Egypt Lake-Leto Geotechnical Drilling In what application would I need geotechnical drilling

Egypt Lake–Leto builders and developers can leverage geotechnical drilling services as a technique for evaluating the suitability of a potential building site.

Geotechnical drilling is a technique used to extract a vertical column of dirt, rock and bedrock, enabling experts to determine the stability of the ground and whether it will serve as an appropriate construction site for a particular project.

If a structure is built upon unstable ground, the results may be catastrophic, ranging from a building that’s sinking, shifting and cracking, to a structure that’s swallowed by a sinkhole.

Why Use Geotechnical Drilling?

Egypt Lake-Leto geotechnical drilling companies offer a cost-efficient option for developers and property owners alike. Ground analysis and testing is vital in Florida due to the nature of this peninsula’s land composition. Florida is situated atop soft and porous limestone bedrock, which is topped with sandy soil with a very low clay content. This makes the soil prone to shifting and water can travel through the sand with much greater ease.

Water’s ability to travel through the sandy soil is especially problematic. The water can seep down to the limestone layer, which is vulnerable to dissolution when exposed to acids. The groundwater often contains acids due to acid rain and residual acids that are present in the soil. When the limestone dissolves, underground voids can form. When those voids collapse, a sinkhole is the result.

Geotechnical drilling can identify the location of a potential sinkhole, which is key to ensuring the safety and stability of the site. The void can be filled with concrete to prevent collapse. But in addition to this, the drilling can also reveal areas of weak bedrock, poorly-compacted soil and other poor quality earth. If you build atop this type of earth, structural damage is often the result.

How Do They Perform Geotechnical Drilling?

Egypt Lake-Leto geotechnical drilling crews will bring mobile drilling rigs to the area that’s being investigated. These rigs are erected at various locations throughout the site so multiple samples can be extracted, providing a more comprehensive view of what lies beneath the surface.

The drilling rig drives a large tube-like structure down into the ground, extracting a vertical column of earth and stone. This core sample is then sent out for analysis. Technicians examine the cores to determine many different properties, like the material composition, the depth and thickness of the various layers, the hardness of the bedrock and stone layers, the quality of compaction and the moisture content.

The timeframe and cost of the drilling project varies depending upon the size of the site (which, in turn, determines how many cores will be extracted), along with the required drilling depth and the type of earth underlying the site. A site with soft limestone and sandy soil will involve a much faster, easier drilling process than a site with super hard granite and clay-rich soil. All of these factors impact price and timeframe. There is also additional time required for the actual core sample analysis.

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