The new head of ground engineering and asset preservation specialist Mainmark UK has warned that prioritising the longevity of the UK’s critical infrastructure is crucial amid the growing risk of subsidence.
With an 86% chance that the UK will experience the warmest year on record between 2026-2030, this shows no signs of slowing. The chance of ground movement and subsidence beneath national infrastructure increases when moisture evaporates and soils shrink. Maintenance schedules have been removed from the budgets of many local councils due to a shortage of funds, with dire results for road conditions.
Ian Thornhill has recently been appointed as General Manager at Mainmark, with the firm offering full lifecycle asset management, from routine monitoring and inspection, to testing and repairing.
Thornhill said: “In the UK, we have typically been very reactive to infrastructure problems. An awful lot of our infrastructure is ageing and some of our roads are in a dire state. We have seen infrastructure failures and bridge collapses in Germany and Italy, and we need to make sure that we protect our assets.
