Dr Martin Preene of Preene Groundwater Consulting and Seb Fisher of Groundwater Engineering recently wrote an article for Geodrilling International Magazine on the potential impacts that can result when groundwater control and dewatering is carried out in urban areas.
Groundwater control techniques can be a vital part of many construction and mining projects to allow excavation below groundwater level in dry and stable conditions. In the past, it was not routine to consider the potential environmental impacts of dewatering and groundwater control. However, in recent decades, discussion and guidance has emerged on potential environmental impacts, with dewatering guidance documents being produced in the UK and in the Middle East, and these issues are now routinely considered.
The article describes the particular issues and potential environmental impacts associated with groundwater control in urban areas, where the restricted working space and the presence of neighbouring structures will influence the choice of methods, and discusses the requirements for environmental monitoring and mitigation.
The article can be viewed here.
This article is based on a paper presented at the XVI European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering in Edinburgh, Scotland in September 2015.
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