Geotechnical Drilling Eden Isle What does geotechnical drilling have to do with sinkholes?

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Eden Isle developers and property owners can turn to a local geotechnical drilling company to extract core samples from the earth which can be utilized to evaluate the suitability or the safety of a particular location.

In some cases, geotechnical drilling is performed prior to the start of a building project, usually one that’s large and commercial or industrial in nature. In addition, geotechnical drilling techniques can be utilized to identify the location of a potential sinkhole, making it a cost-effective option for detecting the site of what could prove to be a deadly sinkhole collapse.

Many property owners are unfamiliar with geotechnical drilling, so they are surprised when their sinkhole remediation team or developer mentions this specialized form of drilling. Let’s take a look at how geotechnical drilling works and how it’s useful.

What is Geotechnical Drilling?

Eden Isle property owners may want to call in a geotechnical drilling team if they begin to observe signs of a potential sinkhole, such as areas of sinking ground or cracks in your foundation. The drilling team will bring their portable drilling rig(s) to the site, penetrating the earth to extract a core sample – a vertical column of earth that can be sent out for comprehensive analysis to determine:

  • moisture content;
  • the depth and thickness of each layer; and
  • the integrity of the bedrock.

Louisiana developers may use a geotechnical drilling service to evaluate a site to ensure that it’s suitable for a building project.

Limestone bedrock is impacted by the acids that are carried in groundwater. This causes the limestone to dissolve and in time, a large void or underground cavity can form. If the amount of weight overlaying the void becomes too much, it will collapse. This is what’s known as a sinkhole.

Following the geotechnical drilling, a sinkhole remediation team can be called in to address the hazard. There are a number of options, from drilling into the void again and pumping concrete into the void, while others may choose to run large pins from the foundation to the bedrock. These large pins serve as supports in the event that the ground falls away.

In terms of the timeframe for geotechnical drilling, Eden Isle property owners can expect anywhere from a couple days of drilling to several weeks or longer. It all depends upon the size of the site, the depth of the drilling, the type of material you’re drilling through and the number of drilling sites at the location.

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