Conference: Building on safe ground: What is the underlying geology?

Conference: Building geology

Description

The regulatory framework for geological assessment of the ground in Malta remains poorly defined and has resulted in a series of failures of third-party structures adjacent to excavation sites. Geological materials used in construction (aggregate, stone and cement) remain inadequately assessed and do not always conform to accepted standards.

Geologists have an important role in ensuring public safety during construction and are recognised as regulated professionals in Italy, Poland, Spain and several other European countries. Geologists are the experts in assessing ground conditions which is the preliminary task ahead of any construction activity and pose several issues related to the complexity of the rock or soil material. Predicting ground behaviour is also important for post-construction settlement.

Speaker

Peter Gatt – President of the Malta Chamber of Geologists

Conference Insights 

Geologists and the built environment

Geology is very important for the built environment. Geologists are concerned with the extraction, processing, and quality control of building materials, as well as with the characteristics of building sites.

Despite the importance of geology in construction, Malta remains the only country in Europe that does not have a National Geological Service. This puts the industry at a disadvantage, because other European states can rely on a National Geological Service for information. Not only does this institution not exist, but the title of geologist does not even feature in legislation.

Geologists – a critical component for a safe construction industry

Malta sits in the top five countries of the EU when it comes to construction activity. However, it is scarcely compatible with CEN (European) standards.

The construction process begins by the Planning Authority issuing a building permit. However, there is usually little information about the site’s geology.

The law requires a ‘ground investigation’, which is not to be confused with a proper, geological investigation. A geological investigation includes an assessment of the areas adjacent to the property, whereas a ground investigation does not. The law also requires the extraction of core samples. However, the law does not require an expert (a geologist) to analyse them.

This first assessment is a critical step of the construction process, as ground failure can be deleterious for both workers on site, developers, third-party property owners, and insurers of projects. The level of damage can range from practically no effect to catastrophic failure.

The main factors that affect ground failure are the strength of the rock and the continuity of the rock. Malta deals with relatively weak rock, which has implications when choosing the type of machinery to excavate. Identifying the different types of rock and their characteristics requires an expert’s input.

Excavations are not, however, the only high-risk activity of the industry that is being carried out without the necessary input of geologists. Building materials also present various problems. Cement is being packed and distributed to the public with incorrect certification labels, which raises questions about its composition. In a similar vein, a large part of Maltese aggregate (crushed rock), which is the main component of cement, is of subpar quality because of its flaky or elongated shape. This decreases its performance and necessitates additives, which raises the final cost.

Legislation

Legislation needs to be propped up to streamline the industry and make it more economical and safer.

In some cases, new legislation has been a step back. Legal Notice 136, which replaced Legal Notice 72, removed the need for geological investigations and replaced them with ground investigations, which are less comprehensive in their scope. This new law has not achieved its objectives when it comes to protecting third-party property.

In 2020, the Prime Minister commissioned the Building Industry Technical Committee, also known as the Quintano report. Gatt highlights two insights from this report. Quoting from the Document Gatt says that, under the current situation, ‘the safety of neighbouring structures is […] left to chance’, which is ‘nothing short of playing Russian roulette with the lives of third-parties’. Regarding building professionals, and quoting from the Quintano report once again, he adds that ‘the title of the “Perit” is grossly outdated in the complexity of the modern building industry’, and that the Perit can ‘no longer be the only expert’. 

Taking into consideration variations in local geology (such as the type of limestone that is being excavated) and coming up with different risk profiles depending on the site would decrease costs, as no unnecessary measures would need to be taken in the case of lower-risk excavation sites.

Updates and further information about the summit’s developments can be followed on the official blog and on its social media channels.

Subscribe to newsletter