Geotechnical Services

Geotechnical engineering services includes soil, rock and subsurface testing and analysis for site feasibility, foundations, embankments, pavements, retention structures, and other earthworks projects. Geotechnical engineering services are a vital part of any construction project, from providing soil analysis for a building site to foundation design for the large caissons and footings for bridges.

Geotechnical engineering services providers work in conjunction with architects, civil engineers, and construction companies to assess the physical surroundings of a building site. Geotechnical engineering services provide analyses of soil mechanics, soil quality, rock and substrate quality, and groundwater seepage for placements of foundations and wells and subsurface electrical systems. Geotechnical services are also used in oil and gas applications to design landed rigs as well as offshore platforms.

A geotechnical engineering service employs geologists, hydrogeologists, and laboratory technicians who provide analysis of soil and rock samples.  A geotechnical engineer may even be called upon to provide expert testimony in court. Geotechnical consultants also perform environmental engineering services, such as delineating protected wetlands, mitigating the use of underground vessels such as oil tanks, providing site remediation and waste storage facility design.

Geotechnical engineering services use field equipment and instrumentation for monitoring wells and groundwater, including submersible pumps, pH meters, portable generators, portable gas and oxygen detectors and soil resistivity equipment. Testing equipment is used to determine specific characteristics of the soil or water at the building site, including standard measures such as the Atterberg limit, which is a measure of the soil’s liquid limit and plastic limit. These limits describe the mechanics of the soil, or the soil’s viscosity or brittleness. The limerock bearing ratio is another standard used by geotechnical engineering services providers for determining the underlying stability of the substrates under a roadbed.

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