Gretna developers and property owner’s call may opt to call in a geotechnical drilling firm to investigate the integrity and composition of the ground at a particular location. Geotechnical drilling can be used to evaluate the earth in terms of its composition, the depth and quality of the bedrock, the moisture content of the soil and even if a site is prone to experiencing a catastrophic collapse due to the formation of a sinkhole.

So how does geotechnical drilling work? And what type of information can you garner from a geotechnical drilling effort? That’s precisely what we’ll explore in today’s article.

How Do You Benefit from Geotechnical Drilling?

Gretna property owners and developers can use geotechnical drilling to determine if a building site has the integrity required to support a new structure.

Geotechnical drilling can reveal a lot of insight into the earth at a location. Portable drilling rigs will be brought in and the drilling process is used to extract a long column of earth that depicts the various layers of soil.  This is called a core sample and it’s typically sent out for analysis and evaluation. From this core sample, you can determine lots of information, including:

• the ground composition at the site;
• the quantity, depth and composition of ground’s layers;
• the integrity of the limestone bedrock;
• the water content in the soil; and
• if there are any underground cavities or voids in the location.

Louisiana is notorious for its soil quality, which can lack the integrity and stability of a building site. In addition, Louisiana is situated atop a limestone bedrock peninsula.

Limestone is a soft stone that is prone to degradation and it will even dissolve when exposed to mild acids. As a result, Louisiana is very prone to the formation of underground voids, which can form and collapse into sinkholes.

In the event that an underground void is located during a geotechnical drilling effort, the standard course of action is to call in a sinkhole remediation team. This team can work to develop a solution for the location. This may entail further investigative measures such as ground penetrating radar scans, which can reveal the exact size and location of the voids. Corrective measures may include drilling into the void and filling it with cement to prevent a collapse or drilling down into the bedrock to insert large “pins” that affix to the foundation of the building. This offers reinforcement and support in the event that the ground were to give way in a sinkhole collapse.

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