Desk Study

DESK STUDY
Every site investigation should begin with a desk study.
This is a
n office- based exercise in collating all available published information.

An initial walk over / site visit is made during the desk study.
The desk study includes :-

  • Review of historical mapping,
  • Aerial photographs,
  • Geological maps,
  • BGS borehole logs,
  • Groundwater vulnerability maps,
  • Mining records,
  • Planning records,
  • Contaminated land / landfill directories,
  • Local library records,
  • Business directories,
  • Interviews with local sources,
  • Statutory service records,
  • Previous site investigation reports,
  • Regulatory bodies and the physical inspection / reconnaissance of the site and environs.


Once the site has been seen and desk study information studied the ground conditions are more readily visualised and a conceptual model of the site can be built up. Any potential difficult ground conditions e.g soft and variable drift materials, man-made caves, landfill gases, potentially contaminative past activities that have taken place on the site etc. can be better understood.

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