UKCRIC is an initiative of the School of Civil Engineering at the University of Birmingham, UK. The support by the FPS represents a continuation of collaboration with the University's School of Civil Engineering and will see the FPS provide a number of support elements to the project.

These include representation of a member of the FPS council on the UKCRIC advisory panel; the canvassing of opinion of its members on the aims of the project and encouraging corporate members to participate; advice on the needs of the UK foundation and geotechnical industry with respect to the design of the facility; and collaboration with academic partners to apply for joint funding to develop new and improved foundation systems, and test installation processes to overcome current barriers of the technology.

Commenting on the support of the UKCRIC project Martin Blower, chairman of the FPS, said: "The facility will be of tremendous benefit in the advancement of civil engineering and the buried facility, in particular, to the foundation sector. Problems that arise when installing various foundations into busy urban conditions are estimated to cost the UK foundation sector millions of pounds annually, so the ability to test approaches under controlled conditions will help reduce this figure as well as advance the sector."