In-Situ Testing Services

Soil is so much more than dirt. It provides the base for your building project and the support for your foundations. How soil reacts to various weather conditions, such as rain, drought and freezing temperatures, influences the installation of the foundation, plumbing and other building components.

“In situ” means in the original place. When used in engineering, it means collecting and testing soil samples directly at the construction site. ECS offers in-situ engineering and testing to help you complete your construction project successfully. 

Contact Us

Ground Penetrating Radar

Ground penetrating radar captures images of the subsurface by sending energy pulses into the soil. The testing equipment records the time it takes for a reflected signal to return and the strength of the returning signal. The test produces reflections when the energy pulse encounters materials that have different electrical conduction properties. If the testing equipment meets dry sand, then wet soil, the reflection will be strong. 

Dilatometer Testing

Dilatometer testing analyzes several important soil parameters. It is a cost-effective, simple and quick testing method that provides repeatable, operator-independent results.

Menard Pressuremeter

A pressuremeter test is an appropriate option when you need to test dense soil, rock or clay. During the test, our engineers insert a pressuremeter into a borehole. The pressuremeter’s probe inflates and applies pressure to the borehole’s walls. As the probe expands and pressures increase, the borehole walls start to deform. 

During the test, the pressure or the volume increase in equal increments, depending on the method used. 

Taking Your Project to New Heights with Specialized In-Situ Testing

Specialized In-situ testing provides information regarding the subsurface of a project site. Our engineers use this information to refine design parameters and reduce the uncertainties associated with more conventional testing methods. For example, conventional exploration and testing might result in a recommendation for deep foundations. However, since in-situ technologies can obtain more specific subsurface data, sometimes we can recommend a more cost-effective and faster option, such as shallow foundations. The cost savings can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and days to weeks on the construction schedule simply by gathering better data using in-situ testing.

These technologies help us get the best possible information regarding the soil and groundwater properties on your site. Please contact us with any questions you have regarding in-situ testing.