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*