Why does soil matter?
As gravity dictates that every land based structure on the planet must be founded upon the soil or rock below it, a good understanding of soil is necessary to properly design any structure. In addition, since numerous methods of soil improvement have been developed, it is important that structural engineers are aware of the available options and implement those most fitting for a given project.

How is soil tested?
Typically, on large projects, a specialist known as a geotechnical engineer will explore the project site either through test pits or borings (deeply drilled holes) and prepare a report explaining the  characteristics and strength properties of the site soils, along with recommendations regarding the allowable bearing capacity, expected settlements, and other pertinent information for the structural engineer.  On small projects it may be necessary for the structural engineer to work from the data available without additional exploration.

In either case, being able to understand this information and appropriately apply it to the structural design is critical to develop stable and durable structures.

For soil retention required due to steep slopes, grade breaks, or deep foundations, a variety of methods are available. Engineering Techniques, Inc. has been involved in numerous projects where we have gained expertise on the most cost-effective methods available.