Open Days: 20-22 May 2008

Zetica will host a series of Open Days from the 20th – 22nd May to raise awareness of contemporary non-invasive site investigation methods. The theme of the first two days is ‘Reducing risk through smart site investigation’. The theme of the third day is ‘Contemporary site investigation solutions for trackbed assessment’.

Click on the following images if you are interested in attending one of our open days.

This is a unique opportunity to see a wide variety of methods in use and gain a better understanding of how these methods work.  Non-intrusive methods including surface wave seismics, seismic refraction, borehole seismics, electrical resistivity tomography, magnetics, electromagnetics, microgravity, ground penetrating radar and radio frequency location will be demonstrated. In addition intrusive techniques such as the CPT-based MagCone system and MagDrill used for deep UXB detection will also be on show.  These above-mentioned tools will be displayed in the context of various applications on the test site such as the utility services detection test area, battlefield UXO detection area, buried tanks area, and geological boreholes.

In addition the Zorn light drop weight tester and intrusive techniques such as the SERB ballast sampling system and the world’s first road-rail/CPT system will also be on show during the Rail Open Day. Examples of automatic above-ground rail asset surveying methods will be demonstrated including detection of sleepers, clips, expansion joints, rail surface defects etc.

Two lucky attendees on each day will win a flight over the local Cotswold area in a light aircraft.

Term commissions and new investments in survey equipment

The past 12 months has seen significant growth in the number of call-off contracts won by Zetica Ltd in the UK and abroad. These cover utilities services mapping, engineering geophysics for structures assessment, and rail geophysics for ballast and embankment investigations. 

To better manage these contracts Zetica has invested in new survey equipment including robotic EDM’s, RTK-GPS, multichannel GPR, seismics and borehole seismic equipment.

Mike Sainsbury, MD, says: “The cost benefits of a flexible call-off service contract to customers is evidenced by the significant growth in such commissions this year. We are continually upgrading our technical capabilities with more focused training of survey personnel and data processors, new software development and investments in hardware. We are committed to providing an ever-improving service to all of our customers.”

Large area Landsweep™ survey carried out on RAF base

Zetica recently carried out a magnetometer and electromagnetic survey over more than 40ha using an integrated survey systems platform called the GEEP. The contract called for survey operations around an active runway at night which necessitated expediting site works. Use of the GEEP significantly cut down the time required to complete the survey.

Extract from an EM dataset with survey lines superimposed. Data collected using a Land Rover-towed integrated geophysical systems platform.

In addition to the Landsweep™ survey, Zetica also carried out detailed utilities services mapping and UXO clearance scans across various areas of the site.

Click here to request more information about our Landsweep™ services.

Reduce risk through smarter site investigations

Zetica combines non-invasive scanning techniques with a practical knowledge of construction risk issues to obtain high-value information about the underground environment. The cost savings in outsourcing site-mapping services to one company are considerable and the improvement in the resulting ground model can also significantly reduce the risk of development.

Zetica offers specialist desktop studies, detailed topographic surveys, LandsweepTM geophysical surveys, specialist UXO surveys, detailed utility surveys and engineering geophysical surveys. Our multifunction crews are trained to carry out all site work reducing the amount of time the client needs to spend directly involved with suppliers.

Case study: A recent survey for a former military airfield site included topographic surveys (together with internal building surveys), Landsweep™ and Utility services detection surveys, UXO surveys, ground investigation of anomalies, boreholes and trial pits, and an asbestos survey. In the words of the client:

“Zetica’s ability to provide a multi disciplinary range of ground investigation services has helped us no end. Zetica have carried out a range of services for us including below-ground services and features/obstructions mapping, building surveys, and large scale topographical surveys. These services enable us to ‘de-risk’ our projects by finding out more about what is on the ground (and in particular what is under the ground) at our sites, before contractors find the problems for us. The cost of comprehensive surveys is small compared with the re-design, delay and disruption caused by project delays when unforeseen obstructions are encountered. The health and safety advantages of below-ground mapping are obvious.”

Click here to request more information.

Progress on high speed rail GPR contract for Network Rail

Zetica's contract to scan 16,000km of track in the United Kingdom for Network Rail with ground penetrating radar (GPR) systems mounted on an ultrasonic inspection train is being extended. Zetica’s Advanced Rail Radar (ZARR) will now be fitted to an additional two inspection trains to increase annual coverage to over 24,000km.

A combination of high resolution scanning of ballast/sub-ballast layers and identification of deeper secondary layers in the sub-ballast/sub-grade section has proved to be very successful in meeting the primary project aims.

Asger Eriksen, CEO of Zetica says: “The savings realised by Network Rail in implementing ZARR have been significant. The successful trial and planned roll-out to 3 trains reflects the professional efforts by our rail team and the E&D department at Network Rail to ensure that the high volume output from ZARR is useful to track engineers for planning maintenance and renewals and always available on time.” 

Click here to request more information on ZARR.

Zetica Rail signs contract to deliver ZARR to rail company in the USA

Zetica has signed a contract to scan 5,000km of track for one of North America’s largest rail companies responsible for over 30,000miles of track. The survey is the first commercial scale GPR project on rail to be carried out in the USA and will be used to assess the value of ZARR in helping to improve the return on investment in track works programmes.

Jon Gascoyne, Technical Manager of Zetica Rail says: “The main focus of our customer is the quality of ballast on the shoulders and in the 4ft. A specially modified road-rail vehicle and software system for integration of the results with our client's track management database is being provided.”

Significant investment in test site

Zetica continues to add features to its state-of-the-art test site in Enstone, Oxfordshire. This unique facility is used for validating surface and borehole geophysical equipment, training technicians and carrying out research.

Heythrop Country Park, Enstone               Zetica Test Site

The limits of detection of geophysical survey equipment are often misunderstood leading to erroneous claims of success.   
Zetica’s test site offers a control environment for proving and improving survey effectiveness for:

• detecting buried hazards such as underground storage tanks and live cables
• locating UXO items of varying sizes buried at various depths
• locating UXB of various sizes using surface and borehole methods
• NEW - detecting buried services and shallow voids beneath made ground and reinforced concrete
• NEW - investigating  trackbed with known ballast conditions, sleeper types, buried obstructions and cross-cutting utilities
• deriving geotechnical properties using surface and borehole measurements

3D CAD drawing of trackbed design and photos showing build in progress and finished product

Click here to request more information.

Health & Safety qualification

Congratulations to recently appointed Zetica Project Manager, Rob Grant, who has successfully completed the CITB Site Management Safety Training Scheme course for site managers.

Rob says: “Zetica’s role in surveying sites often before ground improvements have taken place, means that H&S issues are very important from the point of view of protecting our own operatives but also because the maps we provide reduces the subsequent risk of encountering hazards when ground works actually start.”

Lunchtime Seminars

Zetica offer a popular seminar on the uses and abuses of geophysics. Engineers are brought up to date on the latest geophysical methods available in the market place and interesting areas of research and development. The presentation normally lasts 45 minutes and is case history-based with a 15 minute discussion session following.

Click here to email Ellen Stevens to discuss your requirements and arrange a seminar at your offices.