Belgium
Environmental and engineering experts in Belgium — when and where you need us.
Our expertise
With a 40-year international history, EFI Global has been operating as a nationwide soil remediation expert and related environmental consultancy in the Belgian market since 2021. Having integrated the operations of the former Abesim and Artemis Milieu organizations under the EFI Global brand, the combined team in Belgium has over 23 years of domestic experience and is well-established in the arena of soil remediation and investigation. Our team of geotechnical and construction experts also delivers a range of services — from building demolition plans and groundwater pumping studies to examining soil that will be excavated — to support clients and contractors in tackling complex business challenges.
Our skilled colleagues are based throughout Belgium, with EFI Global holding accreditations in Wallonia, Flanders and Brussels.
Environmental
Our complete line of environmental and industrial hygiene consulting services is designed to help property owners, managers, developers and insurance professionals maintain compliance with current environmental regulations, minimize risks, and optimize business objectives.
EFI Global’s multidisciplinary professionals specialize in environmental compliance, hazardous materials management and facility health and safety. Our credentialed experts around the world include certified industrial hygienists (CIHs), professional engineers (PEs), certified safety professionals (CSPs), professional geologists (PGs), licensed asbestos consultants, environmental scientists, environmental permitting specialists and more.
Due diligence services
Environmental assessments focus on identifying potential environmental concerns, determining the cost of addressing those concerns, and assessing the potential for environmental liability based on a review of the property’s history, available regulatory databases and visual observations. Because significant business and risk management decisions are based on the data generated, they require extreme care and diligence in their execution. EFI Global’s skilled engineers, geologists and environmental scientists have the local knowledge and expertise needed to provide feasible project solutions — from inception to completion — for financial institutions, real estate developers, property management firms, law firms, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and the manufacturing, healthcare and government sectors. We offer clients the benefit of in-depth knowledge of properties so they can make informed decisions on purchasing, managing, or financing assets.
Soil remediation
When soil contamination demands further action, EFI Global provides expert advice on reasonable objectives (both ambitious and achievable) and the most effective strategies and tactics for realizing those objectives — taking into account both cost and impact to the environment. Once the high-level approach to removing or managing the contaminants and waste has been determined, our team will translate it into a concrete environmental remediation action plan that includes:
- Project description
- Contacting/contracting
- Risk assessment and safety management
- Overall site coordination
- Planning
- Quality and quantity surveying
- Budget monitoring
- Site inspections and follow-up reports
- Final report
Environmental spill response
When an environmental incident occurs — such as a petrol tanker accident, a derailed train, a plane crash or a leaking container — prompt intervention is necessary to prevent contaminants from spreading or seeping into the ground.
Early collection of technical information is also vital in determining liability for the incident. Therefore, our field technicians and engineers visit spill sites right away to collect soil and water samples and other data points so they can map the situation.
EFI Global has the expertise and resources to quickly and effectively carry out these critical activities, as well as the guidance needed for complete removal and/or containment of environmental contaminants.
Site assessments
Any parcel of land can have soil, groundwater or surface water contamination due to prior on-site activities. If you’re buying/selling land or planning to excavate an area for a building project, an environmental site assessment may be required because of government regulations or to mitigate legal and financial risks.
Soil screening is the first step in environmental risk management. The goal is to identify recognized environmental conditions — the presence or likely presence of any hazardous substances on a property that may be released into the environment.
EFI Global can conduct an initial historical study of the site to identify potential environmental concerns and any contaminants likely to be found. Depending on the findings, samples of soil and groundwater may be taken as a follow-up measure.
The results of this two-phased study will indicate whether the site is contaminated or at risk of becoming contaminated.
Collecting this objective data gives stakeholders peace of mind and added legal and financial security, so they can make informed decisions about the property.
Second opinion and support
EFI Global’s senior experts in soil pollution offer second opinion support as a specialty service. They provide an independent assessment of the extent of contamination, potential risks to human health and the environment and the most appropriate remediation strategies.
Our experts are available to assist clients in clarifying complex concepts, presenting scientific evidence, evaluating data, and understanding the practical and economic implications of certain actions or events.
In-depth contamination study
If the results of the preliminary two-phase site assessment indicate significant contamination, the next step is to map the area.
EFI Global uses the following parameters for in-depth contamination studies:
- Surface
- Depth
- Form of contamination
- Concentration of contaminants/total contaminant loads
- Risk
- Necessity of further measures
If remediation is a viable option, we will also deliver a first indication of various remedial action plans and help interested clients implement the best available approach.
Ecotoxicological analysis
Ecotoxicological analysis offers clarity about the ecological threats of investigated compounds. Risk analysis of chemical impact to ecosystems is generally based on the presence of contaminants in soil and water samples, the concentration standards of which are established according to different investigations.
Bioavailability and bioaccumulation are indicators of potential risk.
Under predetermined and standardized conditions, we observe select organisms that have been in contact with a contaminant sample. Our analyses of the risk factors in impacted environments consider whether the organisms thrive or decline, the rate at which organisms deteriorate and the number of organisms that survive the exposure. Such studies can be critical to determining the health and safety of a given environment.
