Testing labs in Chester-le-Street

Allied Exploration & Geotechnics operates as part of Igne, a UK-wide multi-discipline organisation that consolidates geo-environmental expertise, ground investigation, specialist drilling, unexploded ordnance (UXO) risk mitigation, precision surveying, and UKAS-accredited materials testing under one integrated service platform. Formed by bringing together specialist businesses with complementary capabilities, the organisation supports property developers, civil engineering contractors, infrastructure asset owners, local authorities, and environmental consultancies at every stage of a project — from initial desktop risk assessment through intrusive site investigation, construction-phase testing, and remediation compliance. With national reach underpinned by deep local knowledge of UK geology, ground conditions, regional regulatory frameworks, and utility networks, the organisation reduces project risk, accelerates programme delivery, and provides single-point accountability across single and multi-site schemes. The materials testing division is UKAS-accredited, meaning it holds independent third-party confirmation of technical competence aligned with ISO/IEC 17025, the international standard for testing and calibration laboratories. Laboratory and on-site testing services cover the principal construction materials used in civil engineering and infrastructure: concrete, asphalt, and aggregates. Concrete testing encompasses compressive strength of cubes and cores, fresh concrete properties including slump, flow and air content, density, and mix compliance verification. Asphalt testing supports road, airfield, and pavement construction through evaluation of binder content, composition, stability, resistance to permanent deformation, and conformance with contract specification. Aggregate testing addresses particle size distribution, shape indices, durability, and mechanical properties required for mix design validation and specification compliance, supporting contractors in demonstrating conformance with British and European construction standards. Ground investigation is a foundational service line, delivering end-to-end site characterisation to de-risk geotechnical and structural design before construction commences. Investigation methods include window sampling, cable percussion boreholes, rotary coring, dynamic probing, cone penetration testing (CPT), and trial pitting, supplemented by in-situ testing such as standard penetration tests (SPT), vane shear, and falling-head permeability measurements. Recovered samples are subjected to geotechnical laboratory analysis including particle size distribution, Atterberg limits, natural moisture content, compaction characteristics, California Bearing Ratio (CBR), and undrained shear strength determination. The resulting data informs foundation design, earthworks specification, slope stability assessments, and settlement predictions, enabling engineers to optimise design safely and avoid costly on-site surprises. The geo-environmental service line addresses contamination risk on brownfield and greenfield sites, guiding clients through understanding, evaluating, and managing environmental liabilities in accordance with UK regulatory requirements. Services span Phase 1 desk studies (historical land use review, conceptual site model development, and preliminary risk assessment under CLR11 guidance), through to Phase 2 intrusive investigation involving systematic soil and groundwater sampling and installation of monitoring wells. Chemical analysis quantifies concentrations of a broad range of contaminants against regulatory screening criteria, including heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and nickel; petroleum hydrocarbons; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); chlorinated solvents; and asbestos in soil. Geo-environmental specialists also provide remediation strategy and design advice, validation monitoring during active remediation, and compliance reporting to discharge planning conditions or satisfy Environment Agency requirements. Specialist drilling services extend beyond standard investigation boreholes to encompass private water supply boreholes, geothermal borehole installations for ground-source heat pump systems, deep data-gathering programmes requiring large-diameter or deep rotary techniques, and advanced ground engineering applications. These services support residential and commercial clients seeking sustainable water abstraction or renewable energy ground loops, as well as infrastructure projects requiring subsurface data at depths unachievable through conventional investigation rigs. The drilling fleet is engineered for performance across demanding environments, and all operations are conducted to rigorous safety and quality standards appropriate for regulated and safety-critical project contexts. UXO (unexploded ordnance) risk mitigation is a specialist capability addressing the significant residual risk from wartime ordnance across many UK development sites. The service encompasses desktop historical risk assessments drawing on archival bombing records and military data, non-intrusive geophysical surveys using magnetometry and electromagnetic detection equipment to identify subsurface anomalies, on-site safety supervision and clearance support during ground-breaking works, and coordination with licensed disposal teams. Integrating UXO management within the ground investigation programme streamlines site mobilisation, eliminates the cost and complexity of managing separate specialist contractors, and enables phased clearance and construction to proceed with confidence. The surveying division delivers high-precision spatial data across all project stages using advanced technology including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs/drones) for aerial photogrammetry and LiDAR capture, utility mapping systems for underground service detection, and conventional survey instrumentation for topographical and measured building surveys. These outputs feed directly into design, BIM, and planning workflows, while utility detection data is critical for avoiding service strikes during excavation on both greenfield and live infrastructure sites. With 350 years of combined professional experience across its constituent teams, UK-wide rapid mobilisation capability, and an integrated multi-discipline delivery model, Allied Exploration & Geotechnics / Igne offers clients consistent quality, accelerated programme delivery, and a trusted single partner for complex environmental, infrastructure, residential, and commercial projects.

ISO/IEC 17025 accredited by UKAS (No. 1076) testing laboratory (accreditation status: active). Accredited test areas include: Calibration Dimensional; Chemical Elemental Analysis; Construction; Construction Aggregates; Construction Asphalt; Construction Concrete Cement; Env Corrosion Salt Spray; Food Contaminants; Mechanical Tensile Compression Flexural. Located at DH3 2ST, Chester-le-Street, United Kingdom.