Desk Studies

Before starting any project which is influenced by ground conditions, be it construction, remediation of a contaminated site quarrying/mining or constructing a water supply, it is best to undertake a desk and walk over study prior to any site/ground investigation. Often the most junior member of the staff undertakes desk studies which can often mean important information is overlooked. By commissioning Sweeter Resources Ltd, the desk study will be undertaken by a Chartered Geologist. A good desk study can:

• Obtain sufficient information to:
  1. Prevent buying unsuitable property
  2. Better focus a site investigation so that the information needed is obtained and/or costs reduced.
• Reduce the amount of time and money spent on the site investigation. A site investigation may be 10 times greater in cost than a desk study. Consequently, a good desk study invariably pays for itself by reducing the cost of the site/ground investigation.
• If the information is available, it may be possible to undertake a feasibility design prior to the site investigation/ground investigation which may further save money and time.
• Many poor desk studies do not use sufficiently accurate data. For example .. 1:10,000 scale geology maps provide far more information than 1;50,000 geology maps. In addition, memoirs for the 1:50,000 scale geology maps provide additional information. Information from well catalogues, hydrogeology maps and Environment Agency databases often provide data on permeability, water table fluctuations and direction of groundwater flow. Too often important sources of in formation are overlooked during a desk study which only increases the cost of site investigations or results in buying unsuitable property.