Our Services

Our flagship method of testing is the CPTu. In this method, a 3.6cm diameter cone with a tip tapered at 60 degrees, is advanced into the ground at a rate of 2cm/s. Tip resistance, pore water pressure and friction generated during penetration are measured in real time using load cells embedded within the cone. From these measurements, our engineers are able to: (1) determine soil profiles up to 30m deep and identify layers as thin as 1cm; (2) assign design strength parameters to soil layers; (3) classify soils based on shearing behaviour and consolidation stress history; and (4) determine pore water pressure distributions with depth. Through dissipation tests, we are also able to calculate consolidation parameters such as the coefficient of consolidation in cohesive layers, as well as determine the piezometric level within a soil relative to the ground surface, by measuring the time taken to dissipate excess pore pressures around the cone. All of our CPT procedures are complaint with ASTM Standard D5778-20.

Where clients prefer the familiarity of using Standard Penetration Test (SPT) N values for design, we offer an equally capable, but more time efficient alternative called the Dynamic Penetration Super Heavy (DPSH) test. Similar to the SPT, the DPSH is another form of dynamic testing which displaces a 63.5kg weight through a height of 0.76m, with the number of blows for a given penetration depth recorded. Instead of a split spoon sampler being advanced through a borehole, our DPSH drives a solid cone without the need for pre-boring, thereby offering a continuous record of penetration. Our DPSH is also capable of breaking through asphaltic concrete without coring and also allows for disturbed sampling, with soil classification made possible through attendant laboratory index testing, which we offer. All of our dynamic probing test procedures comply with ISO 22476-2:2005.