drainage, hydrology and mining induced subsidence.
Highly experienced in the stabilisation of rock and soil slopes, opencast mine and quarry design, the design of tips, retaining bunds and associated lagoons and the effects of undermining on the stability of such structures.
Specialist understanding of the characteristics and engineering behaviour of rock, rock blocks, processed minerals including coal, spoil, waste and lagoon materials.
Co-author of Department of Environment handbooks on ‘The stability and hydrogeology of mineral workings’ and ‘The design of tips and related structures’.
Co-author of the chapter on Mining Subsidence in ‘Ground movements and their effects on structures’ edited by Attewell & Taylor.
Experienced in the monitoring and modelling of the environmental effects and geotechnical implications of quarry blasting.
Extensive experience in the design and supervision of site investigations and supervision of earthwork construction.
Numerous appearances as Expert Witness in Public Inquiries, High Court Actions Lands Tribunal and Arbitrations. Most recently, he was a key defence witness in the successful defence of MNS Mining Ltd against the charge of Corporate Maslaughter consequent on the fatal inrush at Gleision Colliery.

Dr David Jameson PhD, MSc, DIC, CEng, CGeol, FIMMM, FGS.

Partner and Senior Geotechnical Engineer.

David Jameson graduated from the University of Leeds in 1990 with a BSc in Geological Sciences and completed an MSc in Applied Structural Geology and Rock Mechanics at Imperial College in 1991. He then moved to the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Newcastle and was awarded his PhD in 1995 for research into the occurrence, origin and geotechnical properties of intraformational shear zones in the Coal Measures of Northern England. He joined GWP as a Senior Geotechnical Engineer in 1995, becoming an Associate Partner in 1999 and Partner in 2004.

David has considerable experience in rock mechanics and its application to the analysis and design of stable and secure excavations. His expertise includes use of conventional limit equilibrium and numerical (FLAC, UDEC and Phase²) techniques, structural and geological mapping, interpretation and rock mass characterisation, and use of surface modelling software (MX and LSS) for quarry design.

Key qualifications:

Design of excavated and constructed slopes (rock and soil for mines and quarries) and of underground openings using convention limit equilibrium and numerical (FLAC, UDEC, Phase²) techniques.
Landfill design (hazardous, non-hazardous and inert), Permit licence applications, materials and engineering specification under CDM Regulations, acting as CQA Engineer.
Structural and geological mapping, interpretation and rock mass characterisation, use of BlastMetriX and ShapeMetriX (stereographic photographic analysis) in discontinuity mapping.
Design and scheduling of opencast coal mines and quarries (specifically in complex structural settings, i.e. steeply dipping footwall slopes and/or fault bounded sites).
Predictive subsidence analysis from deep mine workings using numerical modelling (FLAC) calibrated against the established UK empirical methods.
Rockfall hazard domain mapping and subsequent specification of rockfall preventive and containment measures.
Resource and reserve assessment using surface modelling systems for quarry design, scheduling and 3D visualisation.
Research into the role of very weak horizons, bedding parallel on the stability of Coal Measures slopes.
Co-ordination of geological and geotechnical site investigations and soil and rock materials property laboratory investigations.
Expert Witness in Public Inquiries and Arbitration.

Clive Carpenter BSc, MSc, CGeol, EurGeol, FGS, MCIWEM.

Partner, Head of Water Resources and Chief Hydrogeologist.

Clive Carpenter graduated from the University of Bristol in 1989 with a degree in Geology, and obtained an MSc in Hydrogeology and Groundwater Resources from the University of Birmingham in 1992. He worked for environmental and engineering consultancies, and an international water utility from 1992-2001, before going overseas to manage an international water and sanitation programme in the Pacific between 2001-2004. Clive joined GWP as Partner in April 2004.

Clive has 20 years experience in groundwater and surface water resources development, management and planning, groundwater control and dewatering, environmental impact assessment and groundwater contamination remediation, including borehole construction and pump testing, hydrochemical and geophysical surveys, numerical modelling and remote sensing.

He is an accomplished project manager and international development specialist. He has designed and managed multi-million dollar development programmes, has been a governmental and intergovernmental advisor on sustainable water management, has co-ordinated and developed international multi-stakeholder partnerships and held advisory positions to the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development.

Clive holds a number of senior technical advisory positions including: the European Federation of Geologists (EFG) – Panel of Experts on Hydrogeology; EFG Representative to the European Union Water Initiative Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Working Group; International Association of Hydrogeologists British National Chapter Committee Secretary; Roster Expert to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP); and was formerly a Governor Alternate of the World Water Council.

Key qualifications:

Surface water management schemes, flood flow routing and retention structures.
Assessment of aquifer and well-field contamination, vulnerability and risk evaluation.
Environmental impact assessment of groundwater and surface water regimes from abstractions and catchment land-use activities, e.g. infrastructure development, agro-forestry, waste and wastewater disposal.
Design & supervision of drilling, well installation, pumping tests, geophysical surveys, hydrochemical and tracer testing, numerical modelling, remote sensing and flow gauging.
Risk assessments associated with landfill sites and other point sources of contamination.
National and international water sector policy and strategy development and Integrated Water Resources Management planning and partnership development in Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Water resources assessments in Pacific, Caribbean and Asian SIDS.
National water resources institutional review, reform and strengthening.

