Geotechnical Drilling Azalea Park What is a Water Table?

Azalea Park geotechnical drilling companies frequently encounter something known as the “water table,” as Florida is well-known for having a high water table. In fact, this high water table, combined with the very sandy soil that’s commonplace throughout this southern state is the reason why most Florida homes do not have a basement.

So what is the water table and why is it important to know precisely where this water table is located using geotechnical drilling? Azalea Park natives can read on to learn more!

How is the water table located with geotechnical drilling?

To understand the water table and how it impacts construction projects, it’s important to understand what composes the ground beneath your feet. There are a number of layers of soil – in the case of Florida, rather sandy soil – overlaying the bedrock.

Florida’s sandy soil is significant because it does not hold water very effectively, in large part due to the large size of the soil grains. As a result, water tends to flow through these sandy soil layers, whereas other soil types – particularly clay-rich soil – have a high water content. In areas with clay-rich soil, the water is more evenly distributed throughout the various soil layers. But in Florida and in other areas with sandy soil, the water sinks down to the bedrock.

Soil can only hold so much water. There will come a point when the soil reaches its saturation point, meaning it cannot hold any more water. The water table is the name for this zone of saturation.

Azalea Park geotechnical drilling can be used to determine the water table level, which is important because when you reach this level, construction becomes challenging and the soil stability is compromised. Think of digging a trench in heavily saturated sand; the walls of the trench would be prone to collapse. The same thing occurs when trying to dig a foundation for a structure; the walls would be more prone to collapse.  Therefore, if the depth of the foundation is deeper than the water table, you’ll need to make special accommodations to ensure that the construction process is safe and the finished structure is water tight.

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