Prioritising the longevity of the UK’s critical infrastructure is crucial amid the growing risk of subsidence.
That’s the stark warning issued by Ian Thornhill, the new head of ground engineering and asset preservation specialist Mainmark UK. With an 86 per cent chance that the UK will experience the warmest year on record between 2026-2030, the chance of ground movement and subsidence beneath national infrastructure increases when moisture evaporates and soils shrink. This is specifically pertinent in rail environments, where even minor ground instability can lead to speed restrictions, line closures and costly emergency repairs.
With over 82,000 completed projects across Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Thailand and the United Kingdom, Mainmark has earned international recognition as an award-winning and leading ground engineer.
Ian Thornhill is a geologist by qualification and brings more than 15 years’ experience in infrastructure and engineering services. He has recently been appointed as general manager at Mainmark, to spearhead the growth of the company in the UK and Europe. He will lead the company as it looks to grow and expand into new markets and ultimately to become a one-stop shop for full lifecycle asset management, from routine monitoring and inspection, to testing and ultimately, repairing.
Before joining Mainmark, Ian has held senior roles within organisations including infrastructure consulting firm AECOM and civil and structural engineering consultancy Structural Investigation Services (SIS Group), where he was responsible for growing the business significantly while strengthening operational capability and delivery. During this time, the organisation expanded its revenue, team size and regional presence.
Ian 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 rather than having a big event occur that shocks us into action.
“We are seeing more extreme weather; even last month high temperatures resulted in travel chaos for train journeys across the UK. The likes of routine monitoring supplies so much data for us to proactively predict the longevity of our infrastructure and the ground around it.
“Asset owners must be well positioned, by partnering with companies such as Mainmark UK, to respond to the subsidence threat and keep daily operations moving.”
In his most recent role as operations managing director at SIS Group, Ian was responsible for growing the business significantly while strengthening operational capability and delivery. During this time, the organisation expanded its revenue, team size and regional presence.
Peter Bierton, CEO, at Mainmark, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Ian Thornhill as the new general manager at Mainmark. He has a wealth of experience and we look forward to Ian playing a key role in our growth in the infrastructure sector across the UK and Europe.
“Subsidence is a universal problem and it poses safety concerns, so it is vital that asset owners take the necessary steps to mitigate this.”
Mainmark Ground Engineering (UK) Ltd, established in 2016, is a subsidiary of the global Mainmark group – headquartered in Sydney, Australia, which has successfully grown its global presence over the last 20 years and now has 18 office locations worldwide. From its UK headquarters in Milton Keynes, Mainmark provides effective solutions to many types of ground engineering problems in a wide range of sectors, using innovative solutions to raise, re-level and re-support buildings that have been affected by subsidence.
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