Ground investigation (GI) work is routinely carried out to assess ground conditions and identify ground hazards prior to the construction of new buildings and infrastructure projects. The UK construction sector invests approximately Â£1.2 billion per year in GI, yet unforeseen ground conditions still cause significant delays and overspend, estimated at 10 per cent of project costs or £120 million per year.

Additional funding has been secured from the  to expand BGS pioneering Common Ground project. This initiative aims to develop a national geotechnical properties data service, maximising the return on GI investment and reducing risk, increasing efficiency and unlocking the value of GI data for the UK construction sector. 

Following the success of the project first phase, the new funding will enable BGS to build on pilot geotechnical data tools that were developed for Glasgow to deliver a national-scale geotechnical data service that combines geotechnical data with geological knowledge.

As BGS moves forward with this exciting phase, we remainÌýcommitted to delivering solutions that maximise the return on investment in GI data, reduce carbon emissions and support a more resilient and efficient construction industry.

Alison Steven, data operations and governance manager at BGS.

Ensuring that users remain at the heart of product development, our partners, , will be conducting further market research and will develop a strategy to help BGS provide an authoritative data service with the functionality that suits the end user. 

The knowledge asset underpinning this project, the 51ÁÔÆæ National Geotechnical Properties Database (NGPD), contains data from approximately 200 000 boreholes, consolidated, validated and verified by BGS experts.

If you are a user or producer of GI data and would like to be involved in the project please get in touch with the Common Ground team.

October 2023 saw BGS National Geological Repository (NGR) welcome two UK-based artists who were visiting the collections as part of their individual projects focused on the Blackwater Estuary in Essex. Nastassja Simenski and Angenita Teekens visited the repository to view core samples from around Bradwell A, a Magnox-design nuclear power station located on the Dengie peninsula at the mouth of the River Blackwater in Essex. The power station has been in long-term decommissioned management since 2019.  

The landscape of the Blackwater Estuary

Nastassja Simenski, artist and researcher at University College London, is studying for her PhD on the potential of collaborative fieldwork between artists and archaeologists. She is particularly focused on how the development of place-specific and collaborative methods ‘in the field’ enable new ways of highlighting current conversations around energy production in the Blackwater Estuary.  

Visiting the BGS repository and seeing the core samples from the Bradwell and Blackwater Estuary helped me to get a sense of how the geology of the area has shaped the landscape over time and, in turn, impacted the types of human production and interaction here over long durations […] for instance, the core samples from Bradwell are a starting point from which we can think about how a seemingly remote part of the Essex coast is implicated in wider contexts like managed realignment and climate change mitigation, agricultural policy, natural and cultural heritage, and the development of new forms of energy production.

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Nastassja Simenski

Natassja research includes place-based art practices and considers how specific scientific research and data such as BGS core samples can be used creatively to tell bigger stories that move across long time periods and wider geographies. The issues explored in her research are mediated through art including the potential to use data, historical records and interviews to inform musical scores, live performances and films that get shown in situ or in galleries, broadcast on radio and screened at film festivals. Natassja research includes place-based art practices and considers how specific scientific research and data such as BGS core samples can be used creatively to tell bigger stories that move across long time periods and wider geographies. The issues explored in her research are mediated through art including the potential to use data, historical records and interviews to inform musical scores, live performances and films that get shown in situ or in galleries, broadcast on radio and screened at film festivals. 

Earthworks: boreholes and dorodangos 

is an established artist with 25 years of experience in facilitating environmental community art projects. Her most recent project, ‘Earthworks’, is a community inquiry about bore samples, extraction, disposal and the energy transition. The project will see members of the Othona community, as well as community groups in Essex, creating 260 dorodangos, which will be twinned with bore samples taken from fields adjacent to Bradwell, which are currently stored at BGS.

The Japanese dorodango artform consists of a small sample of clay rolled into a sphere by human hands within human time, as part of a slow meditative practice.  

Accessing the BGS collections is a vital source of information for the creation of a borehole catalogue as part of Angenita project. The inclusion of visual materials such as borehole logs, along with sketches, drawings and writing, will help to guide participants in their creation of the dorodangos, whilst questioning land use, energy production, geological and human time and human impact on land. 

The National Geological Repository at BGS

The National Geological Repository (NGR) is a  and the largest collection of geoscience samples from the UK. It forms an integral part of BGS (part of 51ÁÔÆæ ) and is located at the BGS headquarters in Nottinghamshire. 

NGR unique collections are used extensively by industry, in research and to support university teaching. It has the UK largest core storage and examination facility, with the Core Store and records collections at its centre. The collections include: 

• borehole cores and samples 
• fossils, rocks and other samples 
• related subsurface information from the UK landmass and continental shelf 

About the artists

 

First and foremost, I’m Patrick and studying chemistry, geography and maths at A Level. For a week in July 2023, I was on work experience at BGS. I’ve had a passion for geology since I was brought to the Keyworth site for BGS open days, and I’m now intending to pursue a career in the subject.

