What Is Site Characterization

Site characterization is the process of developing an understanding of the geologic, hydrologic and engineering properties at the site including the soil, rock, along with groundwater and in many cases, man-modified conditions in the subsurface (e.g. utilities, structures, mines and tunnels) that can impact site conditions. It also includes the spatial and temporal assessment of contaminants when they are present. Various terms such as site investigation, site assessment and site characterization have been used to describe this process and are often used interchangeably. Many case histories have shown that most failures are caused by not properly understanding the site conditions that can impact the project. These failures could have been avoided by focusing attention on the geologic and hydrologic conditions.