Quality in Construction

The Importance of Site Investigation before Construction

The Importance of Site Investigation before Construction

In recent years Malta saw a shift towards commissioning a site investigation before a project actually commences. This shift was driven partially by the fact that in the recent past there were a number of accidents which involved third parties that might have easily been avoided with a proper site investigation and proper guidance by professionals that can properly interpret the investigation document and relate the findings to what there is on site.

economic constructions. In a very broad sense, the ground investigation is understood to include not only the underlying rock or soil, but also the ground water regime or any other underlying conditions that might be relevant. A site investigation on the other hand will give a broad understanding of the construction methods used for neighbouring buildings so that decisions on the way forward on how to construct the building in question can be taken.

The need to carry out a site investigation

Thus, this investigation inherently gives a better understanding to the architect and the engineers responsible for the new construction and guide them towards the right choices that would enable safe and

The characterisation of the ground conditions whether it is a greenfield site or a site that has already been developed will include geotechnical, geo-environmental and structural issues. The investigation of all these will result in an economic, cost-effective design without a lot of site disruptions that may develop if these issues are not studied beforehand. The investigation should allow for a comprehensive risk assessment of the conditions of the site to be made. The risks to be identified may include risks related to health, engineering, financial and regulatory which may all arise from unforeseen ground conditions and liabilities.

The main objectives of a Site Investigation

The main objectives of a site investigation are the following:

1. To determine the suitability of the site and the surroundings to the project being proposed and to try and understand better the engineering challenges at hand.

2. To obtain all the necessary design parameters to be able to do the necessary geotechnical and structural design.

3. To understand better the potential ground and ground water conditions that would affect the construction. To also get a better understanding of how the neighbouring buildings are constructed and how this might affect the construction of the structure being proposed.

4. To understand better if there is any risk of contamination in the ground and if there is to understand what kind of contamination one is dealing with. This does not only have an environmental effect but also an effect on the kind of materials chosen for the project.

5. To understand if there are any materials present on site that can actually be used in the project itself.

6. To understand better how the proposed design affects the adjacent structures and possibly the ground water.

Perit Kleaven Maniscalco Geotechnical Engineer