Geotechnical Drilling Timberlane Geotechnical Drilling can help detect underground voids

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Timberlane property owners and developers alike may call in a local geotechnical drilling firm to oversee the extraction of multiple core samples, which can be helpful in determining the safety of a site and its suitability for a particular building project or development.

Let’s take a look at what geotechnical drilling entails and how this drilling technique is utilized.

What is Geotechnical Drilling?

Timberlane property owners can use geotechnical drilling services as a cost-effective method for evaluating a property in terms of safety and suitability for a building project.

In the case of the future site of a development, builders and architectural engineers will need to confirm that the ground has the right density and is free of defects such as voids that could potential lead to the formation of sinkholes. Core samples — vertical columns of earth that are extracted through the drilling process — are sent out for analysis to determine information such as:

  • the composition of the earth;
  • the quantity, depth and composition of the various layers;
  • the integrity of the underlying bedrock;
  • the water content of the earth;
  • whether there are any underground voids present in the areas that were drilled (to get a complete view of the area, you need to use a method such as ground penetrating radar.)

Geotechnical drilling can also be used in cases where an underground void (and potential sinkhole site) is suspected, with signs such as newly formed dips and depressions in the ground. If there is already an existing structure on the site, there may be cracking observed on the foundation or even on the walls as the building sinks unevenly.

If an underground void and potential sinkhole site is discovered through geotechnical drilling, a sinkhole remediation team can be called in to fill in the hole with cement or any overlaying structure can be reinforced by running massive “pins” from the foundation to the bedrock, serving as a support even if the ground falls away.

If you’re in Timberlane, geotechnical drilling services are available to property owners, developers and others who are seeking assistance. The timeframe for a geotechnical drilling project does vary according to the exact nature of the project, the size of the site, the number of drilling sites and core samples that are required, the depth of the drilling and the composition of the ground that you’ll be drilling into. Some projects can take just a couple days to complete, while others with multiple drilling sites may take weeks.

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