International and European standards on geotechnical investigation and testing for site characterisation

Three committees of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) are preparing common standards on equipment and methods used for soil and rock identification, drilling, sampling, field and laboratory testing of rock and soil as well as groundwater measurements for geo-engineering practice. The aim of this international standardisation work is to harmonise the quality requirements for equipment and to achieve comparable results whenever standardised equipment is used and standardised methods are applied. Manufacturers and users of equipment and methods of ground investigation and testing should find international standards valuable for common use as they enable comparable results to be obtained and reduce the variability of the results of geotechnical data which are the basis for geotechnical design. These international standards for ground investigation and testing are an important basis for the safety of structures and risk analysis in geotechnical design and construction. They also make a substantial contribution to sustainable resource development around the world. Moreover, they facilitate the development of a common global market for free trade in services and equipment for ground investigation and testing. International standardisation in this field also leads to an noticeable cost reduction in the building market.