Lecture 1 - Desk Study Flashcards
What the purpose of a desk study?
Determine:
Historical development of site
Ground investigation strategy
Environmental and engineering constraint to development
What is the purpose of the introduction?
Set out aims
Why are walkover surveys important?
Assess on site constraints
Look for invasive species
Give two examples of invasive species
Japanese Knotweed and Giant Hogweed
Why are invasive species a big issue?
Can damage structure if left unchecked and costly to remove
What aspects should be covered in the geology section of the desk study?
Lithology, depths, hydrology/hydrogeology and mineworks
What two sources of information help assess geology of site?
BGS Map and borehole records
What four areas are covered in environmental assessment?
Preliminary environmental assessment
Potential contaminants of concern e.g. metals, hydrocarbons, asbestos
Creation of conceptual model
Pollution linkages and risk assessment
What are the three key areas the conceptual model deals with?
Give three examples of each
Sources - metals, solvents, pesticides
Pathways - human (ingestion/inhalation), plants (soil, uptake of contaminants), controlled waters (groundwater, service trenches)
Receptors - humans, plants, buildings
Give four examples of potential risks highlighted in risk assessment
Groundwater flow
Leaching
Direct contact
Dermal contact
Give an example of an environmental constraint
Potential excavation of contamination hotspots
Why is made ground considered a geotechnical constraint?
Variable engineering properties
Uncompacted, randomly placed
Large obstructions
Why might natural soil be a geotechnical constraint?
Insufficient bearing capacity
How could mineral stability become an issue?
Possible presence of worked coal seams
