Drill Services Tampa

Sinkholes are a common feature of Florida’s landscape that end up beginning beneath the ground surface when large voids, or cavities, formed in the bedrock. The main factor causing these voids is groundwater moving through the limestone causing erosion but it is possible that several other factors can contribute are drilling vibration, changes in load on the earth’s surface, and a sudden or gradual loss in groundwater levels. Eventually rock or soil may migrate into these voids causing a surface indenture or sinkhole. When someone needs to check if their is a sinkhole present on a property, they call a geotechnical drilling company for their drill services. Tampa drilling companies pull up soil and sediment samples from below the surface to see if a sinkhole is causing problems and needs action.

How do Drills Help With Sinkhole Claims?

When dealing with sinkholes, whether it is testing or filling one, it all starts with a drilling team to be utilized. A borehole is needed to be drilled into the ground for testing to happen. When the drill is pulled out, a hollow tube, called a “split spoon sampler” is placed at the bottom of the drill hole and the tube is “hammered” down. Every hammer blow, used to push the tube about six inches into the ground, is counted. This is referred to as a “blow count.” The drilling crew will attempt to push the tube six inches into the ground, three times in a row. The blow count for each six-inch increment is logged. With sinkhole drilling services, Tampa Geotechnical drilling companies will send the soil they collect from their test to a laboratory for analysis.

What Happens With the Drilled Soil Samples?

The soil samples taken from your property help a geologist or engineer determine if your home sits on solid ground or on soil that is loose and unable to bear weight. The density of the soil at different depths has a value called the “N-Value.” A high N-Value such as 25 indicates that it took twenty five hammer blows or more to break through the six inches of underground soil described earlier. A very low N-Value, particularly after the first five to ten feet, indicates that your home may be endangered by loose soil. A value of zero may indicate a sinkhole or a void (an empty space) under the ground. With sinkhole drill services, Tampa geotechnical drilling companies will get even more infomation from the samples that they sent out to have analyzed at a lab.

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