Designing Pumping Tests for Geotechnical Investigations

Pumping tests are a vital tool in the design and implementation of robust dewatering systems. These tests also act as a key aspect of any groundwater investigation, ground source energy project or water supply well borehole construction.

Although pumping tests have been carried out during the design stages of a construction project for many years, due to changes in recent times for abstraction and discharge licensing legislation in the UK, the requirement for them has increased significantly.

Guidance on how to undertake a pumping test has long been included in documents such as the CIRIA (co-authored by Dr Toby Roberts, WJ’s chairman) and the British Standard BS ISO 14686: 2003 document, however due to WJ’s extensive experience in undertaking such work, we are ideally placed to provide further guidance on the topic.

Earlier this year, WJ’s Managing Director Richard Fielden, at the time vice-chairman of the British Drilling Association (the trade association for drilling companies and associated services within the UK) produced a useful guide for ‘Designing Pumping Tests for Geotechnical Investigations’, through the backing of over 30 years of experience in the ground engineering and dewatering sector. The aim of this document is to improve the standard of these crucial tests within the sector.

You can read the guide here: https://www.britishdrillingassociation.co.uk/news/Designing-Pumping-Tests-for-Geotechnical-Investigations

You can learn more about our pumping test services here.

You can also read about some of the projects we have provided pumping test services for in the projects section of our website.