Stuart Marchand receives the John Mitchell Award

The British Geotechnical Association (BGA) is pleased to announce that Stuart Marchand of the Wentworth House Partnership has received the 2019 John Mitchell Award. He received the Award at an Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Awards Ceremony in October 2019 and will give the BGA John Mitchell Lecture on 22 January 2020.

The John Mitchell Award is presented annually by the ICE, based on a nomination from the BGA, for significant contributions in the field of geotechnical engineering. The award was instituted in 2008 in memory of the prominent geotechnical engineer John Mitchell of Arup, who was killed while observing piling works at a central London site in 1990.

The award criteria considered by the BGA include the following:

• In reflection of John Mitchell’s career, selection will favour practical applications of up to date geotechnical concepts or models (rather than advanced theoretical academic practice).
• The BGA will consider individuals, like John, who in the course of their careers via incremental works have made significant contribution to geotechnical practice.
• Notwithstanding the above, the BGA will in addition consider any contemporary practitioner who has instigated a major advance in the geotechnical field, thus opening the award up to the innovative, regardless of age or incremental contribution count.

Stuart has made significant contributions to geotechnical engineering in the fields of temporary works for excavations.

Stuart studied Civil Engineering at Cambridge University, graduating in 1973, and started his career working for Marples Ridgeway on the M27 and then on the Shurgaz-Zahedan-Mirjaveh highway in Iran for the same employer. In 1978 he joined Tarmac as Section Engineer on the Thames Barrier leaving the project in 1982.

Upon leaving the Thames Barrier Stuart joined Costain’s Engineering Services as a Senior Design engineer. Stuart rose through Deputy Chief Engineer and left Costain as Chief Engineer in 1998. In his time in Engineering services Stuart worked on Costain Construction’s projects for 16 years, most notably, 12-15 Finsbury Circus, St Mary Overies’ Dock and 158-170 Aldersgate Street – a 7 story underground car park.

In 1999 Stuart founded Wentworth House Partnership (WHP) providing permanent and temporary works design support to Keltbray and other contractors. Starting from a team of 2 WHP has now grown to in excess of 50 staff over 3 UK offices turning over in excess of £5m in fees a year. In the last 12 months WHP was awarded the BCIA temporary works award (for the second time) and the GE consultant of the year award. Under Stuart’s direction WHP has grown into one of the foremost engineering consultancies providing detailed temporary works solutions and solving complex geotechnical challenges. Notable basement projects include The Shard, The Pinnacle-22 Bishopsgate, Ropemaker Street.

In addition to running WHP Stuart has produced a significant number of published articles and industry guidance, including several CIRIA Reports, and was an expert witness in the Singapore Nichol highway collapse investigation. In 2015 Stuart was co-awarded the Thomas Telford Premium Award for revisiting Bragg under Euronorms.

Stuart is a worthy winner of the John Mitchell Award.