The theme for week followed the journey of a borehole through BGS, which led to engaging with many areas and activities, including:

• a tour of the National Geological Repository (aka the Core Store)
• an introduction to 3D scanning of fossils with Simon Harris, the collections conservation and digitisation manager
• digital borehole logging and some 3D modelling with Steve Thorpe, a geospatial data specialist    
• meetings with members of communications team — Lee, Penny, Jade and Michael
• chatting with PhD student Ellis Hammond about his research on new digital tools to help speed up the redevelopment of brownfield land
• an introduction to the Core Scanning Facility and digital borehole data with petrophysicist Mark Fellgett

The borehole journey through BGS starts with sinking a borehole into the ground using specialised rock coring equipment. Borehole depths can range from 5 to 5000 m into the ground, each one providing unique insights into the world beneath our feet. A special drill bit is used to collect a core of the rock, which is then extracted, packaged up and transported back to the National Geological Repository at BGS Keyworth, where it registered.

The rock core is logged during a visual inspection of the different rock layers present in the sample. Many of the borehole logs and cores at BGS are from before the age of computers, handwritten on paper from as early as the mid-1800s. These older, handwritten logs are currently being converted into digital logs, with further scans being taken of the paper copies. They can then be input into software to build 3D models of the subsurface or used to create large-scale maps of the geology below our feet.

The core is then scanned, photographed and tested to gather data on its properties. For example, gamma rays can be used to test the density of a rock, P-waves can be used to measure the porosity, and X-rays, infrared spectroscopy and some chemical tests develop a picture of the rock properties.

Borehole data is being used to inform the transition to net zero. BGS researches the properties of rocks and the subsurface environment to work out if they can be used to store large quantities of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from industry and power generation. This area of applied research is called carbon capture and storage (CCS) and the technology is a means of reducing the amount of CO₂ that is released into the atmosphere.

CCS is the process of injecting CO­₂ under high pressure (so it is more like a liquid than a gas) into porous sedimentary rocks in areas such as old oil or gas fields, which are then filled with salty water. Boreholes are key in deciding which areas are suitable for CCS, as they allow scientists to work out which rocks can store CO₂, how much CO­₂ they can hold and whether it is likely to escape in the future. 

Boreholes are also used to access geothermal energy present underground, for example using the water from abandoned mines. This water can store plenty of heat, depending on a range of factors. The water is pumped up to the surface where the heat can be extracted and used to provide a sustainable heat source. This reduces the need for CO₂-producing fossil-fuel power plants.

All in all, my week at BGS has been valuable in demonstrating the fascinating research that occurs here, and the broad range of skills that people need to conduct it. It has given me plenty of motivation to aim for a career in geology. nassive thank you to Dr Darren Beriro for organising my visit and to Steve Thorpe and Mark Fellgett for looking after me on a day-to-day basis.

51ÁÔÆæ holds records of 1.5 million boreholes. They are a national asset and are relied upon by various types of users. User improvement is key to enable BGS to deliver the data needed by anyone using subsurface data. Improving the level of information delivered plus improvements in the speed and method of delivery are both crucial for ensuring everyone has access to this valuable dataset.

Why have we made these improvements?

Reviewing the enquiries received to BGS, a common theme preventing easy download of borehole data was the size of the scan. A new API (application programming interface) has been developed to deliver scans by generating multi-page PDFs to provide the data in a more efficient way. 

Instead of an ‘image unavailable’ screen, users will have access to all the open borehole data held by the BGS, with no limitation on size.

As well as improving access to scanned and other image format borehole data, improvements have been made to the graphic log created for AGS files. These amendments have been made in line with discussions with stakeholders, including Yorkshire Water, who wanted to see more information on the graphic log produced from the AGS file.

New features

New features in this release include:

• a new, multi-page PDF version to improve the delivery of scanned borehole records.
• an improved version of the graphical log derived from AGS data
• fields added to the ‘Borehole records’ layer to allow the user to see:
  • the precision at which the location is known
  • if there is a known scan-quality issue

We are hoping that these improvements will help people to access the data better. The next step is to provide better access to the AGS data and further improvements to the API will help accomplish that.

Release date

This release showcases improvements in the delivery of borehole data via the . Changes to the ‘Borehole records’ and ‘AGS boreholes’ layers will go live in the week commencing 24 April 2023, to coincide with the AGS Annual Conference taking place on 27 April 2023.

About the author

51ÁÔÆæ holds a database of over 1.4 million borehole records, each containing a range of information. We need your help to convert these records into usable digital data that can help inform the future understanding of the subsurface.

The digital scans of these open borehole records can be accessed through the BGS GeoIndex viewer. Despite being held in digital format (usually PDF), the information within these documents is not yet standardised and often requires translating before being able to be used.

We believe it is essential that future generations have access to historical borehole data as Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists (AGS) file format. With your help, we can convert our records into AGS format, to improve the availability and accessibility of borehole information to a wider audience. This in turn will enable users to build better models, save costs on construction projects and reduce the amount of time lost due to unforeseen ground conditions.

Once the borehole records have been converted, we estimate that over 800 000 more downhole geology logs will be available for everyone to use. This data can feed directly into site investigations, conceptual ground models and academic projects, as well as provide the data necessary to perform even greater analyses on our subsurface in future. The Big Borehole Dig aims to give people around the country the tools they need to digitise downhole information, create an AGS file and send it back to BGS to store, so that everyone can benefit from it. By helping us to standardise data, your contribution will help the UK take steps towards becoming a major subsurface information manager.

Want to get involved?

You can take part in the Big Borehole Dig by downloading our free Groundhog Desktop software, or alternatively if you have access to OpenGround (or Holebase SI). We have produced a user guide for both software so please download the relevant user guide using the links below. If you have any questions we would love to hear from you. Please contact Steve Thorpe.