A Phase 2 Site Investigation provides further information regarding the risks posed by development site or surroundings. It can assist in further definition of ground risks and allows you to identify and quantify these risks. It allows for refinement of the Conceptual Site Model (a preliminary of which was produced as part of the Phase 1 Desk Study).

It is very often the second stage of a phased contaminated land investigation which is often required to discharge planning conditions or remove objections, once planning permission has been granted.

Phase 2 Ground or Site Investigations require intrusive investigations and may involve a variety and combination of exploratory techniques.

Some of the most common methods of intrusive investigation used during a Phase 2 Site Investigation include:

• Hand dug pits, i.e. foundation inspection pits, shallow contamination samples;

• Trial pits, i.e. general investigation works, soakaway tests;

• Handheld window sample boreholes;

• Dynamic cable percussion boreholes;

• Rotary core / open-hole boreholes.

Any drilling required as part of the Phase 2 Site Investigation will be undertaken by specialist sub-contractors under the close direction and supervision of an EMS Geo-Environmental Engineer.

Where necessary, monitoring standpipes are installed in the boreholes to allow subsequent groundwater or ground gas monitoring or sampling.

Soils are logged in accordance with British Standard BS5930:2015 and Eurocode EC7 by EMS’s trained and experienced Geo-Environmental Engineers.

Heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, hexavalent chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, selenium, zinc)

Inorganic compounds (phenols, total cyanide, total sulphate, water soluble sulphate, total Sulphur & pH);

soil organic matter;

Organic compounds (speciated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH), Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) CWG or Banded, BTEX and MTBE;

Asbestos in soils and quantification; and

Ground gas and hydrocarbon vapours.

More specialist contamination analysis can include:

Explosives – Picric Acid (2,4,6 – trinitrophenol), Trinitrotoluene and Ammonium Nitrate;

Chemical warfare agents – Mustard Gas (2, 4, 6 – Dichloroethyl sulphide);

Phosphates in soil and leachable

EMS Geotech’s experienced team of highly qualified consultants are competent in designing both cost effective and compliant investigations that target contamination.

All site investigations are undertaken in accordance with current guidance such as the recommended approach set out in the Environment Agency’s Model Procedures for the Management of Land Contamination (CLR11) and the British Standard Code of Practice Investigation of Potentially Contaminated Sites (BS 10175: 2011).

We have assisted a huge variety of different clients gain planning permissions and discharge planning constraints placed on development sites due to contamination.