Geotechnical Studies
Geotechnical drilling is a form of drilling that is performed as part of the construction process. This is mainly for structures such as buildings, roads, bridges and any other infrastructure needed for world civilization or as part of the investigation process carried out on site prior to construction. This task is usually undertaken by drilling contractors who are qualified to operate specialized drilling equipment. It’s also under the supervision of a geotechnical engineer who oversees the process to ensure that the drilling meets the requirements of the project.
The type of drilling equipment used to perform the work will depend upon the specific requirements of the project. Drilling rigs are the machines that are used to create holes in the ground. They vary in size and capabilities, ranging from massive size that can drill down to hundreds of meters to smaller manual drilling machines. The rigs that are small enough to be moved manually by a person, called augers. Mobile drilling rigs can be mounted on a truck, track or trailer.
A typical reason for geotechnical drilling is site analysis. Site analysis is performed to establish whether or not a site is going to be appropriate for construction. This involves drilling to collect rock and soil samples, as well as drilling to determine soil stability and other matters of interest. Site analysis is needed for very big structures. Unstable rock formations or ground conditions could cause a huge structural damage, or cause hazardous conditions during an earthquake, flood or service loads. This requires drilling rigs and other drilling equipment to be deployed to the site to be used for the investigation.
As part of the construction process, geotechnical drilling involves preparation for foundations, caissons, and various supports. This kind of drilling is supervised by an engineer who verifies the positioning of the drill and makes certain that the drilling is carried out correctly.
Geotechnical exploration conducted in the search for deposits of minerals, oil, gas, and other valuable resources in the Earth may also involve geotechnical drilling. In this instance, drilling contractors would be required to take core samples and obtain data about the site. It may also be used by scientific researchers who wish to discover more about our planet.