Drilling Riverview Why can Drilling in the Mud be Difficult?

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Many people know about geotechnical drilling, or have seen drilling professionals working out in the field. Often times it looks as though they are only drilling into the ground with their drilling rigs, and drilling through dirt is not hard with modern machinery. Yet one thing that is not as easy to drill into is mud, even though most people would assume that this is just as easy to go through when drilling. Riverview residents should be made aware that drilling professionals often have to use special drill bits and rigs in order to easily and effectively drill through locations that are muddy.

What Makes Mud Difficult to Drill into?

The major reason why professional drilling companies have problems drilling through locations that have a lot of mud in them is because of the excess water. Although water seems like it would be very easy to drill into, it is not. When a bore hole is created while drilling, Riverview professionals will have to worry about the bore hole getting ruined or collapsing in a sense due to the excess moisture that is present. Once a whole is drilled into muddy terrain, often times the water will settle at the bottom of the hole that was drilled, which can also become a problem for drilling professionals.

What Issues Does Mud Cause for Drilling Professionals?

Drilling into water is one of the biggest issues for drilling professionals when they are dealing with mud, but it is not the only issue. Another common issue that comes up from time to time is having a drill getting clogged and not working properly while drilling. Riverview professionals have to be careful with drilling deep into mud because if mud clogs a drill early, it is going to ruin the borehole the deeper down that it goes. Another problem that can happen is when drilling professionals use the wrong drill bit when drilling through mud.

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

Geotechnical Drilling Riverview Applications for Geotechnical Drilling 

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Riverview builders, property owners and developers often utilize geotechnical drilling services to evaluate the integrity or composition of a building site or the location of an existing structure. Geotechnical drilling has a number of potential applications, including:

  • Evaluating earth composition;
  • Evaluating the integrity and stability of the earth;
  • Identifying areas that are prone to sinkholes; and
  • Determining the depth of the underlying bedrock.

How Do You Perform Geotechnical Drilling?

Riverview geotechnical drilling service providers typically begin the project by transporting portable drilling rigs to the location that will be evaluated. A geotechnical drilling project can take anywhere from just a couple days to several weeks or even longer in the case of a large site that requires dozens of drilling sites/core samples, a site with dense varieties of stone or a project that requires extremely deep drilling depths. Expense also largely depends upon the timeframe, so it’s best to consult your service provider to get a better idea of the timeframe and cost for your geotechnical drilling project.

Geotechnical drilling usually involves the extraction of core samples. Core samples are vertical columns of earth that are removed in a large “tube” that is sent to the laboratory for comprehensive analysis. The analysts will look at many traits such as the composition of the various layers, the degree of moisture saturation, the depth and thickness of the different underground layers and the integrity and strength of the bedrock or other stone samples.

Based on the core sample analysis, the developers, builders or property owners can make informed decisions on whether to build on a particular site and what types of structures may be suitable for the location. In some cases, the developer may need to find an entirely new building site.

Geotechnical drilling can also be helpful for sinkhole detection efforts. In fact, potential sinkholes in the form of underground voids and cavities can be found accidentally during geotechnical drilling. Riverview and the surrounding area sits atop limestone bedrock, which can dissolve when exposed to acidic groundwater. The dissolving stone may rinse away, leaving a void that can collapse into a sinkhole.

Factors such as the weight of overlying structures and the moisture content of the earth can trigger a collapse. If a void is found, a line can be drilled into the space, which is then filled with cement to reinforce the void. Geotechnical drilling rigs can also determine the quality and depth of bedrock, which is important for cases where reinforcement poles are sunk into the bedrock and then attached to a building’s foundation to offer support, even if the ground shifts of collapses.

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