Construction Dewatering

What is Groundwater Control (Construction Dewatering)?

Whenever an excavation is made below the natural water table, there is a risk that it will become unstable or flood unless steps are taken to control the groundwater in the surrounding soil.

Groundwater maybe controlled by installing a physical barrier to exclude groundwater from the excavation, or by pumping groundwater from specially installed wells in order to artificially lower the water table in the vicinity of the excavation, or by a combination of the two techniques.

Often, the use of a pumped well system, either alone or in combination of a physical barrier such as cut-off walls, ground freezing or grouting, will be the most economical and convenient approach. The appropriate type of pumped well system to use depends primarily on the nature of the ground and depth of the excavation. The number of excavations where no considerations need to be given to the potential effects of groundwater is very small.  Thus, the design, installation and operation of a groundwater control (dewatering) system and obtaining the necessary site investigation data and licencing & permits – should be viewed as an integral part of the overall works.

For more information on the different Groundwater Control Methods we provide, please visit our dedicated Services page or click on the links over on the left.