Drilling Rig

Put simply, structures placed on a soil will impose extra loads/forces on the soil. The magnitude of this force will depend on the particular structure. In turn if the soil cannot support this additional load the soil will fail, resulting in what could be a costly repair bill. Thus as the saying goes "You pay for a soil investigation one way or another!".

Any construction site should have a soil site investigation conducted to determine a 3-dimensional picture of the existing soil. The soil site investigation will assist in the further design of foundations for the proposed works to be undertaken.

Rice Soil Assessments

Accredited for assessing soil suitability for rice growing.
Reg. No: SA009028

Some of the soil properties analyzed when preparing a soil site investigation include:

• Texture Analysis
• Moisture Content
• Estimated Bearing Capacity
• Water Table Level
• Reactivity

Other factors that need to be included in the classification of a site are external influences such as:

• Vegetation
• Drainage
• Climate
• Locating Fill Material
• Other structures

General Investigation Procedure

Soil testing is conducted in accordance with AS2870 - 1996.

A general inspection of the site is conducted to assess potential factors which may influence the classification of the soil.

Bore holes (generally 3) are drilled to assess the soil properties, and gain a profile of the existing stratification. Most bores are drilled to 3m depth, with the capability of going to 6m. An undisturbed core up to 1.5m can also be taken if required.

Soils are analyzed in our laboratory to determine the soil site classification. Recommendations are then made on the type of footing system required for the particular construction and the required depth of the footing.