Mark Pritchard BSc, MSc, CEng, MIMMM, FGS, MCSM.

Partner and Senior Mining Engineer.

Mark Pritchard graduated from Portsmouth Polytechnic in 1986 with a BSc (Honours – Class 1) in Engineering Geology and Geotechnics and obtained an MSc (with Distinction) in Mining Engineering from Camborne School of Mines in 1989. He originally joined GWP in 1986 and more recently re-joined GWP as a Partner and Senior Mining Engineer in 2013.

Mark has a range of expertise covering aspects of mineral resource assessment, geotechnical engineering, planning and design aspects of surface minerals, landfill and civil engineering developments. He also has considerable experience of environmental permitting requirements associated with quarrying projects, including inert landfills, recycling and waste recovery schemes.

Mark has considerable experience of preparing and presenting expert evidence at Public Inquiry and in Court and also providing expert assistance with legal investigations.

Key qualifications:

- Mineral resource evaluations and due diligence studies.
- Detailed geotechnical studies including Geotechnical Appraisals and Assessments
  consistent with the requirements of the Quarries Regulations 1999.
- Geotechnical design and risk assessment studies of landfill developments consistent
  with the requirements of the Landfill Regulations.
- Feasibility studies for proposed surface minerals and landfill developments.
- Engineering design and scheduling of surface minerals and landfill developments,
  involving the application of advanced computer modelling techniques.
- In depth experience of the design and development of quarry afteruse schemes.
- Environmental Permit applications and management of associated ongoing operating requirements.
- Detailed specification, supervision and evaluation of mineral resource and geotechnical site investigations.
- Production of factual and interpretative report.
- Economic and financial analysis of projects.
- Experience of preparing and presenting expert evidence at Public Inquiry and in Court.

Jeremy Baldock BSc, MSc, CEng, MIMMM, CGeol, FGS, FIQ.

Partner and Geotechnical Engineer.

Jeremy Baldock graduated from the University of Plymouth in 2004 with a BSc (Hons) in Applied Geology following a dissertation collecting discontinuity data and undertaking a stability assessment of the exposed faces within Callow Rock Quarry, in Somerset. He obtained an MSc (with Distinction) in Engineering Geology from University of Newcastle in 2005, with a dissertation looking at the monitoring and finite element modelling of instabilities within clay embankments. Jeremy then joined GWP in September 2005.

From 1988 – 2000, Jeremy worked for W.T. Burdens Ltd, a civil engineering supply company gaining an in depth knowledge of groundworks and geotechnical products; progressing through sales, estimator to business unit manager of branches in Cambridgeshire and later South Wales.

Jeremy has a range of expertise covering aspects of mineral resource assessment, rock and soil slope assessment, design and engineering, planning and design of surface minerals operations, landfill and earthworks projects. He also has an extensive knowledge of groundwork and geotechnical material, and how these materials can be used to solve problems experienced within quarrying, mining, landfill and earthworks projects. Jeremy is also the Health and Safety Manager for the Practice.

Key qualifications:

- A Geotechnical Specialist is accordance with Regulation 2 of the Quarries Regulations 1999 able to undertake Hazard Appraisals and Geotechnical Assessments.
- Structural, geological and discontinuity mapping to characterise rock mass to assess geotechnical domains.
- Rockfall hazard assessment and subsequent design of rock stabilisation and containment measures including rock netting and rock bolts.
- Design and management of mineral resource evaluations for both hard rock and sand and gravel.
- Geotechnical design and stability risk assessments for landfill developments consistent with the requirements of the Landfill Regulations.
- Geotechnical engineering assessment and design using a wide range of computer software e.g. LSS for modelling and design, Rocsience’s Dips stereographic analysis, Slide, RocFall, Swedge, RS2 (Phases2 9.0) finite element modelling, BlastMetriX and ShapeMetriX 3D, AutoCad, and 2D FLAC analysis.
- Production of Specification of Works, Bill of Quantities and detailed designs for earthworks and rock stabilisation projects.
- Production of factual and interpretative report.

Associate Partners

Dr Isobel Brown PhD, FGS. An experienced geologist with specialist skills in surface modelling, 3D geological modelling, mine/quarry design, phasing and mineral reserve & resource evaluation.

Amanda Godwin FMAAT. GWP’s Management Accountant and Practice Manager. With more than 30 years’ experience working in Finance, Amanda looks after all aspects of the business’s finances and has specific responsibility for general Practice Management and HR.

Rhys Morgans BSc. GWP’s Survey Manager and CAA qualified UAV pilot. Rhys is a qualified mineral surveyor with 16 years of experience in topographic surveying, 3D modelling and volumetrics. He is responsible for managing the survey team and developing the surveying capabilities and business opportunities.