Green revolution under our feet: sustainability in the subsurface

Sustainability in the construction industry is a hot topic, and rightly so. Huge strides are being made in making building materials more sustainable, energy efficiency and circular construction. But while above-ground innovations attract attention, the sustainable transition in underground infrastructure often remains underexposed. This is worrying, because what happens in the underground is at least as important for achieving our climate goals. 

Fundament 

The underground infrastructure - think foundations, cables and pipes - is the foundation of our society. Without this infrastructure, the buildings, roads and utilities we rely on every day simply would not exist. Yet in the current sustainability debate, little attention seems to be paid to the innovations and efforts being made in this sector. 

Electric probe unit 

This while at Fugro, for example, we are doing work in electrifying our equipment. We have been doing this for some time and will soon take it to a new dimension with the Electric Deep Drive®, an advanced, all-electric sounding unit. With its ability to probe quickly and -up to 150 meters- deep, using a coil instead of tubes, this unit offers an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional fossil fuel-based methods. 

Innovations like these show that electrification and sustainability need not be limited to what we see above ground. Indeed, underground infrastructure offers enormous potential to dramatically reduce CO2 and nitrogen emissions. 

Sustainability in procurement 

It is therefore essential that governments and clients pay more attention to sustainability in underground infrastructure. As with superstructure projects, sustainability and circularity should be included as important criteria in tenders and permits. Also by taking sustainability into account in the design and not, for example, by repeatedly breaking up streets for various works. Or by building on existing foundations and thus reusing foundation piles, for example, which we at Fugro also have experience with. 

Encourage 

It is important that governments and clients recognize and encourage the innovative power of companies in underground infrastructure. By embracing this and integrating it into their policies and projects. 

The time is ripe for a sustainable revolution under our feet, and the Electric Deep Drive® is just the beginning. It is time to bring underground infrastructure out of the shadows and give it its rightful place in the sustainability debate.