Soil Testing in Dauphin, PA
Long before the shovel hits the ground, today’s Dauphin County construction companies and large-scale commercial construction projects and residential developments must first have soil testing performed. It is required by state and Federal regulations and is essential to determining the type of soil, its subsurface, its load-bearing capacity, and its composition. Only then can construction companies determine the type of foundation, materials, and construction processes needed. For construction companies needing third-party testing, Earth Engineering provides independent laboratory testing of soils and construction inspection in Philadelphia.
At Earth Engineering in Dauphin County, PA, our testing, data interpretation and analysis, computer-aided engineering, and engineering reports are done in-house. We are committed to ensuring our customers get thorough and detailed soil testing reports with accurate and verifiable soil testing data on time and on budget.
Whether it’s hydrometer analysis, needing to know the pH value of the soil, wanting a breakdown of the soil’s organic content, needing moisture density data, or requiring invaluable insight into the soil’s characteristics, size, and makeup with a USCS soil classification report, our solutions are geared towards helping you get your Dauphin County PA construction project off the ground.
Process of Soil Testing
Soil testing is driven entirely by the soil testing specification. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) provides specifications for properly conducting construction material testing. Each ASTM spec defines how samples are to be collected, stored, transported, managed, tested, and reported.
Depending upon the ASTM requirements, soil testing may require taking soil samples based on a specific grid or pattern. However, for the most part, the process of soil testing includes taking soil samples from the designed site, properly labeling the sample, and then having the soil testing performed in-house at Earth Engineering at one of our four locations.
Purpose of Soil Testing
Soil testing is a crucial first step for any residential or commercial construction project. It ensures the safety, stability, and compliance of construction efforts. Below are the key points about soil testing in Perry, PA:
- Experienced Team: Soil testing is assisted by a seasoned team of construction engineers, geotechnical engineers, geologists, and laboratory technicians with over 35 years of experience.
- Independent Laboratory: It is tested through an independent third-party laboratory. The processes applied are repeatable, and soil testing parameters have been well-established to ensure that the data would be valid.
- Legal Requirement: Soil testing is mandatory to legally begin any new ground-up construction project in Dauphin County, PA.
- Soil Characteristics Assessment: It discovers the characterization of soil, tests for the presence of chemicals or pollutants, and finds out the potentiality of the soil for carrying such loads.
- Foundation Design: Soil testing guides the type of foundation required and helps address potential problems caused by improperly compacted soil.
- Construction Planning: Helps obtain building permits, decide the materials for the construction, plan the clay reserve, estimate timelines, and select more safety features.
- Critical for Stability: Aspects related to structural stability and integrity are also assessed by them; this helps analyze the environmental impacts such as risk of pollution.
Applications of Soil Testing
Soil testing is an essential part of meeting construction project requirements. However, soil testing isn’t just used for residential and commercial construction projects. Soil testing in Dauphin County, PA, and surrounding areas is also an important part of OSHA requirements to ensure job site safety and identify potential hazards and environmental concerns.
Questions? Contact us today!