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Many applications for geophysics appear in the construction industry. A variety of geophysical methods may be applied for differing reasons.
For example, a refraction seismic survey prior to the construction of a large roadway might be used to determine the rippability (ease of excavation) of the rock. It might also assist in the evaluation of the material for aggregate base suitability. Alternately, the same method might be used to delineate the boundaries of a landslide which the roadway must cross, or locate the depth to groundwater table for construction of bridge foundations.
A site on karst terrain may contain voids which must be rolex replica located and remediated prior to construction of any structure. The electrical resistivity method is ideal for locating either dry or water-filled voids. Another variation of this method is the vertical electrical sounding (VES) which is commonly used to evaluate the conductivity of the ground prior to construction of a grounding grid (used for safety around electrical equipment).
When construction is to occur where a previous building has been demolished, a GPR survey is often completed to locate buried debris such as concrete or old piping. In some situations, GPR is also valuable to locate voids of natural or man-made origin.
As cities grow, new construction often occurs near existing homes or other sensitive structures. In order to protect these structures, vibration & noise monitoring is employed to assure that the vibration and/or noise levels due to construction or blasting are below threshold values considered to be potentially damaging.
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