As part of an ongoing initiative to improve knowledge and awareness of Eurocodes, British Standards Institution (BSI) organised a conference entitled ‘Eurocodes – Evolution and Ease of Use: How it will benefit you?’, hosted by the Institution of Structural Engineers at their headquarters in London. Dr Mothersille attended the event and benefited considerably from the information shared by a variety of speakers. These included the Chairman of Eurocode 7 Dr Andrew Bond who presented the latest improvements to Eurocode 7: Geotechnical design and BSI’s Director of Standards, Dr Scott Steedman who talked about Eurocodes and Brexit.

The Chairman of Eurocode 7 delivers his presentation to the audience at the Institution of Structural Engineers

Dr Mothersille and Dr Marwan Alzaylaie (Senior Manager, DCCA) met at the Royal Overseas League headquarters in Mayfair, London. Dr Alzaylaie attended Dr Mothersille’s lecture in Dubai last month, in Collaboration with Bauer International FZE, and was keen to discuss potential ground anchor applications in Dubai, the evolution of Eurocodes and use the of the innovative software ‘AnchorTest’.

Dr Mothersille and Dr Alzaylaie explore the potential use of the iPad based AnchorTest software for QA/QC strategies on Dubai construction projects 

Following the successful delivery of the seminars in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Dr Mothersille visited Bauer’s Global Gateway residential development construction site in Abu Dhabi.

The project involves an excavation supported by secant pile walls which are themselves stabilized by an anchored pile cap. Importantly all the anchors on the project (166No.) are removable SBMAs with working loads of 800kN and overall lengths of 18.5m. In order to demonstrate removability of the prestressing strand, the client’s representative was invited to witness the removal process.

Three lengths of prestressing strand were successfully removed using a monojack initially and then with an excavator paying due regard to safety during the whole operation.

Enjoy the images of from this site visit

Panoramic perspective of the Global Gateway Development construction site

Use of mono-jack to initiate removal of prestressing strand

Use of excavator to remove prestressing strand from borehole

Dr Mothersille congratulates site foreman Mr Anil Kumar for supervising the safe execution of strand removal

Site technician Mr Farhan Ahmed reviews digitized stressing records on an iPad using AnchorTest^TM software

Dr Mothersille is joined by Mr Ahmed Ibrahim (Arcocorp consultants), Mr Sobhi Alkayalli (Lead Development) and Mr Maninder Singh (Project Manager, Bauer) following successful removal of prestressing strand from a borehole

‘The Middle East Dream Team’, Mr Farid Mansour (Regional Technical Manager, Bauer), Dr Devon Mothersille (Managing Director, SBMA Ltd/ Geoserve Global  Ltd), Mr Marco Vogel (Regional Director, Bauer) and Mr Bora Okumosoglu (Regional Design, Manager, Bauer). 

Following the recently established license agreement with Bauer International FZE, SBMA Ltd/Geoserve Global Ltd’s Managing Director Dr Devon Mothersille was the invited speaker at a specially arranged half-day seminar held at the Al Maha Arjaan by Rotana hotel in Abu Dhabi on 10^th October 2018.

The first part of the seminar covered many aspects of ground anchor technology with particular reference to systems specifically designed to generate high capacities in soils and weak rocks. This part also included sections on the current status of Eurocodes with respect to anchors, new innovations and recent developments. In the second part Dr Mothersille presented several examples of international ground anchor applications and then described two pivotal case histories that demonstrated a number of world firsts.

The audience included engineers and municipality representatives who engaged in  useful Q & A sessions during and at the end of the seminar.

Dr Mothersille wishes to thank Mr Farid Mansour (Regional Technical Manager, Bauer) and Mr Bora Okumusoglu (Regional Design Manager, Bauer) who joined him and delivered short presentations covering the history of Bauer and local projects incorporating anchored excavation support.

Enjoy images from the seminar

Dr Devon Mothersille addresses the audience at the Bauer International FZE hosted seminar Abu Dhabi

Dr Devon Mothersille handles questions from design engineers who attended the seminar

Dr Devon Mothersille uses a flip chart to illustrate the restoration of the grout curtain at Hazelmere dam, South Africa

Following the recently established business collaboration with Bauer International FZE, SBMA Ltd/Geoserve Global Ltd’s Managing Director Dr Devon Mothersille was the invited speaker at a specially arranged half-day seminar held at the Arjaan by Rotana Media City Dubai hotel on 8^th October 2018.

