Our history

We have grown into one of the UK’s leading ground engineering specialists – trusted to deliver the infrastructure of tomorrow. 

Originally founded in 1936 as Stent Precast Concrete Limited, we began by manufacturing precast concrete piles in Scotland, laying the foundations for our work on some of the most iconic infrastructure projects. In the early 1950s, Stent secured their first major contract for the Ford Motor Company in Dagenham. 

As the geotechnical industry evolved, in 1973 the company became Stent Piling Limited, expanding its foundation solutions to include large diameter bored piles with auger rigs, small diameter bored piles with tripod rigs, steel sheet piling and driven universal bearing piles with leaders and diesel hammers. That same year, Balfour Beatty acquired Stent as a subsidiary, marking the start of a partnership that would shape the future of ground engineering. 

By 1977, with operations expanding across the UK and into the Middle East, the company rebranded as Stent Foundations Limited. From Peel Common near Portsmouth to the Gulf Hotel in Abu Dhabi, Stent delivered complex piling and retaining wall solutions in challenging environments. In the early 1980s, we introduced one of the UK’s first hydraulic CFA rigs – setting new standards in efficiency and precision.

Over the decades, Stent grew to become one of the top three piling contractors in the UK, recognised for its expertise across a wide range of techniques from mini piling to large scale diaphragm walls. In 2010, Stent transitioned into Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering, strengthening our business and delivering greater value for our customers by consolidating expertise and resources. 

Today, Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering is one of the UK’s leading specialist geo-technical contractors and the trusted partner for customers across public and private sectors, with the ability to deliver value to large and complex projects through early involvement, innovation and a respect for quality in delivery. As we move forward with the next generation of power stations, defence schemes and projects critical to UK infrastructure, we are proud to be part of a legacy that spans nearly a century and continues to lay the foundations for the infrastructure of tomorrow.