Considering stricter infrastructure standards and regulations – as well as digitalisation across the public sector and industry – geophysical techniques are set to play an even greater role in infrastructure planning, design and management.
A key contribution will be to address the current challenge of data sparsity in drilling, test pits and geotechnical data, according to Wesley Harrison, a principal geophysicist at SRK Consulting (South Africa). Harrison highlighted how the recent Engineering Geophysics Symposium, hosted by the South African Geophysical Association (SAGA) last month, showcased the immense potential that geophysical techniques could play in improving risk modelling.
“Through non-invasive subsurface imaging, we can efficiently and cost-effectively fill the gaps in traditional data sets,” he said. “This helps us gain a holistic understanding of subsurface conditions and properties for project planning, infrastructure safety, and disaster mitigation preparedness.”
He added that by combining geophysical techniques with geotechnical methods for site investigations, engineering firms were able to add further value by reducing the number of expensive boreholes and laboratory tests, resulting in cost and time savings.