3D laser scan images of TerraDat’s new office

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20 Years of Geophysical Innovation

It doesn’t seem like it, but back in November 2012 TerraDat was 20 years old!

The company was set up by Rob McDonald and Nick Russill and has grown to be regarded as one of Europe’s leading geophysical survey companies, pioneering the use of non-invasive techniques for ground investigation.

Over the years, TerraDat has built up an international client base covering a diverse range of industries where a comprehensive understanding of the subsurface is needed.

These include: civil and geotechnical engineering, archaeology, renewable energy, environmental studies, mineral / water exploration and even forensics.

Now with a 15-strong team of experienced geoscientists based in offices in Cardiff, Scotland, Australia and Italy, TerraDat is continuing its mission of applying the latest innovations in geophysical mapping.

TerraDat also maintains an ongoing commitment to supporting academic research projects.

New Office PremisesWe’ve moved to a new permanent home, still in Cardiff but within easy access of the M4. Following the purchase of Unit 1, Link Trade Park, our ambition to have enough space for our growing team of geophysicists and equipment (and enough parking!) has been met. The move makes mobilisation for jobs more efficient and we can now test kit in the dry and load up our survey vehicles, quad bikes and boats under one roof. We also have several meeting areas and a dedicated conference room that is ideal for client presentations and training.

It was a significant milestone for us in our 20th year. Over the years we've gone from a small table under the stairs in a private house, to rented rooms in Cardiff University, Ocean House in Cardiff Bay and now a place with room to grow.

Feel free to call in and see us any time - we’re just off Penarth Road behind the Porsche garage. We're also planning an “office warming" event for friends and clients later in the year.

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New BrochuresOur range of brochures detailing TerraDat’s capabilities and experience has been recently updated and expanded. In most cases we adopt a multi-technique approach to geophysical surveying. This approach overcomes the limitations of any individual technique and increases the probability and accuracy of finding buried targets and resolving geological structures.

The new brochures cover industry-specific sectors rather than focussing on the individual techniques, illustrating how a TerraDat survey can benefit our clients in terms of cost savings, reduced risk and optimal ground coverage. Find them on the case studies page of our website at www.terradat.com

Geotechnica was established in 2009 to celebrate all that is good about the geotechnical and drilling industry. TerraDat has been attending the event since 2010. The event was developed to bring together all sectors of the industry and appeals to all stakeholders, from suppliers and manufacturers through contractors to clients. It brings different parts of the industry together at a single focused event, helping to promote the specialist services, products and innovations that the industry has to offer. No other event brings together such a diverse group of specialists, all of whom are focused on the development of the industry. It's the only event that allows visitors to receive answers to all of their project queries instantaneously. In 2012 TerraDat answered many questions from old and potentially new clients. These included discussions on wind farm work with Atkins, a reoccurring survey for the Highways Agency near Barrow in Furness, work at various nuclear sites, and general discussions with clients such as Soil Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering and Geotechnics.

Geotechnica is free to all visitors, and encompasses a free CPD Geotechnical Symposium which has speakers comprised of industry experts and leading academic figures. This year, Geotechnica provided some indicators of where and how growth can be achieved in order to aid recovery from the current, difficult, market conditions. Geotechnica also asked some searching questions of the experts present asking if additional qualifications and changes to legislation and technical standards may act as obstacles to growth.

Come and see us on 10th and 11th July when Geotechnica will be at the Warwickshire Exhibition Centre, near Royal Leamington Spa. For more details visit or keep an eye on our Twitter feed (@terradat).

www.geotechnica.co.uk

Geotechnica Trade Show

Overseas Round-up

TerraDat undertook an Induced Polarization (IP) survey across two areas in Southern Poland. The survey was commissioned to detect zones of Pb/Zn mineralisation in order to assist with the design of a planned drilling programme and development of this valuable resource.

TerraDat geophysicists Brett Collins and Angharad Matthews carried out the work over two months. Initially a reconnaissance survey was executed across a relatively small area in order to determine the optimal survey configuration, this was then followed by the acquisition of 13 linear kilometres of IP survey data, acquired in highly challenging temperatures and conditions, just try untangling 3km of wire in a forest at -10°C!

