RSK Environnement elevates its expertise with Kartotrak
RSK Environnement has selected Kartotrak, the leading expert tool for characterizing soil and structural contamination. The objective: to integrate a probabilistic approach and significantly enhance the robustness of its assessments.
CONTEXT
A demanding environment for environmental engineering firms
Managing contaminated sites and soils is a major challenge for protecting both the environment and public health. Specialist consulting firms must not only deliver accurate assessments but also provide clients with strong methodological assurances based on reliable, industry-recognized tools.
RSK Environnement, the French subsidiary of the international RSK Group, has supported industrial and institutional actors for more than 10 years in their remediation and environmental management projects. In this context, the firm set out to reinforce its analysis and modeling capabilities by adopting a software solution specifically designed for the contaminated sites and soils (CSS) field: Kartotrak, developed by Geovariances.
THE NEED
Pushing beyond the limits of traditional tools
Until recently, RSK Environnement mainly relied on general-purpose GIS and mapping software.
These software programs are fine for drawing surfaces or piezometric maps, but I was looking for additional features, especially computational capabilities to account for uncertainty. They don’t offer that.
Julien Breton – Technical Director, Head of the Aix-en-Provence Office
These limitations primarily prevented the team from:
- Quantifying and representing uncertainties related to estimation and inherent to to limited, uneven, or variable-quality data.
- Producing probability maps showing the likelihood of threshold exceedance.
- Establishing accurate mass balances and excavation plans that integrate sample depth information.
In contaminated sites and soils, we have an obligation of means and a duty of advice to our clients. It is essential to be able to evaluate uncertainties, not only qualitatively but also quantitatively.
THE SOLUTION
Kartotrak, a benchmark tool
Following an internal audit and a comparative testing phase, RSK Environnement selected Kartotrak.
The reasons behind this choice include:
- A robust and proven solution
Specifically designed to apply geostatistics to contaminated sites and soils, Kartotrak is considered a reference in the industry. - Advanced functionalities
2D/3D modeling and visualization, accurate mass balances, and optimized sampling plans. - Quantitative uncertainty management
Through variograms and geostatistical simulations that generate probability maps of threshold exceedance, Kartotrak delivers rigorous uncertainty quantification and greater transparency in reporting. - Data control
Data is stored on an internal server, ensuring enhanced security and confidentiality. - Comprehensive support
Geovariances provides training and technical assistance to help teams progress step by step.
THE BENEFITS
- Secure services
A recognized tool endorsed by methodological guidelines for managing contaminated sites and soils, and referenced in certain official specifications. - Deliverables that stand out
Refined representations and robust quantitative analyses that support strong decision-making. - Greater technicality and credibility
Advanced capabilities that meet – and often exceed – client expectations. - Strengthened internal expertise
Teams trained in probabilistic approaches gain new skills and confidence.
We are still in the learning phase today, but tomorrow, I would like us to offer 3D deliverables for our management plans.
RSK Environnement continues to expand its expertise with Kartotrak, aiming to deploy it across a wider range of projects and integrate it with other GIS tools.
CONCLUSION
By choosing Kartotrak, RSK Environnement demonstrates its commitment to investing in specialized, proven solutions that deliver the best possible outcomes for clients. This approach reflects a culture of continuous improvement, where scientific precision becomes a driver of trust and performance.