The geology of the Nottingham region: A review of some engineering and environmental aspects

Abstract

Of the several comprehensive geological reviews of the East Midlands, none makes more than a passing reference to the engineering or environmental geology. This paper is thus the first to attempt such a review, although only a brief appraisal is possible here.Earth tremors causing minor structural damage have occurred in the Nottingham region, although more damaging ground movements have usually resulted from natural subsidence, reactivation of Pleistocene landslips or collapse of old mines for lead ore and gangue minerals, limestone, coal and gypsum. More controlled and predictable subsidence is characteristic of modern coal mining although anomalous subsidence does still occur, as do slope failures in the numerous cuttings, quarries, and opencast workings for road metal, limestone, fluorspar, calcite, barytes, coal and gypsum. Mining, and to a lesser extent quarrying, has had profound effects on the underground movement of water, particularly in the Peak District where the water table has been permanently lowered as a result of centuries of lead mining. A similar lowering of the water table, now reversed, resulted from over pumping of the Sherwood Sandstones. The management, including recharge and pollution control, of this aquifer is of major importance to Nottingham.The wide range of foundation conditions reflects the range of rock types and problems vary from avoiding costly excavations for the M1 in hard Pre-Cambrian rocks to bridging the Trent over unconsolidated sands, gravels and peats. The extent of periglacial weathering is crucial in determining the foundation characteristics of Namurian, Westphalian, Mercia Mudstones and Jurassic strata and, as demonstrated by case histories, cannot be neglected in other formations.Throughout the region there are conflicting interests arising from exploitation of resources in areas of considerable amenity value. Satisfactory solutions have been found for some of these problems, for example, with the nature reserves and Water Sports Centre developed from gravel workings, but others, such as the proposals for disposing of nuclear waste, have attracted much attention, but though temporarily postponed, remain unsolved.

The engineering geology of the Nottingham area, UK

“…The Mercia Mudstone Group may be regarded as a fining upward sequence of strata of mostly hypersaline lacustrine sediments in which occurs coarser material and gypsum (Firman & Lovell 1988). The Sneinton Formation occurs at the base of the Mercia Mudstone Group.…”

“…Firman & Lovell (1988) referred to a series of terraces being present in the Nottingham area, and Charsley et al (1990) indicated that the Bassingfield, Beeston and Holme Pierrepont Sands and Gravels are terrace deposits of the River Trent (Fig. 5).…”

“…The first workings were from outcrops and then from bell pits, the scars of which may still be seen in Strelley (Ager et al 2004). The pillar and stall method of working was developed around the sixteenth century and longwall mining began to evolve in tandem with the Industrial Revolution (Bell 1988). The extent of colliery-based underground coal mining is shown in Figure 7.…”

“…These cause problems for the development and redevelopment of land, in particular, subsidence of the ground surface that takes place above the workings when coal is removed or subsequently when old workings collapse. Unfortunately, subsidence can have serious structural effects on surface buildings, can be responsible for flooding because of the lowering of the ground surface below the water table and, consequently, it can lead to the sterilization of land as a result of the need for special constructional design in site development or extensive remedial measures in developed areas (Bell 1988). One of the problems associated with old workings is that there may be no record of their existence.…”

“…There are numerous studies on how to undertake a ground investigation in areas of abandoned mine workings (e.g. Taylor 1968;Healy & Head 1984;Bell 1988;Anonymous 1999), and on how to locate old shafts (Anonymous 1976). One of the most difficult assessments to make is that of the possible effects of progressive deterioration of voids in the ground and the consequent risk of subsidence.…”