Vertek CPT

Division of ARA

Adding a Soil Testing Service to Your Drilling Business

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introductory

soil-testing-serviceAre you a driller looking at adding a soil testing service to your business? If you’ve been in the drilling business for any length of time, or if you’ve been involved in drilling around sites that are being prepped for construction or development – you may have crossed paths with a Cone Penetration Test (CPT) operation. 

If you have been curious about this service, you probably noticed that the operating conditions of CPT are pretty comfortable. You may have also heard that the daily rates or rates charged per foot of depth for CPT are usually quite a bit better than what you can get for drilling. Adding soil testing services to your business can be a good way to diversify your workload and ensure a steady income for your business and your family.

 

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Screening for Soil Contamination Levels with CPT

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experienced

soil-contamination-screeningExpanding from geotechnical Cone Penetration Test (CPT) into other services is a great way to grow your business. Evaluating subsurface soil contamination provides many business opportunities and a way to differentiate yourself from other CPT service providers – allowing you to protect your business, while expanding into new regions and adding clients.

In many instances, the existence of environmental contaminations in an area is known, but the question that needs to be answered is, “where is it”? In other posts, we explain how CPT works, and how it can be used to characterize the strata underground hundreds of feet deep, depending upon the actual subsurface conditions, the equipment being used etc., In addition to identifying soil types by layer and depth, geo-technical CPT testing also helps to establish groundwater levels and potential migration pathways. This makes it useful for identifying where contamination may migrate or be confined. Establishing a depth profile of the contamination underground and how the ‘plume’ is located and migrated, or where it is likely to expand in the future is vital to establishing a cleanup or remediation plan. Once contamination has been shown to be likely, our discrete soil and ground water sampling equipment delivers physical samples for confirmation.

 

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Mud Rotary Drilling vs. CPT

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mud-rotary-drilling-vs-cptGeotechnical drills like Mud Rotary Drilling and Cone Penetration Testing (CPT) both provide reliable options for gaining subsurface information. In fact, the two are even compatible – many organizations that order drilling services, such as mud rotary drilling are also using CPT for their operations.

Mud Rotary Drilling

Mud rotary drilling is a versatile and dependable method for geological drilling operations.

It is most commonly used to create a hole that will then be used for water well, seismic testing, and commercial drilling operations. The mud rotary drilling functions with a drill-bit that is attached to a drill-rod that rotates into a borehole.

This is done while pumping a drill mud that contains bentonite or polymer slurry into the borehole.

Once this operation is complete, the drilling mud will circulate into a mud pit where the remaining residue in the borehole caused by drilling will then come out and be reused. This process is done without any effort from the drilling operators and speeds up the drilling by removing any potential obstacles.

Cone Penetration Testing (CPT)

Cone Penetration Testing (CPT) is the use of a hardened cone shape that is pushed into the ground to substantial depths.

The cone is pushed using steel rods that are able to be connected to each other as the depth increases. A dominant hydraulic ram is used to produce a considerable amount of downward force to facilitate the cone to penetrate soft soils, sand, and clay.

Though both provide suitable options for obtaining subsurface information, there are many benefits to using CPT over drilling. First off, CPT is a faster, less expensive option that also provides immediate results on site.

CPT can also point to where rotary mud drilling will be required which is typical because of subsurface conditions or where more sampling should be done. CPT is an overall safer option since operators and engineers avoid contaminated soils and don’t have to drill.

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Filed Under: CPT

What is a Cone Test? If you want to know the basics, start here

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cone-testA Cone Penetration Test (CPT) also referred to more informally as a Cone Test.

A cone test is a way to get at subsurface information without having to directly sample the subsurface. 

Many organizations that order drilling services are also using CPT within their operations. CPT testing services is a good support option to well-drilling services since many of the potential customers and skills overlap.

What is Cone Penetration Testing?

Cone Penetration Testing (CPT) is the practice of using an ASTM standard hardened cone shape that is directly pushed into the ground to substantial depths. The cone is pushed using steel rods that are able to be connected to each other in 1 meter lengths as the depth increases.

A powerful hydraulic ram is used to generate a substantial amount of downward force to enable the cone to penetrate  soils, sand, clay and sometimes even soft rock.

In order to keep the surface equipment (truck) in place and not simply be lifted up by the ram force, the vehicles that the CPT equipment is mounted on or in are typically quite heavy.

Also, the use of anchor systems to the ground will increase the ability of any vehicle-mounted CPT system to push harder and therefore deeper.

There are a couple of different imperative goals to any subsurface investigation. The first one is the nature and sequence of strata or soil,sediments and other geological subsurface features. Using CPT for this is called geo-technical testing.

In addition, the groundwater conditions can be established during a sounding. CPT can be used to determine: the composition, strength, and distribution of subsurface soils. These can range from clay, sand, bedrock, groundwater table, hydrocarbons, contaminants, and more.

Advantages of CPT

There are many different advantages to Cone Penetration Testing (CPT), including, prompt collection and interpretation of field data – this is also up to three times faster than traditional methods, economical, eliminates drill cuttings, environmentally friendly, enhances operational safety, inclement weather operability and adaptive to many different terrains.

These are just a few examples of the advantages of CPT, proving its value for testing.

With the CPT business on the rise in the US and developing nations it takes many skills to be a part of this growing industry.

Drilling well technologies and CPT hydraulic rams have many similarities but will still require proper operator training for anyone new to the business. Additionally, you will need training on how to provide accurate, simplified information to your clients.

Get the Vertek Product Catalog

Work with the world leader in the development and manufacturing of advanced in-situ soil testing apparatus.

Download Product Catalog

Filed Under: CPT

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Integrated Products Division of ARA

250 Beanville Road
Randolph, VT  05060
Phone: 802.728.4588
Fax: 802.728.9871
Email: sales@vertekcpt.com

ARA Corporate: www.ara.com

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