Your assignment is to prepare and submit a paper on site investigation and foundations for watermead business park, leicestershire. Watermead is brownfield land. The derelict land could be redeveloped after chemicals/waste, derelict infrastructure, or instability problems have been removed. Redevelopment of brownfield requires planning where economic benefit is linked to environmental enhancement. An independent investigation is required to determine the site history and impact of former activities on the status of subsurface soils and groundwater. This is required for appropriate management of risk by the identification of potential environmental risks and associated liabilities at an early stage (UK Land Directory, 2009).

The Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists (2005) have recommended a four-phase approach to site investigation. The first phase includes gathering information from available records. This includes records such as road names, maps, published documents, aerial photographs, utility company records, interviews, and information from contacts, etc. A review of records enables the development of appropriate hypotheses about the site. This includes past and present land use, geology, surface, and groundwater environment. The second phase is a limited ground investigation for appraisal of the site and suitability for development. This includes boreholes, trial pits, penetration tests, laboratory tests, and geophysical methods. The ground investigator prepares the report, while the advisor sets out the hypothesis and conclusions. This allows the identification of problem areas for further additional investigation and consideration. Phase three includes the main or extensive ground investigation. This allows addressing or clarification of particular technical requirements or problem areas. Based on the factual report the advisor prepares an interpretative report with information on soil properties and guidance on design and construction. Phase four includes the collection of information and its appraisal.