The study of the subsoil is essential to ensure safety, minimise risks and plan drilling operations with precision.
Before starting any drilling project – whether for groundwater abstraction, geothermal systems, civil works, industrial installations or land‑to‑sea connections – it is essential to carry out a subsoil study.
This process provides detailed knowledge of the soil’s composition, structure and conditions, ensuring safety, supporting occupational risk prevention and guaranteeing the overall efficiency of the project.
At Catalana de Perforacions, we are fully aware that this step is crucial to the success of any project. For this reason, we implement it through our Ground Research solution, which combines a highly specialised team with a comprehensive methodology that applies multiple techniques to obtain a complete and reliable understanding of the terrain before executing any drilling work.
What is a subsoil study?
A subsoil study is a set of technical analyses and tests that enable the precise characterisation of the ground: its lithology, discontinuities, the presence of water, buried structures or anthropogenic elements, and its response to mechanical or thermal stresses.
This knowledge is essential for:
- Designing efficient and safe drillings
- Avoiding unforeseen issues during execution
- Saving costs and time
- Planning projects based on real data
- Identifying risks and minimising them from the very beginning
Key techniques in subsoil study
The Ground Research solution by Catalana de Perforacions integrates several high‑precision technologies to obtain a complete characterisation of the terrain:
🛰️ Utility detection with ground‑penetrating radar (GPR)
GPR makes it possible to detect buried utilities such as pipelines, cables, galleries and other underground structures without excavation.
It is an essential tool for preventing incidents and ensuring safety in urban or industrial environments.
📡 Advanced topographic surveying
Using technologies such as GPS, total station, photogrammetric drone and laser scanner, a precise model of the surface and current terrain conditions is generated. This “real map” is crucial for planning drillings and correctly sizing the works.
⚡ Electrical resistivity of the ground (ERT)
By injecting direct current into the soil, profiles are obtained that reveal contrasts in electrical resistivity. This allows the identification of materials and lithologies, the detection of discontinuities, and the interpretation of potentially unstable areas. A key technique in geological and geotechnical projects.
🌊 Bathymetry and 3D models of the underwater environment
In projects carried out in seas, rivers, ports or lakes, subsoil studies also include the analysis of the underwater relief. Through bathymetric technologies, a 3D model is generated showing depth, seabed morphology, anthropogenic structures and sensitive flora and fauna zones. This step is crucial for submarine outfalls, land‑to‑sea connections, offshore wind farms and port‑maintenance operations.
🛠️ Investigation boreholes with core extraction
Boreholes provide direct information from the terrain at different depths. This technique makes it possible to obtain cylindrical soil and rock cores, determine their strength, structure and discontinuities, and analyse the presence of water or lithological changes. They are essential for confirming geophysical data and planning complex drillings.
🔥 Thermal Response Test (TRT)
Fundamental in geothermal projects, the TRT measures the soil’s actual thermal conductivity — a key parameter for correctly designing geothermal borehole fields and ensuring their efficiency. It allows the proper sizing of systems and guarantees their thermal and economic viability.
Benefits of conducting a subsoil study before drilling
Carrying out an exhaustive study of the terrain before starting drilling works provides multiple advantages:
🔒 Safety in drilling
A clear understanding of the ground formation minimises failures, collapses and potential impacts on third parties.
📐 Precise planning
The data obtained allow for the design of an optimal drilling trajectory, reducing deviations and unforeseen situations.
💰 Cost optimisation
It prevents unnecessary pavement openings, reduces expenses related to breakdowns or incidents, and allows technical needs to be anticipated accurately.
🌿 Regulatory compliance and sustainability
Especially in sensitive environments or underwater projects, subsoil studies ensure an approach that is respectful and aligned with the applicable regulations.
With Ground Research, we make the best technologies and an expert team available to your projects, turning ground uncertainty into knowledge and safety.
