When geotechnical soil testing

When geotechnical soil research: Very often, when we want to start a construction investment, we find out that it is necessary to perform geotechnical soil research on the plot where we will build our house or other building. Geotechnical research is actually quite a complex issue. It is worth telling yourself when we need to perform geotechnical research.

Geotechnical research – introduction

Earlier, we mentioned that geotechnical tests must be performed during the construction project. However, if we look at the subject more generally, it turns out that geotechnical research is also performed in other areas of industry and life. Next to construction, the industry that most widely uses various types of geotechnical research is the mining industry.

Searching for mineral deposits, keeping deposit documentation, mineral geology are just some of the many tasks performed by a mining geologist for a mining company. Mining geology is a field that, on the one hand, supervises the extraction process, and on the other hand, is strongly involved in the search for deposits that will be economically possible to exploit.

There are many factors that make a deposit economically viable and we will not discuss them here, as we will focus on geotechnical research that is carried out in the construction industry, and in particular on building plots, intended for single-family houses, because they affect us much more.

Mentioning here about deposit geology and research of natural resources deposits, we just wanted to point out that geotechnical research is not only research occurring in the construction industry.

When is a geotechnical opinion required and what is a geotechnical opinion?

Conducting a geotechnical survey is like the first stage of the procedure. However, as a result of these tests, a special report must be created, which is often called a geotechnical opinion.

The geotechnical opinion is extremely important because it gives us a lot of information about the soil load capacity, the level of groundwater or the permeability of the substrate, and thanks to this information, we can make good decisions, for example regarding how large a building can be on a given plot what foundations it should have, and very often it also happens that a geotechnical opinion excludes the construction of certain structures on a given ground.

Of course, this protects the investor from mis-investing money. It is worth noting here that currently in almost every case of building a single-family house, such a geotechnical opinion is required for a building permit to be issued, but a few years ago it was not that popular and unfortunately sometimes it happened that a the house didn’t necessarily have to stand the test of time.

How is a geotechnical survey carried out?

The geotechnical survey is carried out using standard methods, which enable the comparison of test results on individual plots and their reference to certain values, which are sort of cataloged in various construction standards.

Most often, geotechnical research consists primarily in making geological boreholes, most often to a depth of 1 m and examining such collected samples in terms of chemical composition, as well as water content in the collected samples. There are situations when the test must be carried out at least twice, and these are situations when the plot is located in an area where there is a strong suspicion that depending on the season or current weather conditions, the groundwater level may be quite high. change a lot.

It is worth emphasizing here that most often a geological or geotechnical survey is not an unpleasant necessity that we have to perform. This is a study that will make our home fully functional.

An example here is the groundwater level mentioned a moment ago. If it turns out that, for example, the level of groundwater on a building plot may change quite a lot, and we have not selected the appropriate foundation and insulation that takes these changes into account, it will turn out that our basement will be cyclically flooded.

When should we request a geological opinion on a building plot?

The truth is that investors who want to build single-family houses should not, in principle, worry about geological opinions and geotechnical surveys in most cases.

In fact, such a study should be carried out on every plot that is classified as a construction plot, because if we buy a plot without a valid geotechnical survey, it may turn out that we have actually bought a cat in a poke, and a cat with which we cannot do anything do and will be hard to get rid of. If we buy a plot without a valid geotechnical survey, it will also be difficult for us to request a refund.