Hydrogeology

Understanding the groundwater regime is important for all ground engineering projects because groundwater levels and pressures can have a critical influence on the selection of appropriate engineering solutions.

Groundwater levels and flows are especially important for basements constructed in water-bearing soils. For that reason some planning authorities now require hydrogeology reports to be submitted in support of planning applications for basements. These are sometimes called ‘geo-hydrology’ reports and are most commonly required by the inner London Boroughs where numerous basement applications have been submitted in recent years.

Gabriel GeoConsulting regularly provide such hydrogeological appraisals for clients, either as a standalone report or as part of a larger report covering other issues (see Basement Impact Assessments). These reports include recommendations concerning both the permanent structure and any temporary control of groundwater during construction. Where relevant they also include recommendations for mitigation measures which would minimise the impact of the scheme on the groundwater regime.