The transmitter used was an IRIS VIP 4000 4kW time domain instrument, powered by a HONDA EM65IS motor generator. The receiver was an ELREC Pro 10 channel IP receiver. The locations of the survey lines were recorded using a Garmin GPSMA 62S handheld GPS.

Fieldwork commenced with the deployment of approximately 4.5km of current wire along a route determined by the presence of landowner consent obtained using levels of charm and finesse not usually associated with geophysicists. TerraDat operatives worked alongside the client’s Polish field crew to ensure that the required data was acquired as efficiently as possible with final data quality control provided by an independent geophysical consultant.

In July 2012, TerraDat carried out a series of geophysical surveys at a copper deposit located in the east of the Republic of Kazakhstan. This strategically important deposit is being developed by a FTSE 100 company and is poised to become a major copper operation within Central Asia. Soil resistivity testing was carried out to provide information on the electrical properties of the near subsurface, necessary for the optimal design of earthing systems associated with high-voltage electrical equipment. The data was presented to the client as tomographic pseudo-sections (2D depth sections across the survey areas showing lateral changes in resistivity), this provided extra geotechnical detail which would not have been available using the traditional 4-pin method. This approach is also more accurate than the traditional method as it is possible to derive more reliable resistivity values. The data was also provided in tabular format to easily allow earthing calculations to be made.

P and S wave seismic refraction surveys were carried out to provide mining engineers with information on the depth and strength (rippability) of underlying ground materials. By combining the derived seismic P and S-wave velocities with density information, it is possible to calculate Poisson's Ratio and a range of elastic moduli, i.e. Shear, Young's and Bulk. TerraDat's field geophysicists are highly experienced in carrying out high precision surveys in the most challenging and remote environments. This is of paramount importance when working to deadlines as part of major engineering projects. In Kazakhstan, our operatives were able to deal with technical issues onsite, including operating scientific instrumentation in temperatures approaching the maximum specified operating temperature of the equipment (not to mention our personnel!).

Mineral Exploration in Poland

A Major Copper Resource in Kazakhstan

FREE Lunchtime seminars

We would be pleased to come along to your offices and give a concise overview of current geophysical technology and how they can be incorporated into ground investigations to maximise understanding of the subsurface.

The seminar can count towards staff CPD and can also be simultaneously broadcast to other locations if required.

We can tailor the case studies we present to suit any current projects or particular specialisations of your company, and it also provides a great opportunity to ask any questions you may have.

If you are interested in arranging a presentation, please contact Dr. Simon Hughes:

tel: 08707 303050simon@terradat.co.uk

New Aerial Mapping ServicesWe now offer a low cost solution to clients who require accurate digital terrain models, ortho photographs and classified aerial imagery. Using small unmanned aircraft equipped with high resolution cameras, areas of up to 8 square km can be mapped in one day. Among the many applications we have provided data for quarries, coastal erosion, flood plain analysis, civil defence, civil engineering projects, farming and archaeology.

Vertical accuracies of 2-20cm are achievable and datasets can be classified into ground, vegetation and buildings making this an excellent tool for monitoring. All industry data formats and popular GIS packages are supported for simple data integration.

Scottish Office

TerraDat’s Scottish office is based in Glasgow allowing us to work closely with our Scottish clients. Crucially, it gives us an opportunity for an early visit to many of the sites under investigation allowing us to design a suitable survey program that best fits the environment and survey objectives.

Recent projects range from the investigation of historic mining districts within the central belt of Scotland (focussing on former coal mining, iron works and related infrastructure) through to large scale engineering projects such as a major pipeline through Glasgow for Scottish Water, and surveys at North Queensferry for the proposed Forth Replacement Crossing. Increasingly, we have been working in the rapidly developing wind energy sector to establish the geotechnical and electrical properties of the subsurface for turbine foundation and earthing design. In addition, we carry out archaeological and cable route surveys as required.

