Ground
Obstructions to development
Identification of physical obstructions such as buried utilities, foundations and other subsurface structures including tunnels and culverts.
It is not uncommon for developers to face the challenge of a complex and potentially costly range of subsurface structures within the ground.
Geophysical surveys can provide a cost-effective means of detecting many man made hazards which can be valuable when assessing the viability of a new development, designing the structure, and during the construction phase. Geophysical detection relies on adequate contrast between the target and the host ground. Highly resistive features such as air-filled cavities and highly conductive metallic features such as buried tram tracks, storage tanks and drums, pipes and reinforced concrete foundations can therefore be detected at most sites. Examples of features that are more difficult to detect due to reduced contrast with the ground include masonry and plain concrete foundations and structures, and plastic and clay pipes.
This
6.5 HA brownfield development site was surveyed in 4 days using conductivity
and magnetometry and mapped buried pipelines, foundations, buried inspection
chambers and numerous metallic targets.
Typical applications include assessing brownfield sites for redevelopment and planning construction activity. This type of investigation forms an essential part of the safety plan of many projects and reduces the risk of cost and time overruns.