Geotechnical Drilling White Kitchen What is Geotechnical Exploration?

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Geotechnical exploration is one form of geotechnical drilling. White Kitchen, Louisiana area oil companies, natural gas companies and mining companies may turn to a geotechnical drilling firm for help with geotechnical exploration in a particular area.

How Are Gas, Oil and Mineral Deposits Identified With Geotechnical Drilling?

White Kitchen natives may be wondering, “What is geotechnical exploration and why is it performed?”

Well, generally speaking, the geotechnical drilling crews will transport portable drilling rigs to the site in question and they will drill down into the earth, extracting samples that provide insight into what lies beneath the surface. When performing geotechnical drilling, White Kitchen clients can expect that a number of different procedures may be performed, including rock coring, sampling, in-situ testing and beyond. Experienced engineers and core sample analysts can evaluate the samples to gain lots of insight about the site.

Multiple drilling sites are typically selected to provide information on the size and location of the gas, oil or mineral deposit. Additional tests, such as ground penetrating radar or test wells may be utilized to explore the site further. The initial site investigation typically begins with an exploration with geotechnical drilling.

White Kitchen natives may also use geotechnical exploration to learn more about the site’s geology and history. This can be important for scientific studies, which are sometimes commissioned as part of an energy company’s efforts to identify oil or gas deposits. It may also be possible to evaluate the deposits, determining the quality and composition. This information is important when determining if a site is suitable for a more permanent drilling rig, well or mine. Extracting minerals, oil or natural gas can be a costly and technically complex project, so companies work hard to ensure that a particular site is worth their investment in terms of money, time and effort.

It’s also fairly common for a geotechnical drilling firm to perform a similar site investigation for an area that is being considered for a new structure. This helps to ensure both the structure’s safety and integrity.

Notably, the Gulf Coast area is among the most challenging areas of the nation for geotechnical exploration and geotechnical drilling. This is due to the fact that areas of Florida, Louisiana, Alabama and even Texas are often the site of soft bedrock and soft, sandy soil which is prone to shifting, settling and movement.

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

Geotechnical Drilling West Monroe Municipal Projects and Geotechnical Drilling

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West Monroe, Louisiana geotechnical drilling firms routinely perform drilling work for state and local municipalities that are seeking to repair an existing structure, such as a roadway or bridge, or build an entirely new one.

But why do you need geotechnical drilling? West Monroe natives frequently wonder about this question, so that’s precisely what we’ll explore in today’s article.

Why Do You Need Geotechnical Drilling?

West Monroe geotechnical drilling projects are an important part of the engineering and planning process for municipal projects, particularly those involving roadways, bridges, culverts and beyond.

The properties of the earth underlying a structure can have a tremendous impact on structural integrity because the ground may settle, sink or even collapse under the weight of the structure, resulting in catastrophic failure that holds the potential to cause injuries and even deaths.

The nature of the underlying soil and bedrock will have a significant impact on the design of many roadways, bridge structures, culverts, retaining structures and actual buildings.

For example, if a site is found to have soft soil with a high moisture content, the engineers may need to take measures to improve drainage in the area, in addition to erecting lots of extra supports to ensure that the structure remains stable. This is frequently the case for structures such as bridges, roadways and other similar structures because often, you have limited options for precisely where to build, whereas with a typical building, it’s usually possible to select a different building site if a particular area just isn’t suitable.

Notably, West Monroe geotechnical drilling operations are among the most complex in the nation. In fact, the entire gulf coast is rather challenging due to its geology, which includes soft bedrock in many areas, combined with loose, sandy soil, which often has a high water content.

The geotechnical engineers may call for a number of different tests, including cone permeability tests whereby a large cone-shaped object is pressed into the ground to determine the degree of compaction and permeability. It may also be necessary to perform borings to extract soil and rock samples. Core samples – comprised of a vertical column of undisturbed earth – are also extracted in some cases, along with samples that are extracted for analysis using hand-driven augers, Shelby tube samplers and split spoon samplers, among other sampling techniques.

Samples and in-site testing is performed to glean data that engineers can use to create a safe, stable structure that will serve the community for many years to come.

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

Geotechnical Drilling Shreveport What Are the Types of Geotechnical Tests and Geotechnical Drilling?

