If you’re planning to construct a building or another large structure, you may wish to determine the precise composition of the ground for the site with geotechnical drilling. Plant City contractors can gain valuable knowledge from a geotechnical drilling operation, which is especially important in regions of the country such as Florida, where sandy soil overlays a bed of limestone. Limestone is a relatively porous and this stone can actually dissolve when exposed to acidic water, making it more prone to instability.

Whether you’re constructing an office building, a parking garage, a bridge or another structure, it’s vital to ensure that the earth on the build site can support the structure in the long term. When performing geotechnical drilling, Plant City builders can expect their drilling contractors to bring one or more drilling rigs to the site. Cores will be extracted from the ground and sent out for testing and analysis. A laboratory will evaluate the stone and soil in the core, determining whether it has the integrity to support the structure that will be constructed on the site.

Once the geotechnical drilling is complete and the cores are analyzed, this data can be forwarded to architects and engineers who will work together to design a structure that will be suitable for the site. Special design and engineering features, such as stabilization rods driven deep into the earth, may be included to ensure stability and integrity.

When performing geotechnical drilling, Plant City contractors can also determine if the area is suitable for the construction of an underground structure, such as a bunker or parking garage.

Notably, contractors can perform geotechnical drilling on land and offshore.

Plant City developers must ensure that a particular site is suitable for the structure that will be constructed on the land. Geotechnical drilling operations are very effective at revealing the exact composition of the underlying earth, allowing for the identification of poor, unstable soil or underground voids. These voids may be formed by groundwater eroding the limestone, resulting in large voids that may collapse under the weight of a new structure. The result is a sink hole – a relatively common problem in Florida and in the Midwest.

In addition to performing geotechnical drilling, Plant City contractors may also opt to perform other forms of testing, such as ground penetrating radar.

If a structure is built on unstable ground, the building or other structure can sustain worsening damage over time. The structure will gradually sink into the earth and shift, resulting in cracks and other damage that may ultimately compromise its integrity.

*Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of Amdrill Inc*