FAQS
Geotechnical prospecting is a set of operations carried out at the site of a future construction project, aimed at determining the nature and characteristics of the terrain, its layout and accidents of interest to the project.
It is a fact that the most expensive problems to repair in construction usually occur during the earthmoving/foundation work phase, due to inadequate process and/or insufficient information, often resulting in project revisions and work stoppages. Even more expensive if repairs are carried out after the building has been put into service.
It is at this stage of construction that a Geotechnical Report is specifically focused on, with the aim of minimizing the risk of construction problems by providing a methodology and process for building earthworks and site-specific information on foundation materials.
A Geotechnical Report is a document used to convey the characteristics of the soil/rock on and underlying a site to be built on. The Geotechnical Report is essentially based on soil tests carried out at spaced points on site, and on laboratory samples taken on site – Geotechnical Prospecting. To a certain extent, a Geotechnical Report is an interpretative document, since the information obtained from the test points is used to build up a picture of the subsoil conditions across the entire site.
The Geotechnical Report (interpretative, not factual) provides design parameters for the soil/rock found on site. These parameters are generally used in the design of the engineering project, whether it is a foundation, retaining wall, or just the procedures needed to safely carry out the excavation. The report will also consider groundwater conditions and their implications. In addition, a Geotechnical Report describes and assesses the existing and potential hazards that could arise from slope instability and the hazards that could arise during the construction process in the earthmoving/foundation phase. It also provides solutions to limit these risks to acceptable risk levels.
It is a fact that the most expensive problems to repair in construction usually occur during the earthmoving/foundation work phase, due to inadequate process and/or insufficient information, often resulting in project revisions and work stoppages. Even more expensive if repairs are carried out after the building has been put into service.
It is at this stage of construction that a Geotechnical Report is specifically focused on, with the aim of minimizing the risk of construction problems by providing a methodology and process for building earthworks and site-specific information on foundation materials.
Talk to our team who have the knowledge to help you determine what is needed to suit your particular situation.
In general, the cost of Geotechnical Prospecting and the Geotechnical Report correspond to a small percentage of the total cost of the work and are never an impediment in terms of cost.
Please ask us for a quote.
Preferably you should send the following elements if you have them. If you don’t have all of them, don’t hesitate to contact us and send what you have:
- Google Earth location: useful to see if we have geotechnical information nearby, accesses, etc;
- Site plan: quantification/confirmation of drilling locations;
- First floor and basement plan: quantification/confirmation of drilling sites;
- Building sections: Imposing minimum drilling depths and helping to quantify drilling locations;
- Topographic plan: Methodology for setting up survey points/altimetric references.
The execution time will depend on several factors: the type and purpose of the project, the area to be explored, the nature of the soil encountered, the type and nature of the tests to be carried out, whether field or laboratory.
Every case is a case to be studied and estimated.
If the work has not yet been licensed by the competent authorities, it must be requested by the owner/builder, by means of a simple application, even if it is only for the purposes of Geotechnical Prospecting:
- Luanda – (IPGUL – Instituto de Planeamento e Gestão Urbana de Luanda)
- In the rest of the country, you should contact the respective administration responsible for the region in which the geotechnical survey is to be carried out.
