Investigation of Subsurface Soil is Important for Any Construction Project

Aussie Hydrovac Services
4 min readOct 23, 2023

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People using machine for Utility location services

Prior to commencing any commercial or construction project, it’s of utmost importance to initiate a ground analysis, commonly referred to as geotechnical investigation. This serves the purpose of ruling out the presence of cables or other subterranean services. Furthermore, the assessment of soil stability and composition benefits from an exploration of what lies beneath the surface. In the realm of geotechnical investigation, multiple techniques and tests are employed to pinpoint specific soil attributes.

All activities that include large evaluation amounts, unstable ground, design establishments, and groundwater effects are covered under the geotechnical testing service. The goal of this method of testing is to safeguard both financial investments and the safety of those who use the facilities.

Utility Location Services are equally indispensable in any construction endeavor, as they aid in the detection of public utilities hidden beneath the ground. This includes cables, satellite TV lines, fibre optics, traffic signals, streetlights, stormwater channels, water mains, gas pipelines, and pipeline systems.

In Australia, numerous companies are actively engaged in providing Geotechnical Testing services. They perform comprehensive examinations to ascertain the geological context of the site, encompassing geological, seismic, and soil conditions that impact site assessment and soil properties. If you’re in search of geotechnical testing services and utility location services in Australia, you can directly contact Aussie Hydro-Vac Services. If you are looking for geotechnical testing services and utility location services in Australia, you can directly reach out to Aussie Hydro-Vac Services. The services provided by them are:

· CPT Testing

· Geotechnical drilling, including core drilling

· Test Pitting & Augering

· Standard Penetration Testing

· Seismic Testing

· Soil Sampling

Let us go through these techniques in detail:

CPT Testing

The Cone Penetration test, or CPT, is a technique of the Geotechnical Testing Service that helps to ascertain the geotechnical characteristics of soil and outline soil stratigraphy. Aussie Hydro-Vac Services Pty Ltd uses a set of special vehicles and machines for accurate CPT Testing.

Geotechnical drilling, including core drilling

Geotechnical Drilling helps Engineers at Aussie Hydro-Vac Services determine soil consistency, clay proportions, rock strata, water levels, and many other physical characteristics of the area of construction.

Test Pitting and Augering

In the Test Pit process, a pit is dug either physically or with an earthmover by Experts at Aussie Hydro-Vac Services to uncover the subsurface circumstances to the depth desired.

Augering entails the insertion of a casing pipe into the earth’s surface for shallow exploration work, with soil samples collected by inserting the sampler into the hole.

Standard Penetration Testing

A standard penetration Test is a type of In-Situ Test that helps to assess the nature and other properties of the soil at different depths. Aussie Hydro-Vac Services Pty Ltd gives importance to its customers, and as such, it uses high-quality drilling equipment, machines, soil samplers, hammers, and rods.

Firstly, the starting borehole is dug up, and secondly, the sampler is assembled. After this, the equipment that is supposed to carry out the Standard Penetration Testing is assembled. Once the testing is finished, soil samples can be collected.

Seismic Testing

Seismic Testing helps Engineers at Aussie Hydro-Vac Services Pty Ltd identify rock formations that have the properties required to hold oil and gas.

Soil Sampling

Soil samples are typically categorised as “disturbed” or “undisturbed.” Disturbed samples have been altered to a significant extent, rendering them unrepresentative of in-situ conditions, while undisturbed samples closely mimic in-situ conditions, allowing for the testing of fundamental soil characteristics. Aussie Hydro-Vac Services Pty Ltd executes soil sampling with adept professionalism.

The experts at Aussie Hydro-Vac Services Pty Ltd. can also undertake activities for utility location services. They have Public Utility Plant (PUP) locators with an excess of 20 years of experience in locating PUP for local Councils, the Department of Transport and Main Roads, tier-one Design firms, and major construction contractors.

The locators available at Aussie Hydro-Vac Services are DBYD certified and have the capability of locating services using multiple techniques, including but not limited to; electromagnetic locating, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), rodding, and potholing using one of its high-quality vacuum excavation units. The experts here have the ability to locate depths of up to 6m in any single location. This is possible because unique methodologies are developed by its highly experienced operators in combination with its experienced locators.

By assessing the various properties of soil and its subsurface, the techniques of geotechnical investigation and utility location help engineers make informed decisions and incorporate sustainable construction practices accordingly. With the reports brought out by these investigation techniques, one can identify any possible risk during the construction process, thereby reducing pollution and pressure on existing resources.

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Aussie Hydrovac Services

Aussie Hydro-Vac Services Pty Ltd (AHS) is a 100% Australian owned business that has been operating in Queensland and New South Wales for over 10 years.