Brownfield sites are ripe for redevelopment. However many contain a variety of hidden hazards that can pose significant risks for developers and costly delays to the project.

Geophysical techniques can provide a useful tool in the investigation of brownfield sites by reducing the risks, with rapid site reconnaissance surveys being utilised to characterise subsurface features prior to any intrusive investigation. With rapid data collection rates (up to 2 hectares per day) compiled with specialist data processing techniques, preliminary results can usually be offered at the end of a survey, providing an invaluable tool in the geo-environmental engineers armoury.

The techniques we commonly deploy include:

Geophysical techniques can offer quick screening technologies that can readily identify subsurface conditions and highlight problem areas of ground. The example above shows the location of buried foundations from former cooling towers.