Geotechnical Engineering
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WesTest can provide geotechnical engineering evaluations to determine the suitability of a site for the proposed construction and to provide general construction guidelines and recommendations for budgeting purposes.
Resource Evaluations:
Determine the viability of mining alluvial deposits or stone. Evaluations provide estimates of minable quantities, overburden ratios, dewatering requirements, aggregate quality evaluation and permitting feasibility.
Geotechnical Engineering Evaluations:
Provide earthwork, grading, and utility trench construction specifications, foundation design, floor construction, dewatering systems, retaining wall construction, and other design considerations related to soil and rock.
Pavement Evaluations:
Provide design thicknesses and specification for new construction and reconstruction and evaluations of existing pavement structures to recommend maintenance alternatives.
DRILLING AND SUBSURFACE EXPLORATION
Hollow stem and solid stem augers are used to drill to the depths necessary to obtain samples of the soils that will affect construction. Bulk samples, Split-spoon samples, California tube samples or Shelby tube samples are taken and returned to our laboratory for testing.
FOUNDATION DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS
Typical foundation recommendations include: continuous spread footings, pads, rafts, drilled caissons and driven piles. Soil properties are determined so recommendations for foundation and slab construction, grading, dewatering, swell potential, structural slab construction, backfill and corrosivity can be included in the geotechnical investigation report.
PAVEMENT DESIGNS
Material designs are performed for Portland cement concrete and hot mix asphalt to determine the best combination of aggregate, binder, and admixtures to provide cost effective construction materials meeting the designers specifications.
Pavement design recommendations can be provided based on the California Bearing Ratio or Resistance value, R-Value, strength properties corresponding to the base, or subgrade soil . In conjunction with traffic data, design life, drainage characteristics and reliability, pavement section thickness recommendations are provided. Pavement design recommendations can include flexible pavement (asphalt) and rigid pavement (Portland cement concrete). These pavements may be placed on the existing subgrade, aggregate base course or chemically modified sub-grade or base, depending on existing conditions and economics.
AGGREGATE RESERVE EVALUATION
Aggregate reserves are investigated to determine quantity and quality. An aggregate’s ability to be used in construction applications including concrete, hot mix asphalt and structural embankment are evaluated. Splits between coarse and fine aggregate and clay are estimated and groundwater/dewatering effects are discussed.
