Category: QA/QC
Posts
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The Future of AI-Assisted Geological Validation: How Artificial Intelligence Is Transforming Borehole Data Quality
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the way engineers and geoscientists work. From predictive maintenance and autonomous drilling to environmental assessments and digital twins, AI is helping organizations analyze larger datasets, automate repetitive tasks, and uncover patterns that would be difficult—or impossible—for humans to detect manually. One of the most promising applications is AI-assisted geological validation.…
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Geotechnical QA/QC for Infrastructure Projects: Building Reliable Foundations Through High-Quality Subsurface Data
Every successful infrastructure project begins below the surface. Before a highway is widened, a bridge is constructed, a railway is extended, or a water treatment plant is built, engineers must understand the subsurface conditions that will support the structure for decades to come. This understanding comes from geotechnical investigations. Boreholes, Standard Penetration Tests (SPT), cone…
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SPT and N-Value QA/QC Procedures: Improving the Accuracy and Reliability of Standard Penetration Test Data
The Standard Penetration Test (SPT) is one of the most widely performed in-situ geotechnical tests in the world. From building foundations and bridges to highways, dams, pipelines, and environmental investigations, SPT results are used daily by geotechnical engineers to evaluate subsurface conditions and support critical engineering decisions. At the heart of every SPT is the…
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Geological Data Quality and Resource Estimation: Why High-Quality Borehole Data Is the Foundation of Reliable Resource Models
Whether evaluating a mineral deposit, planning a mine, designing a major infrastructure project, or assessing groundwater resources, every geological interpretation begins with data. Drillholes, samples, laboratory analyses, geological logging, geotechnical measurements, and geophysical surveys collectively form the foundation upon which three-dimensional geological models and resource estimates are built. The accuracy of these models depends directly…
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Recovery, RQD, SCR, and TCR Validation: Ensuring Reliable Core Logging Data for Better Engineering Decisions
Core drilling provides some of the most valuable information used in geotechnical engineering, mining, hydrogeology, and environmental investigations. However, the value of that information depends entirely on the quality and consistency of the recorded data. Among the most important measurements collected during core logging are Core Recovery, Rock Quality Designation (RQD), Solid Core Recovery (SCR),…
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Core Logging QA/QC in Mineral Exploration
Best Practices for Producing Accurate, Consistent, and Defensible Geological Core Data Diamond drilling is one of the largest investments made during a mineral exploration program. Every metre of core recovered represents significant drilling costs and provides valuable geological information that may influence exploration strategy, resource estimation, mine planning, and investment decisions. Because of this, the…
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Borehole Data Governance for Transportation Projects
Ensuring Trusted, Secure, and Reusable Geotechnical Data Throughout the Infrastructure Lifecycle Modern transportation infrastructure projects generate an extraordinary volume of geotechnical information. Highway expansions, bridge replacements, rail corridors, airports, tunnels, ports, and rapid transit systems all depend on accurate borehole investigations to characterize subsurface conditions before construction begins. Over the lifetime of a transportation asset,…
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Environmental Data Validation Best Practices
How to Build Accurate, Defensible, and Audit-Ready Environmental Databases Environmental investigations generate enormous volumes of information. A single project may include borehole logs, groundwater monitoring data, laboratory analytical results, soil classifications, monitoring well construction details, field observations, GPS coordinates, photographs, chain-of-custody records, and regulatory reporting. Across large organizations, these records quickly grow into millions of…
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Preventing VOC Sampling Errors
Best Practices for Accurate Volatile Organic Compound Sampling in Environmental Investigations Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are among the most frequently analyzed contaminants during environmental site assessments, groundwater investigations, landfill monitoring, industrial compliance programs, and remediation projects. Because VOCs readily evaporate into the atmosphere, they are also among the easiest contaminants to lose during sampling, handling,…
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QA/QC for Groundwater Monitoring Wells
Best Practices for Ensuring Accurate, Reliable, and Defensible Groundwater Data Groundwater monitoring wells play a critical role in environmental investigations, contaminated site assessments, landfill monitoring, mining operations, industrial compliance programs, hydrogeological studies, and long-term groundwater resource management. Decisions involving public health, environmental protection, remediation strategies, regulatory compliance, and millions of dollars in project costs often…