The first part of the seminar covered many aspects of ground anchor technology with particular reference to systems specifically designed to generate high capacities in soils and weak rocks. This part also included sections on the current status of Eurocodes with respect to anchors, new innovations and recent developments. In the second part Dr Mothersille presented several examples of international ground anchor applications and then described two pivotal case histories that demonstrated a number world firsts.

The audience included engineers and municipality representatives who engaged in useful Q & A sessions during and at the end of the seminar.

Dr Mothersille wishes to thank Mr Farid Mansour (Regional Technical Manager, Bauer) and Mr Bora Okumusoglu (Regional Design Manager, Bauer) who joined him and delivered short presentations covering the history of Bauer and local projects incorporating anchored excavation support.

Enjoy images from the seminar

Mr Farid Mansour (Regional Technical Manager, Bauer) introduces Dr Devon Mothersille to the audience

Dr Devon Mothersille sets out the format of the Bauer International FZE hosted seminar in Dubai

Dr Devon Mothersille explains the theory of progressive debonding to the audience

On 27^th September 2018 British Standards Institution announced that the long awaited grouted anchor testing standard, BS EN ISO 22477-5: 2018 has been published. Dr Devon Mothersille was nominated to take over the convenorship of the European working group (CEN/TC 182/WG5) charged with the task of completing the development of the document in 2015. By way of background the draft version of this standard has been in existence for over a decade, so it was a tremendous achievement to complete the document over a two and a half year period.

Dr Devon Mothersille (Managing Director of SBMA Ltd and Geoserve Global Ltd) joined a number of other business leaders at a networking event at Donnington race track in Derby, UK. The museum at Donnington is world famous since it houses the largest private collection of Formula 1 racing cars in the world as well as a host of other memorabilia for car enthusiasts.    During an enjoyable day Dr Mothersille, accompanied by an instructor, drove a Lamborghini Gallardo and a Ferrari California for several laps around the famous race track where Ayrton Senna holds the track record.

Dr Mothersille approaches the Lamborghini Gallardo

Dr Mothersille receives instruction before taking on the Lamborghini

Dr Mothersille receives instructions before putting the Ferrari through its paces

Dr Mothersille about to set off in the Ferrari California

Dr Devon Mothersille and Professor Stuart Littlejohn have jointly published Part 1 of an article entitled ‘Dam Anchoring Fundamentals’ in the Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) magazine – September/October 2018 edition. The first of a two part article covers some essential aspects of anchor design, tendon fabrication, borehole drilling and tendon installation with particular reference to dams. The second, and concluding part, of the article will be published over the coming months in the next edition of the DFI magazine.

DFI magazine cover featuring special article on dam anchoring

In his capacity as Convenor of the technical committee TC 182 – Working Group 3 (EN ISO 22477-5: 2018 – Testing of Grouted Anchors), Dr Devon Mothersille was interviewed by the editor of Ground Engineering magazine Claire Smith as a precursor to the imminent publication of the new standard. The long awaited standard has been under development for over fourteen years and, according to British Standards Institution, is scheduled for publication in late August 2018.  Since Dr Mothersille’s appointment as Convenor in April 2015, it has been a tremendous achievement to have taken the document to completion over an intensive three year period.

The standard is complicated by the fact that it features three types of test (Investigation, Suitability and Acceptance tests) and within each test type, there are three test methods (Test Methods 1, 2 and 3). The main challenge was gaining consensus from European member countries that have established traditional approaches. Over the last three years several meetings were held in various locations across Europe including London, Munich, Lisbon  and Belgium, and over 1000 submitted comments were addressed in order to create content that satisfied all parties. Despite the complexity of the standard, it will provide a unified approach to testing across Europe and will form a trinity with two other related standards; EN 1997-1:2004+A1:2013 (Design) and EN 1537: 2013 (Execution).

A summary of the interview can be found on page 7 of the August/September edition of Ground Engineering magazine.

Months of negotiations have culminated in a landmark deal between Bauer’s Middle East division (Bauer International FZE) and UK based Single Bore Multiple Anchor Ltd. The two companies will partner as business associates to implement specialized ground anchor technology in the Middle East and Iran.

During a visit to Bauer’s Abu Dhabi office earlier this year, SBMA Ltd’s Managing Director Dr Mothersille was left in no doubt that the association between Bauer and SBMA Ltd would be a good fit, since both companies shared a similar vision for expanding the use of anchoring in the region, delivering excellence to their clients and further developing the technology through continued research and development.

Already projects are earmarked, and this heralds an exciting period for the use of ground anchors in a variety of diverse applications.

Look out for further postings in the near future.