Groundwater Monitoring

Name: Ruddlesden Geotechnical
Price range: $

Groundwater monitoring is often undertaken as part of both geotechnical and contamination investigations.

Groundwater is either manually, using a dip meter, or, more commonly nowadays, using electronic dataloggers, to continuously monitor groundwater level fluctuations.

Groundwater levels are important in foundation, retaining wall, excavation and drainage design, as well as in the assessment of contamination risks to controlled waters.

Groundwater samples from borehole installations can be tested at the laboratory and used as part of a controlled waters risk assessment or validation of remedial works.

Case Study

Groundwater Monitoring for Retaining Wall Design, Devon

Following a geotechnical investigation, groundwater monitoring was undertaken to provide data for the design of a proposed retaining wall. Due to the site’s locality, near to a tidal estuary, monitoring visits were carefully considered, to ensure that the high tidal range, and the groundwater table’s response, was reflected in the data. The level of the groundwater table and groundwater pressures were critical to the retaining wall design. Limited data and/ or conservative assumptions could have resulted in the overdesign of the structure, with construction costs significantly more than they should have been.