Sludge and sediment
Subaqueous (underwater) soil analysis requires a specialized approach with modified procedures and materials when sludge and sediment are present. EFI Global has the expertise to evaluate these samples both in situ and ex situ.
Sediment pollution usually attaches itself to organic material and soil particles. Sediment can feed contaminants and pollutants into a body of water, causing the water quality not to meet safety standards. A sediment survey and assessment — combined with other site-specific data — can determine the extent to which sediment is contributing to water pollution.
Before and during the dredging of streams, rivers and lakes, both in harbors and offshore, EFI Global can evaluate the presence of pollutants in sediment and offer professional guidance on the need for further processing or treatment.
Engineering, geotechnical and construction services
With experts in virtually every field, EFI Global can act as a single provider for all your engineering service needs. Whether your project is a simple design or a major development project, we pride ourselves on delivering the same rapid response, thorough analysis and timely reporting on every assignment. Insurance companies, experts and courts regularly call on our services and experience and the geotechnical and construction department supports the client in every aspect of construction.
Starting with the demolition investigation, through to the stability investigation of the soil to the quality of the soil to be excavated, we are there to map out all aspects of construction and demolition. Our colleagues are equipped with the technology, testing equipment, tools and experience needed to diagnose or troubleshoot even the most difficult cases. Using our extensive experience, we can quickly and efficiently evaluate cases and generate cost estimates.
Soil quality for earthmoving
To provide legal assurance to parties involved in earthmoving projects, we execute sampling and analyses based in statistical approaches to control for the presence of contaminants in the soil.
We aim for our in-depth research to be a collaborative process, so we can provide clients with cost-effective solutions that maximize opportunities for the recycling and reuse of soil (environmental and geotechnical).
Cone penetration testing
Cone penetration is used to study the mechanical characteristics of subsurface layers, as well as to define soil’s loadbearing capacity and settling damage risk.
EFI Global’s experts can perform these tests as a basis for the design of foundations, drainage systems and any other soil- or construction-related issues.
Demolition monitoring plans
When buildings are demolished, various waste materials — stone, concrete, glass, wood, metals and others — must be collected and processed separately.
Further, materials containing hazardous substances (asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyl or PCB, metal construction waste, etc.) must be sampled, assessed, and properly disposed.
EFI Global can prepare your demolition inventory and construction waste management plan and determine how best to process the various waste streams.
Groundwater modeling and monitoring
Groundwater travels through layers of subsurface soil in ways and at rates that depend on soil permeability. Modeling groundwater flow is crucial, from both a ground-mechanics and environmental standpoint. This is especially true when human activities influence these systems, like in cases of underground structures, groundwater pumping or contamination.
EFI Global can conduct groundwater flow modeling and identify how groundwater migrates through soil layers. This research informs forecasts for the future, like how the spread of pollution might negatively impact humans and the environment over time. It also contributes to the remediation of contaminated groundwater plumes when a purification unit needs to be added to the flow of pumped water.
Our experts can also assess settling damage risks or the impact to nearby ecological sites of lowering groundwater levels.
Asbestos
Asbestos management comprises:
- Assessment of structures where asbestos is (still) present
- Renovation and/or demolition of asbestos-containing materials (ACM)
- Intervention in areas where asbestos-contaminated soil is present due to construction waste.
We possess the extensive know-how and equipment necessary to undertake all three levels of asbestos management, including the technical and safety elements, in full compliance with local laws, regulations and administrative procedures.
Infiltration/pumping test
An infiltration or pumping test explores subsurface conditions and indicates the permeability or infiltration capacity of soil.
The infiltration rate correlates with the speed at which water enters the soil.
Several different tests can be used to determine infiltration. The EFI Global team has the expertise necessary to choose the one most appropriate for achieving the client’s objective. We aim to offer the very best solution, taking into consideration soil texture and groundwater levels.
Concrete information is fundamental for:
- (Re)infiltration of water and groundwater decontamination
- Infiltration of rainwater on-site
- Evaluation of flood risks
Drone footage
Inspecting large buildings, installations or hard-to-reach places is not an easy task. EFI Global has drones/remotely piloted aircraft (RPAs) that can be used to collect data and provide a clear, extensive picture of an environmental or engineering project.
With our drones, we can undertake detailed inspections of sites that are difficult or dangerous to reach on the ground. Drone footage gives our experts otherwise inaccessible structural details and enables us to offer an alternative to more traditional, time-consuming and costly inspection methods.
Geotechnical characteristics (lab)
Through the use of test drillings, EFI Global can create a geological log that extensively describes different layers of soil. We provide clear and tangible descriptions of soil sequences, colors, particle sizes, structure, observable contaminants and other characteristics.
Based on clients’ objectives, we use either manual or mechanical drilling. If necessary, a monitoring well to investigate groundwater can be installed by drilling. The EFI Global lab then performs geotechnical tests to characterize soil conditions. Analyses include granulometry tests, determination of Atterberg limits (regarding moisture contents) and determinations of soil types.
These tests provide objective insight into ground characteristics and offer a valuable addition to the visual description provided by soil drillings. For example, in the study of drought damage, these parameters are a measure of the likelihood of these phenomena occurring on the land.
Head office
Europalaan 26, 9800 Deinze, Belgium