When is a Geotechnical Site Investigation required?

by | Dec 21, 2022

The huge range of projects that require a geotechnical site investigation is astounding. No matter the construction work – whether that be some form of remediation or structural alteration – a preliminary site investigation will most likely be necessary.

The skilled team at Borehole Solutions would like to provide you with a few of the most common, yet surprising, examples where ground investigations are required.

Geotechnical Site Investigation for Sea Defences

As an island, the UK coastlines face the great elements on a daily basis, meaning coastal erosion is no revelation. Did you know that in the North-East, the erosion rate of the coastline is approximately 2 metres per year! Therefore, a substantial amount of money is used for the construction and maintenance of our coastal defences.

As you can imagine, there is very little room for error when constructing these types of structures. Prior to carrying out any work, the contractors must be absolutely certain of the underlying geology and ground characteristics. Hence a geotechnical site investigation is paramount for this situation. The investigation ensures the ground and geological strata are appropriate for both the current and planned sea defences, such as sea walls and rock groynes.

Our expert team at Borehole Solutions has recently carried out some investigative work in Dawlish, Devon, to test the integrity of their sea wall’s underlying geology. We used our smallest sonic drilling rig so that it would be easy to lift when the tide rises, to carry out standard penetration testing (SPT) in this tough working environment.

Basement Underpinning

When living in urban environments, space comes at a premium. After all, there’s a reason that skyscrapers exist! However, basements are another great way of making the most of the space that you have available. Basements can be used for additional storage or another shop floor for businesses. Personal basements, on the other hand, could be used for a games room, cinema, or even an additional bedroom.

As expected, constructing a basement requires extensive excavation work, which means a geotechnical site investigation is needed. This is necessary to determine the required foundation depth as well as examine the slope of the site.

As a property owner, you don’t want to install a costly basement and then experience structural issues further down the line. It may seem unnecessary, but a site investigation is critical to ensure the structural longevity of any proposed project.

New Roads

Considering the fact that there are over 262,000 miles of road in the UK, it’s fair to say that we heavily rely on this mode of transport. The British economy depends on the timely movement of goods, meaning our road network must be efficient and reliable. However, people don’t tend to realise how much we rely on our roads until we find a pothole or major roadworks holding up the traffic!

Without a geotechnical site investigation, potholes, slips and sinkholes pose a massive risk to our roads. Fortunately, these complications can be easily avoided if you have a full picture of the ground conditions.

Contact us about our Geotechnical Site Investigation Services

A preliminary geotechnical site investigation is vital in ensuring the structural durability of any proposed construction project. So, if you’d like to find out more about our geotechnical services, then please get in touch! Give us a call on 01733 200501 or email us at info@boreholesolutions.com, alternatively click here to speak to us directly.