Geotechnical & Environmental Expertise Covering Cardiff & South Wales
Cardiff’s long history of urban, industrial and infrastructure development means ground conditions can vary considerably between sites. Made ground, former industrial land, alluvial deposits and variable superficial geology can all influence foundation design, drainage and development feasibility.
Sites associated with historic industrial, railway, dock or commercial uses may also require assessment for potential land contamination. Ground conditions close to rivers and low-lying areas can introduce additional considerations relating to groundwater, soft ground and flood risk.
Across South Wales more widely, historic mining and quarrying can also affect development sites, making early review of a site’s geology and previous land use particularly important.
Key areas of expertise include:
- Trial Pits: Used to investigate shallow ground conditions, existing foundations, made ground and buried obstructions, with samples obtained for environmental and geotechnical testing where required.
- Window Sampling: A compact investigation method suitable for many restricted urban sites, providing soil profiles and samples and allowing monitoring installations where necessary.
- Borehole & Drilling Investigations: Used to investigate deeper ground conditions, establish soil and rock profiles and obtain information for foundation, groundwater and geotechnical assessment.
- Soil & Groundwater Sampling: Laboratory analysis can establish engineering properties and investigate potential contamination affecting soils or controlled waters.
- CBR Testing: Used to assess the strength of subgrade soils and provide data for pavement, road and hardstanding design.
- Topographical & Land Surveys: Accurate mapping of site levels, boundaries and physical features to provide reliable base information for design, planning and development.
We support projects throughout Cardiff city centre, Cardiff Bay and surrounding areas including Canton, Llandaff, Llanishen, Lisvane, Penarth and the wider South Wales region.
