The Importance of Soil Testing Before Construction

Before undertaking a construction project, it’s vital that adequate soil testing is carried out by a qualified professional.

In this blog, we’re going to outline just why you should get your soil tested before you even think about building anything:

Testing the bearing capability of the soil

The primary reason to hire soil testing consultants for your construction project is to determine whether the soil you’re planning to build on can withstand grade changes, the proposed building loads, roads, and other improvements.   This testing can be critical in sloping terrain both from natural slope stability and how it could impact your improvements.

If soil testing is not carried out on the ground you’re planning to build on, the land may not be suitable or become unstable, and could genuinely collapse or subside under or into your structure.  The best-case scenario would result in you having to spend lots of money to correct the issue.  In the worst example, neglecting to analyze soil content could result in a real risk to life.

Determining the length and depth of the pillars

Soil testing before construction is vital as it allows you to know just the depth of piles/caissons for the foundation of the building if required.

Checking the water table level

The level of the water table in the ground beneath your building is critical and best determined through soil testing.  This type of testing provides information on likely problems that can occur.  Some of these problems are liquefaction and collapse due to seismic events or just moisture wetting fronts and associated water seepage through floor and basements walls.

Two different aspects of soil testing

There are two different types of tests to be carried out before you even consider doing any serious building on soil.  A geotechnical soil engineer will test and inform you about the physical composition of the soil, is it heavy clay, silty, or sandy?

A second test analyzes the chemical fate of the soil as it relates to the proposed improvements.   For example, if soluble sulfates are high within the soil matrix, concrete would be prone to corrosion.  If the soils exhibit a low resistivity to the flow of current, copper/steel pipes would be highly prone to corrosion.

Hire our soil testing consultants today to ensure the success of your building project or remediation of your structure.

Contact G3Soilworks and maximize the productivity and profitability of your projects in Southern California by supporting them with our geotechnical and geological experience.