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Shreveport, Louisiana geotechnical drilling firms work with experienced geotechnical engineers, geologists and other experts to evaluate sites throughout Louisiana, Florida and the Gulf Coast. In fact, the Gulf Coast region is home to some of the continent’s most challenging geotechnical drilling environments due to the prevalence of loose, sandy soil, combined with high ground water content and soft bedrock in many regions.

So what are the different forms of geotechnical testing and geotechnical drilling? Shreveport natives frequently enquire on this point, so our expert team has compiled some additional information on this topic.

What Are the 4 Forms of Geo-Testing and Geotechnical Drilling?

Shreveport geotechnical explorations usually fall into four different categories. Some of these procedures are performed by a geotechnical drilling firm, while others are performed by other geotechnical investigators.

Test Pits – Test pits are dug using an excavator or by hand to provide a more general look at the sub-surface layers and conditions. Since the soil is disturbed during this process, the information that you can glean from this method is somewhat limited (although you can evaluate the “walls” of the pit, which are intact in terms of density, compaction and structure.) This technique is usually performed for fairly shallow depths only. Samples can be extracted using hand-driven augers, Shelby tube samplers, modified California samplers, split spoon samplers and other sampling techniques.

Trenching – Similar to the technique used for test pits, trenching involves the creation of a long trench that is excavated by hand or using an excavator. Trenching provides insight into how the sub-surface conditions change and vary across a larger area of land.

In-Site Testing – In-site testing refers to on-site testing methods, like standard penetration tests (SPTs) and cone penetration tests, which can be used to evaluate the properties of the soil without removing and analyzing samples. This provides a fairly accurate idea of sub-surface conditions, but the testing is somewhat limited in terms of depth. It can be challenging to perform some in-site tests beyond a certain depth.

Borings – Borings are typically small diameter holes that are drilled to extract soil and rock samples. Unfortunately, the boring process tends to disturb the soil, so the samples may not accurately represent the actual sub-surface conditions. But you can still send boring samples for analysis to determine values such as soil type, consistency, gradation, classification, the presence of contamination, moisture density relations, CBR and stratification.

A variation of borings are drilling operations designed to remove a vertical column of earth, called a core sample, which preserves much of the soil structure so the sample is more representative of the conditions that are found below ground.

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

Geotechnical Drilling Harvey How Can You Construct Safer Buildings Using Geotechnical Drilling?

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Harvey, Louisiana geotechnical drilling firms can provide an essential service to developers and structural engineers, resulting in safer, stronger and more resilient structures – structures that are apt to last longer and resist catastrophic collapse due to floods, earthquakes or other assaults.

So how can you build safer structures using geotechnical drilling? Harvey area natives can read on to learn more!

How Are Structures Safer from Geotechnical Drilling?

Harvey area builders, developers and engineers frequently turn to geotechnical drilling firms to gain information into the nature and composition of the earth at a particular site. This is frequently done during the initial phases of the project when different sites are being considered for a building or other structure.

In fact, many regions require a comprehensive site investigation be performed before the authorities will issue a building permit for the location. This is more frequently true of large structures, like commercial buildings, industrial structures, multi-unit residential buildings and other structures, such as a bridge or parking garage.

With geotechnical drilling, Harvey site investigations can reveal lots of information, including:

  • The type of rock
  • The density, quality and integrity of the rock
  • The moisture content of the soil
  • The type of soil
  • The compaction and stability of the soil

Geotechnical drilling site investigations may also reveal underground structures, such as voids that could collapse into a sinkhole, along with mineral deposits, underground water flows, oil deposits and gas deposits.

Geotechnical drilling results in safer structures for a few reasons. First and foremost, the site must be sufficiently stable and strong to support the building. The quality of construction matters little if it’s built atop unstable ground or poor quality rock.

The ground composition at a site can also have a major impact on how a structure performs in a natural disaster, such as an earthquake or flood, so by building in an ideal location, you can reduce the amount of damage and the number of injuries or deaths that arise during a disaster.

Additionally, geotechnical drilling site investigations can provide structural engineers and architects with insight into what structural changes may be required, including alterations to the foundation, caissons, supports and even large metal poles that are drilled down into the bedrock to provide greater stability in an area that lacks stability or is prone to sinkholes. This makes for a safer structure that will be far less prone to collapse or failure.

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

Geotechnical Drilling Hammond What is the Difference Between Disturbed and Undisturbed Soil Samples in Geotechnical Drilling?

