If any of these points are not met, a ground investigation must be carried out in accordance with the applicable standard.
The current guideline for the preparation of ground reports is Eurocode 7 (abbreviated EC 7) entitled “Design, calculation, and dimensioning in geotechnical engineering.”
The Eurocodes were established by a European Community commission for the construction industry in order to remove technical barriers to trade and harmonize tendering procedures across the EU.
To implement EC 7, DIN EN 1997 was drafted in Germany and came into force in 2011. It replaces, at least in part, the previously valid standards DIN 1054:2010-12 (Safety verification of building ground in earthworks and foundation engineering) and DIN 4020:2010-12 (Geotechnical investigations for structural engineering purposes). The “old” DIN standards have been largely incorporated into DIN EN 1997. In general, the scope of investigation required for building ground investigations has increased. Today, the results are presented in the form of a geotechnical report.
