There are cases where construction sites might appear ideal for construction yet they have environmental challenges below the surface.
Some of those challenges include soil contamination, groundwater concerns, past land use, among other aspects of the site that are not known until excavation commences.
That is the reason why environmental testing should be included in your construction plans as well.
- Hidden Soil Contamination
Past industrial use, fuel storage, hazardous waste disposal, or agricultural activities on the site might have impacted the soil.
It will be difficult to know about the contamination until the excavation is started, which may lead to sampling, lab testing, proper handling and even disposing of contaminated materials.
- Unexpected Groundwater Conditions
Groundwater is something that brings both environmental and engineering concerns.
The first one is contaminated water, and that might call for further investigations and cleanup.
Even when there are no contaminants present, groundwater might bring challenges to excavation and site preparation.
. Construction Delays
An environmental issue that surfaces during construction can pose disruptions to carefully planned schedules.
Further investigation, testing, compliance, remediation, or specialized waste management measures might be required before some of the activities can proceed.
An environmental issue identified during the planning process is generally more manageable compared to an issue found midway through construction.
- Increased Costs
Delays might prove costly for projects.
If contractors, equipment, and materials have already been lined up, a last-minute environmental issue might result in increased cost of labor, testing, transportation, disposal, and consulting fees.
Pre-construction testing does not guarantee that there will be no environmental risk to a project, but it can prevent the team from costly surprises.
- Worker and Community Concerns
Construction processes might affect contaminated soils or cause an increase in the airborne dust, among other environmental impacts.
Anticipating the condition of the site before work commences allows teams to implement proper controls and monitoring programs to protect workers and communities.
Compliance Issues
Environmental rules might depend on the location, type of project, previous use of the site, and contaminants present.
Identifying a potential issue during construction might result in added regulatory requirements and documentation.
Testing Is Just the Start
Environmental testing does not end just because work has started.
Today’s advanced monitoring technology will continue to give you information on:
Air quality
Particulate matter
Water quality
Soil quality
Noise and vibration
Weather conditions
When you combine the pre-construction assessment with continuous monitoring, you get improved visibility throughout your project lifecycle.
Find out more about our environmental testing services, assessments and monitoring solutions for construction and infrastructure development at Enviro Test Construct.
A Better Approach
One helpful way of looking at environmental risk management is:
Assess → Test → Understand → Plan → Monitor → Act
Such an approach allows managing environmental risks to be shifted from reaction to preparation.
Some Final Words
Not all environmental risks are obvious right away.
Failure to perform the necessary tests may result in contamination, delays, unforeseen expenses, compliance risks, and tough decisions after the construction has already started.
Therefore, environmental testing cannot be treated only as a requirement.
It is an informational phase that helps construction teams to make better decisions while the decisions can still be easily changed.
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