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Hammond, Louisiana geotechnical drilling companies can provide engineers and site planners with vital information about a site by extracting many different types of samples, including soil samples, rock samples and even ice cores in arctic drilling projects. Two of the most common types of soil samples are disturbed soil samples and undisturbed soil samples.

So what are disturbed and undisturbed soil samples, how are they different and what information can they provide engineers, developers, builders and site planners? Well, that’s precisely what we’ll explore today!

What are Disturbed and Undisturbed Soil Samples in Geotechnical Drilling?

Hammond engineers and developers may seek out disturbed and undisturbed soil samples from a site, as they are critical for determining the site’s engineering properties, while also verifying geophysical properties.

A disturbed soil sample is one that has been disturbed or “rearranged” to some degree through the drilling or excavation process. The sample’s disturbance can result in the loss of some data, such as the degree of compaction, overall ground stability and the moisture content of a certain layer of soil (particularly in cases where multiple layers are intermingled during the drilling, extraction or excavation process.)

But disturbed soil samples tend to be much easier (and faster) to extract and they can provide a lot of important basic information concerning the soil composition, including:

  • Soil type
  • Gradation
  • Consistency
  • Classification
  • Stratification
  • Contamination
  • Moisture density relations
  • CBR

Undisturbed soil sample extraction is more challenging and time-consuming, as you’re essentially tasked with removing an undisturbed chunk of earth exactly as-is.

Undisturbed soil samples provide vital data into the degree of compaction and ground density, the moisture content at various levels and in various layers of the earth. Assuming the sample is extracted without any disruption, then this type of sample is more representative of the actual underground conditions at the site of the geotechnical drilling.

Hammond engineers can derive a wealth of data from undisturbed samples, including:

  • Strength and integrity
  • Permeability
  • Compressibility and settlement
  • Unit weight
  • Natural moisture content
  • Fractures and discontinuities
  • Fissures of sub-surface formations

Special care must be taken when transporting undisturbed samples because otherwise, the properties of the sample could be altered. If the sample is not properly packed for transport or if the transportation process involves lots of jarring, sudden movements, this could alter the sample, rendering it useless for determining specific properties or values.

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

Geotechnical Drilling Bossier City What is Soil Composition in Geotechnical Drilling?

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Bossier City, Louisiana geotechnical drilling companies specialize in extracting soil and rock samples that can be used to determine ground composition. But what is earth composition, exactly and why is it important? Also, how is ground composition evaluated using geotechnical drilling?

Bossier City area natives may wonder about these and other similar questions, so that’s precisely what we’ll explore in today’s article.

How can you determine it with Geotechnical Drilling?
Bossier City engineers and developers need to understand the ground composition at a current or prospective building site so that they can make informed decisions on how to ensure structural stability and public safety.

Soil composition refers to the layers of soil which overlay the bedrock. Rocks, minerals, wells, oil deposits, gas deposits and underground voids may also be present in the subsurface terrain.

Soil is comprised of four basic components: Minerals, Organic matter, air and water.

The exact ratio of these four components varies dramatically from region to region, as does the precise type of minerals and organic matter. Generally speaking, a majority of the soil is comprised of minerals, with a small percentage of organic matter, and equal parts of air and water.

The amount and type of moisture and organic matter varies from location to location. For example, a forest area will have dense, heavy soil with a high percentage of organic matter and moisture.

Soil composition can vary dramatically amongst the different layers that sit above the bedrock at any given site.

Composition is not the only main variable. Soil also varies in its density and permeability, along with its ability to absorb and hold water. The soil’s density and ability to hold water is affected by the size and shape of the soil grains and the types of minerals and organic matter.

For example, the soil in one area may be comprised of large, irregular particles, with lots of space between the particles for air and water. In another region, the particles may be very fine and uniformly shaped, resulting in very dense soil with tightly-packed particles and little room for water or air between the particles.

The properties of the soil in a particular location can be affected by rainfall, groundwater flows, seasonal changes, climate, plant life, and natural events, such as earthquakes or floods.

Over time, new soil layers are deposited over old layers. So by digging down into the earth, scientists can gain vital insight into a location’s history, including changes in climate and environment.

Geotechnical drilling is used to extract samples from the earth. Some of the samples can be analyzed on-site, while others are sent out to laboratories for more comprehensive analysis.

