Geotechnical Drilling Lutz The Uses for Geotechnical Drilling

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Lutz area developers, property owners and builders alike turn to geotechnical drilling for essential information and insight into the composition, integrity and structure of the earth in a particular location, resulting in more informed decision making for structures on the property.

Geotechnical drilling is a technique that’s used to extract core samples – a vertical core of earth that can be evaluated and analyzed in a laboratory. Based on this analysis, you can determine the location and composition of the various layers, along with the overall integrity and strength of stone and bedrock, among many other qualities. This is all vital information when it comes to determining if a site is safe for building a new structure or if an existing structure is at risk of catastrophic failure due to shifting and even collapse into a sinkhole.

What’s the Process for Geotechnical Drilling?

Lutz geotechnical drilling companies will arrive on-site with portable drilling rigs that are used to penetrate into the earth and extract core samples. The number of the core samples and the depth of each drilling operation varies depending upon the nature of the project. These factors, combined with the hardness of the stone and bedrock at the site, impact the timeframe and the cost of the geotechnical drilling project.

Core samples can reveal some vital information, including:

  • the number, depth and thickness of the underground layers;
  • the density and moisture content of the earth’s layers;
  • the depth of the earth overlaying the bedrock; and
  • the composition, quality and integrity of the bedrock.

Based upon the core samples extracted during geotechnical drilling, Lutz developers can determine if a site is suitable for a particular building project. Or if a structure is already on the site, a determination can be made if the structure requires revision or reinforcement to ensure its safety and integrity.

In some cases, geotechnical drilling can reveal the presence of potential sinkholes. Underground cavities form fairly easily in areas with limestone bedrock because limestone dissolves when exposed to the mild acids found in groundwater.

If a void is located, it can be pumped full of concrete to avoid a catastrophic collapse into a sinkhole. Existing buildings can also be reinforced by running a metal pin down into the bedrock (the geotechnical drilling operation can be useful in determining how deep the pins must penetrate). The end at the surface is attached to the foundation, offering added stability in the event of ground shifting or even collapse.

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