Project overview
The UK invests an estimated £1.2 billion per year in ground investigations to support construction and infrastructure projects. The Common Ground project, led by the British Geological Survey (BGS), is a strategic initiative designed to enhance the value of this investment by improving how geotechnical data is managed, shared, and reused.
The project supports the development of a National Geotechnical Data Service, helping ensure that high‑quality data on ground conditions can be accessed and used more effectively across the sector.
Background
Ground investigations are carried out ahead of building and infrastructure projects to detect potential hazards below the surface. Despite significant annual investment, unexpected ground conditions continue to be a major cause of project delays and overspend.
The Common Ground project aims to address this by supporting the development of a National Geotechnical Data Service.
The Knowledge Asset solution
The National Geotechnical Data Service brings together aggregated, verified geotechnical data in industry-standard formats, making it easier to access and use.
Having more consistent information on ground conditions and geohazards at an earlier stage helps project teams make better, informed decisions and manage risk upfront. Over time, this has the potential to reduce the likelihood of unexpected ground conditions, helping to minimise delays and additional costs on construction projects.
Who will this help?
The Common Ground project will support the engineering and construction sector by providing easier access to geotechnical data. This allows organisations to plan more effectively and address ground-related risks earlier in the project lifecycle.
GOTT’s role
The BGS was awarded funding from the Government Office for Technology Transfer’s (GOTT) Knowledge Asset Grant Fund and Commercialising Knowledge Asset Fund (CKAF).
Early results
With grant funding support, the Common Ground Project assessed the economic, social and environmental value of the ground investigation dataset. It also looked at market needs to understand how this data could be better presented and delivered to users, to unlock greater value in practice.
High‑quality geotechnical data is essential for safe, sustainable, and efficient construction. By bringing together datasets across the sector and improving access to them, we are establishing a national geotechnical data service that reduces risk and supports better decision-making. With GOTT’s support, we are accelerating progress to market, delivering real value to industry and supporting the UK’s infrastructure ambitions.
Alison Steven, National Geoscience Data Centre (NGDC) Data Operations and Governance Lead, BGS.
Next steps
Phase two of the project is already underway. Quantitative research has been completed, with qualitative research about to begin. Findings from the research will shape the product design. In parallel, work is progressing to define and test the workflows with development work also underway to confirm the workflows needed to extract, aggregate, standardise and quality assure ground investigation data. This will support the creation of a curated, value-added national geotechnical data service.
For more information on CKAF, including details of funding rounds and how to apply visit our funding page.