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

Geotechnical Drilling Timberlane Geotechnical Drilling can help detect underground voids

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Timberlane property owners and developers alike may call in a local geotechnical drilling firm to oversee the extraction of multiple core samples, which can be helpful in determining the safety of a site and its suitability for a particular building project or development.

Let’s take a look at what geotechnical drilling entails and how this drilling technique is utilized.

What is Geotechnical Drilling?

Timberlane property owners can use geotechnical drilling services as a cost-effective method for evaluating a property in terms of safety and suitability for a building project.

In the case of the future site of a development, builders and architectural engineers will need to confirm that the ground has the right density and is free of defects such as voids that could potential lead to the formation of sinkholes. Core samples — vertical columns of earth that are extracted through the drilling process — are sent out for analysis to determine information such as:

  • the composition of the earth;
  • the quantity, depth and composition of the various layers;
  • the integrity of the underlying bedrock;
  • the water content of the earth;
  • whether there are any underground voids present in the areas that were drilled (to get a complete view of the area, you need to use a method such as ground penetrating radar.)

Geotechnical drilling can also be used in cases where an underground void (and potential sinkhole site) is suspected, with signs such as newly formed dips and depressions in the ground. If there is already an existing structure on the site, there may be cracking observed on the foundation or even on the walls as the building sinks unevenly.

If an underground void and potential sinkhole site is discovered through geotechnical drilling, a sinkhole remediation team can be called in to fill in the hole with cement or any overlaying structure can be reinforced by running massive “pins” from the foundation to the bedrock, serving as a support even if the ground falls away.

If you’re in Timberlane, geotechnical drilling services are available to property owners, developers and others who are seeking assistance. The timeframe for a geotechnical drilling project does vary according to the exact nature of the project, the size of the site, the number of drilling sites and core samples that are required, the depth of the drilling and the composition of the ground that you’ll be drilling into. Some projects can take just a couple days to complete, while others with multiple drilling sites may take weeks.

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

Geotechnical Drilling Poydras What Should I Expect If I Hire a Firm to Perform Geotechnical Drilling?

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Poydras, Louisiana is a popular location for new building projects both residential, commercial and even industrial in nature. But some projects require a bit of investigation into the integrity and quality of the earth at the location. This is where you can benefit from calling in a company to perform geotechnical drilling.

an overview of Geotechnical Drilling

Poydras developers and property owners alike can benefit from the information and insight gained from the geotechnical drilling procedure. Geotechnical drilling involves the extraction of core samples, which are vertical columns of soil and stone that are extracted in a large tube that’s pulled out of the ground and sent out for analysis. The analysts will make note of many different features and properties of the core sample, including the moisture content, the depth and composition of the different ground layers, the depth of the bedrock, the quality and integrity of the bedrock and the location and presence of any underground voids.

In Louisiana, the ground quality can be rather poor in some areas, making geotechnical drilling an important method for obtaining vital info about a site’s safety and overall suitability for a new building project or even for evaluating the safety of a current home or other building. Louisiana’s soil is quite sandy so it lacks the integrity and solidity of the more clay-rich soils. This means that the suitability of the location must be carefully evaluated prior to building a large structure. The structure’s plans may be altered to accommodate the site or a new site may need to be located for the building project.

In addition, Louisiana is located atop a bedrock that’s made of limestone. Limestone is a soft stone that can dissolve when exposed to acids. Acids can be present in groundwater and in acid rain water that seeps down through the layers. Ultimately, this can cause the limestone bedrock to dissolve and erode, resulting in the formation of a void or cavity that may ultimately collapse. The result is a sinkhole, which can swallow entire city blocks and homes, resulting in property destruction, injury or even death. But this is where you can benefit from geotechnical drilling. Poydras developers and homeowners can hire a drilling team to extract cores from the location, identifying the location of any underground cavities and voids. Once discovered, the underground void can be filled with cement to prevent collapse, or a sinkhole remediation crew can undertake other measures to secure any existing buildings and reduce the chances of a catastrophic collapse.

Poydras geotechnical drilling experts will use portable rigs that are set up to extract core samples from strategic locations throughout the property.

The timeframe and cost will vary depending upon numerous factors, including the number of drilling locations, the depth of the drilling and the size of the site.

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

Geotechnical Drilling New Orleans Sinkholes and Geotechnical Drilling

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New Orleans is the site of many new building developments and new construction projects, which often require help from a geotechnical drilling contractor to extract core samples and obtain vital data about the ground composition, integrity and its overall suitability for a building project.

