Geotechnical Drilling Orlando What are the different types of rocks you may encounter during geotechnical drilling?
Orlando geotechnical drilling companies often encounter lots of different types of soil and even some different types of rock when performing a drilling operation. So that leaves many wondering about the various types of rock, how these rocks form and what it means for a project that involves geotechnical drilling.
Orlando natives can read on to learn more about sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks and how they differ.
Geotechnical drillers in Orlando and other Florida natives can typically expect to encounter primarily sedimentary rock, which is formed from particles of sand, shells, coral and small stones. Pressure and time compress the sediment into a stone, which is typically found to have layers. Many layers contain fossils.
Sedimentary rock tends to be fairly soft and easy to drill through. Some forms of sedimentary rock will crumble and fracture quite easily. This makes for a fairly quick, easy and less expensive geotechnical drilling process, although this rock can lack the stability found in other forms.
Sedimentary rock is perhaps the most plentiful in Florida, which is rich with sandstone – lots of which contains fragments of shell and coral. The entire Florida peninsula is also situated atop a limestone bedrock. Many forms of limestone are considered sedimentary rock. This is part of what contributes to Florida’s propensity for forming sinkholes, as the water dissolves and eats away at the soft limestone, resulting in underground voids that ultimately collapse.
Metamorphic rock, which, as the name implies, evolves and changes when exposed to underground heat and intense pressures.
Metamorphic rocks can range from moderate to extreme hardness and the degree of difficulty that you may encounter when drilling into this type of stone.
Marble and gneiss are two examples of metamorphic rock, which commonly has “ribbons” and crystals embedded within. Some also consider granite – one of the world’s hardest stones – to be a metamorphic rock, although this has been a point of debate. It is now widely believed that granite is an igneous rock.
Igneous rock forms when molten rock – magma – cools and gradually hardens. This can occur underground or above ground at the site of a volcano. The very word “igneous” is derived from a Latin word for “fire”.
Obsidian and basalt are two examples of igneous rock. Lava is also considered an igneous rock. Some types of igneous rock can contain crystals, while others are glass-like in appearance and texture. Diamonds are one type of mineral that is found in igneous rock. Igneous rock can range from moderate to extreme hardness, which can make for moderate to challenging geotechnical drilling. Orlando and other regions of Florida feature relatively little igneous and metamorphic rock.
*Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of Amdrill Inc*