TerraDat Scotland offers the same comprehensive range of geophysical techniques as our main office. Our local geoscientists are fully trained and experienced in the use of geophysical instruments from our comprehensive pool of equipment. Data processing, interpretation and reporting is carried out to the high standards that TerraDat are renown for. TerraDat also endeavours to provide undergraduates with an opportunity to gain essential work experience and we have close ties to Glasgow and Dundee University earth science departments.

Our staff are always keen to visit companies that are involved in ground investigation, as well as to universities, societies and local government, to explain in more detail some of the applications for geophysics.

The contact for TerraDat Scotland is Brett Collins: tel; 0845 643 9294

brett@terradat.co.uk

3D laser scanning / LiDARTerraDat has in-house facilities for terrestrial laser scanning and photogrammetry, including low altitude aerial capabilities. This enables rapid collection of high accuracy 3D datasets. These can be applied to modelling inaccessible rock faces, generation of bare earth models for settlement / movement monitoring, measured building surveys and 3D recording of historic structures.

Data can be integrated with LiDAR information to generate deliverables such as ortho-photos, 2D elevation views, DTM (digital terrain models), structural geology (dips and strikes), TINs / contour maps and animated fly-throughs. TerraDat can also facilitate rapid mobile mapping surveys.

Left to right: Point cloud data, vegetation removal, bare earth model of a road cutting

20m

Zones of material erosion

Zones of material accretion

3D and 2D views showing coastal erosion

Point cloud and CAD elevation models

In 2003 TerraDat successfully located a famous POW escape

tunnel in south Wales using ground penetrating radar. Following excavation of the radar anomaly, the tunnel was found to be intact almost 60 years after it was excavated.

We were contacted by the BBC Countryfile programme to reopen the tunnel and carry out 3D imaging using the latest laser scanning technology.

For the first time it was possible to vizualise the tunnel and original hut in 3D by combining the survey data (right).

The image to the left shows the 3D laser scan point cloud looking up the tunnel. This is not a photograph, but an intensity plot (hence no shadows) made up of millions of 3D points captured by the laser scanner.

The results of the survey can be viewed as an animation, flying through the hut and then along the tunnel. Visit: http://vimeo.com/57482799

TerraDat on TV

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TerraDat help Cardiff University reveal Roman Caerleon

TerraDat’s close links with Cardiff University were further strengthened last year when technical support, instrumentation and training were provided to the Archaeology

department’s ‘Mapping ISCA’ project. This on-going research project aims to map and understand the layout of the Roman fortress town of ISCA. TerraDat provided Geonics G858 and Bartington 601 magnetometers, from our equipment pool, and training in their use. Fortunately the University provided the labour! TerraDat also and carried out some research into the efficacy of the use of RADAR surveying in this archaeological context. A broad range of features were revealed by the surveys and were, featured on a Time Team Special.

Staff Profile: Jim WhiteleyIt’s been a busy time since I started at TerraDat! In 2010 I undertook my MSc thesis in conjunction with TerraDat, Parsons Brinckerhoff and Cardiff University. A few months and several short projects later, I found myself spending a month in Morocco, as part of a team conducting a regional microgravity survey mapping basement geology.

2012 was an exciting year, with the highlight being working for two months in the Republic of Congo. Using all my skills from conducting magnetic surveys in the UK, I was involved with the quality control and interpretation of a large scale airborne magnetic survey looking for iron ore deposits. Being able to add a mining camp to the ever growing list of sites I’ve worked on was great, and I’m already looking to the next overseas projects that might be coming TerraDat’s way; and with potential jobs in Sierra Leone, Mozambique and Armenia on the cards, who knows, it could be a good year for some overseas geophysics adventures!

Head office:TerraDat Geophysics (UK)Unit 1, Link Trade ParkPenarth RoadCardiff CF11 8TQ

Scotland office:37 Argyle Court1103 Argyle StreetGlasgow G3 8NDScotland

Tel: +44 (0)8707 303050Fax: +44 (0)8707 303051

Email: simon@terradat.co.uk

Tel: +44 (0)845 643 9294Fax: +44 (0)8707 303051

Email: brett@terradat.co.uk

www.terradat.co.ukwww.getlaserscanning.com