If you’re considering geotechnical drilling, New Orleans developers and property owners can enjoy many benefits such as cost effectiveness and minimal disruption to the surrounding area. Portable drilling rigs are transported to the site to drill into the earth and extract core samples, which are vertical slices of the ground which are extracted in a large tube that’s sent out for comprehensive analysis. This is key when building on a site and evaluating the suitability of a location for a building project.

Core samples can reveal lots of important info, like the density and composition of the earth, the location depth of the bedrock and the presence of any underground voids.

Why Do I Need Geotechnical Drilling?

New Orleans clients can enjoy many benefits from turning to a contractor to perform geotechnical drilling. Louisiana is very prone to problems with ground quality due to a number of factors, one of which surrounds the soil which is very loose in nature. Loose soil lacks the density and stability of clay rich soils that you might find in others parts of the country.

In addition, the entire state of Louisiana is located on top of a peninsula of bedrock that’s made up of limestone. Limestone is a soft stone to begin with and to exacerbate matters, limestone has a tendency to dissolve when exposed to acids, even very mild acids such as those found in acid rain or in groundwater that percolates through the soil.

Acids can dissolve the bedrock and groundwater pulls the particles away, causing the limestone bedrock to erode and form a void or cavity that can expand until it collapses. This is how a sinkhole forms. Sinkholes can swallow your entire home or even an entire city block. They are linked to property damage, injury and even deaths.

Through the use of geotechnical drilling, New Orleans developers and homeowners can call in a team to extract core samples and evaluate the ground to locate underground voids that are at risk of collapse. Other methods can also be used, such as the usage of ground penetrating radar. This can help you to determine the exact location and shape of the void. The underground void can be filled with cement, preventing a collapse in the future. Or other sinkhole remediation measures can be implemented too, such as sinking large poles into the bedrock and securing the end at the surface to a building’s foundation. This offers support so even if a sinkhole forms, the building can remain standing.

The exact cost and timeframe for your geotechnical drilling project will vary depending upon factors, such as the number of drilling locations, the depth of the drilling and the size of the site that you’re seeking to learn more about.

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

Geotechnical Drilling Metairie Geotechnical Drilling can help determine the integrity of a site

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Metairie residents who suspect a sinkhole may form near or under their property, along with property owners and developers may opt to call in a geotechnical drilling team to extract samples of the earth which can be used to learn more about the location and its overall safety and suitability.

Louisiana is prone to sinkholes and other issues with ground quality due to the composition of the local earth. Louisiana has soil that is less stable than many other varieties of earth with a high clay content. This also makes it more prone to issues with over-saturation during the summer’s rainy season. Some areas may not be suitable for large structures if the land lacks sufficient integrity.

Limestone is a fairly soft stone and it can easily dissolve when exposed to water with even mild acids. This means that the bedrock can be dissolved by acid rains and water that percolates down through the earth. This can result in the formation of an underground void or cavity that can ultimately collapse, forming what’s known as a sinkhole.

There are many sinkhole remediation techniques available, such as pumping the void full of concrete to prevent a collapse or placing large metal rods down into the bedrock and securing the other end of the rods at the surface to an existing structure’s foundation, resulting in support that will increase the building’s chances of standing even if the ground gives way and collapses into a sinkhole.

Geotechnical drilling is a relatively fast, easy and cost effective technique for locating problem areas and extracting core samples that can be used to evaluate the quality of the ground. Core samples are large columns of earth that are extracted within a tube during the drilling process. These core samples can be sent out for analysis to determine information such as:

  • the composition of the ground;
  • the ground’s moisture content;
  • the composition and depth of the various ground layers;
  • the degree of compaction at the site; and
  • identifying the location of underground voids and cavities that could collapse into a sinkhole.

If an area requires additional investigation, other techniques such as ground penetrating radar can be used to evaluate the area.

How Do You Perform Geotechnical Drilling?

Metairie geotechnical drilling teams will be dispatched to your location to set up portable drilling rigs. The number of rigs will vary depending upon the size of the site, the nature of the information you’re seeking and the number of samples that are required.

Drilling can take anywhere from a couple days for a small site to several weeks for a very large site. As a result, the cost varies significantly too. It all depends upon the type of information you’re seeking about the location.

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