Simplifying Our Comprehensive Range Of Professional Geoscience And Geotechnical Services
We get it, trying to read and understand a list of complex services and pinpoint exactly what you need can be both overwhelming and irritating. This is why Abbeydale Geoscience has broken the full range of geoscience services we provide down into multiple stages. Each stage is representative of a phase in the ground investigation and development process.
You can read more about what happens at each stage of the process, under their relevant sections below.
We also group geo-environmental and geotechncal services together to make things as cost-effective as possible for our clients.
Understanding our Core and Secondary level geo-environmental services
Not only have we separated our services into stages, we've also given them an individual service level.
Core Level Services
These services are fundamental parts of the investigation process. We often include multiple types of assessments within core services.
Secondary Level Services
Sometimes only a part of a core service is needed as a standalone assessment, rather than doing everything included in a core service.
Preliminary
Services
At Abbeydale Geoscience we like to help our clients from the very beginning! Ideally this would even be before applying for planning permission, so that we can feed into the preliminary design, where possible The first things that we look at are the history, geology and environmental setting of a site, and build up an initial understanding, and what might need to be considered to further assess the potential risks.
Phase 1 Desk Study
Phase 1 desk study is the first step of the journey. It brings together all of the information we can find out about a site; its history, its geology and what humans have done to it. We look at both the geoenvironmental and geotechnical aspects to provide a detailed geoscience assessment and report, in a cost effective package.
Flood Risk Assessments
Wherever there’s a potential risk of flooding, a Flood Risk Assessment will help to understand what the current risks are, including for the projected lifetime of a development. A Flood Risk Assessment can also be valuable if wanting to renovate or refurbish any existing building that’s in a flood risk area.
Shallow Mining Risk Assessment
A Mining Risk Assessment looks at the potential for shallow mine workings to affect a site; whether recorded or unrecorded. A detailed appraisal of the geology and history of a site and surrounding area is needed to make sure that we get a full understanding of whether coal or other mineral seams could have been extracted at shallow depth at any time in the past.
Soakaway Assessment
Knowing whether soakaway drainage might be an option for surface water drainage is a fundamental part of most developments, and to meet Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) requirements. The potential suitability for soakaways is based on lots of geoscience factors, include the geology of a site, if any groundwater is present and also the lay of the land as well.
Ground Source Heating Assessment
As the world transitions sustainable renewable energy sources, ground source heating has actually been around for years. It works by taking some heat straight out of the rocks and soils, and can be a great way to reduce your energy bills and have less impact on the environment.
Geotechnical Assessments
There are many types of geotechnical assessments that we can assist with as geoscience consultants. From drilling and grouting specifications and earthworks method statements through to assessments of rock faces, slope assessment and analysis, or investigation of retaining structures or existing buildings.
Investigation
Services
At the investigation phase we focus on refining and better understanding the potential risks so that they can be quantified and accounted for. This makes the rest of the development process quicker, safer and easier to budget for. Our ground investigations are tailored to provide the information that's needed based on what we expect the ground conditions to be, and what the proposals are.
Phase 2 Ground Investigation
When we need to find out more about the potential geoscience risks that could affect a site, the next phase is known as a Phase 2 Ground Investigation. It involves finding out more about the geology, ground conditions and quantifying the potential risks. We get the information that’s needed for both geotechnical and geo-environmental purposes.
Shallow Mining Investigation
When there’s a potential for shallow mine workings under a site, or if the site is in an area of known shallow mine workings, a shallow mining investigation is done to confirm the depth, thickness and state of shallow depth coal seams or associated mine workings. This lets us assess if there is enough rock cover above any workings found.
Soakaway Investigation
A soakaway investigation is carried out when there’s a chance that soakaway drainage might be suitable, or if requested to do them as part of a Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) strategy. Soakaways work by putting water into the ground, like would happen naturally.
Remediation
Services
The remediation phase starts by producing a Remediation Method Statement, outlining what needs to be done to remove or mitigate the potential risks to future site users. This needs to be approved before any remediation works commence. During construction works we can then carry out validation works to make sure that things are done as agreed. Keeping on top of things as they're happening on site is key to making sure that the information needed for the final Verification phase is easily available.
Remediation Method Statements
When the risks are too high to the final ‘receptor’ something needs to be done to reduce the potential risk. That’s exactly what a Remediation Method Statement does; it lays out what needs to be done to reduce either the geotechnical or environmental risks (or both!) to an acceptable level.
Validation
Once we know what needs to be done to make a site “suitable for use” the next stage is to make sure that the works are done correctly, and comply with the technical standards that they need to meet. This is the Validation phase.
Verification
Once validation works have been completed the findings and confirmatory results are compiled into a Verification report. This is normally done at the end of a development, or after specific phases of earthworks if geotechnical verification is required. We work with out clients so that they know what to expect at every step of the way to final verification reporting.
