The goal of the research is to emphasize the issues raised by the presence of water in soils on the one hand and to give the necessary aspects of knowledge regarding water tables and flows on the other. This enables the development and execution of appropriate technical solutions for water management, both qualitatively and quantitatively. The mentioned hydraulic potential gradient is the source of water mass displacement – water going from the highest potential to the lowest.
The following are the goals of hydrogéologique research related to infrastructure projects:
- Determine the effects of local hydrogeology at the route level, on the earthworks, and the work to be done
- Determine the project’s environmental impact on groundwater and water flows
- Determine the size and location of the devices to be installed
- Assist in the estimation of potential additional expenditures
- Identify the delays’ potential repercussions
Content and conduct of the studies
Land surveys must be completed in stages, depending on the questions that arise throughout the planning, design, and construction of the project. The first field survey should allow for the separation of various aquifer levels and their potential interactions with the project. To that goal, the preliminary reconnaissance should yield the following outcomes:
- Within the context of regional knowledge or previous experiences, the presentation of major local hydrogeological units or subsurface rivers
- Assessment of the project’s potential hydrogeological impacts
- The foreseeable impact of the project on local hydrogeology
- An assessment of the uncertainties of the study on the information provided above
- The definition of the program of studies to be undertaken in the “design” phase
- Evaluate the effects of local hydrogeology at the route level, on the earthworks, and the work to be done
- Determine the project’s environmental impact on groundwater and water flows
- Forecast and avoid drilling incidents (for example, the RERA tunnel) and size the devices that will be installed
- Determine the potential effects of the delays
What do Piezometric surveys have to offer?
The following information is obtained from piezometric surveys used in hydrogeological studies:
- The aquifer layers’ depth, thickness, extent, and permeability, as well as the networks of joints in the rock
- The water table’s altimeter level or the level of aquifers
- The pore pressure distribution
- The chemical make-up of water as well as its temperature
It allows the position of the territory’s aquifers to be seen, which is especially important for the conservation of catchment fields and catchment regions that are exploited or projected to be exploited for the supply of drinking water, agriculture, and industry. It is aimed at elected leaders, technicians, instructors, researchers, and scholars, among others.
