Geotechnical Engineering Services
AKM Geotechnical is a leading provider of geotechnical engineering services, offering a wide range of solutions to meet the needs of clients in various industries. With decades of experience in the field, AKM Geotechnical has established itself as a trusted partner for clients who require high-quality, cost-effective geotechnical services.
What is Geotechnical Engineering?
Geotechnical engineering is a crucial aspect of any construction or infrastructure project, as it involves the study of soil and rock mechanics to ensure the stability, safety, and durability of structures built on or in the ground. AKM Geotechnical offers a comprehensive suite of services to address the unique needs of each project, from the initial site investigation to the final construction phase.
As a geotechnical engineering firm, AKM Geotechnical provides a range of services to support clients in the design, construction, and maintenance of infrastructure and buildings including:
● Foundation recommendations (deep and shallow):
AKM Geotechnical provides foundation recommendations for both deep and shallow foundations based on a thorough analysis of the soil and rock conditions at the site. This includes conducting site investigations, reviewing geotechnical data, performing engineering analyses, and developing foundation designs that are appropriate for the site conditions and project requirements.
● Piled foundations:
AKM Geotechnical has extensive experience in the design and construction of piled foundations, which are commonly used for large or heavy structures. Our services include pile design, construction monitoring, and testing to ensure that the piles are installed correctly and meet the required specifications.
Slope stability:
AKM Geotechnical assists clients in assessing the stability of natural or man-made slopes and developing stabilization measures to prevent slope failure. Our services include slope stability analysis, site investigations, and the design of stabilization measures such as retaining walls or ground reinforcement.
● Retaining walls:
AKM Geotechnical provides retaining wall design services that are tailored to the specific site conditions and project requirements. This includes assessing the soil and rock properties, analyzing the loads and stresses on the wall, and developing appropriate design solutions that are both safe and cost-effective.
● Pavements:
AKM Geotechnical has the expertise to design pavements that are suitable for a wide range of applications, including roads, highways, and airport runways. Our services include soil and rock testing, pavement design, and construction monitoring to ensure that the pavement meets the required specifications and performance criteria.
● Evaluation of existing foundations:
AKM Geotechnical evaluates the capacity and condition of existing foundations to determine our suitability for new loads or modifications. This includes conducting site investigations, reviewing construction documents, and performing structural and geotechnical analyses to determine the capacity and integrity of the existing foundation.
● Ground improvement:
AKM Geotechnical provides ground improvement services to improve the strength and stiffness of soil and rock to support new structures or remediate existing structures. This includes compaction, grouting, soil mixing, and ground reinforcement using geosynthetics or geotextiles. AKM Geotechnical develops cost-effective and practical solutions that meet the needs of the client and the project.
● Site Investigations:
AKM Geotechnical conducts detailed site investigations to evaluate the physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of soil and rock at a given site. This information is critical for designing safe and efficient foundations, retaining structures, embankments, and other earthworks.
● Geotechnical Design:
AKM Geotechnical provides geotechnical design services, including the design of foundations, earthworks, retaining structures, slope stability analysis, and pavement design. Our team of experienced engineers uses state-of-the-art software and tools to develop effective and innovative solutions that meet the specific needs of each project.
● Construction Monitoring:
AKM Geotechnical offers construction monitoring services to ensure that geotechnical designs are implemented correctly during the construction phase. Our team of engineers conducts regular site visits to verify that construction activities comply with design specifications and identifies any potential issues that may arise during construction.
● Geotechnical Instrumentation:
AKM Geotechnical provides geotechnical instrumentation services to monitor the performance of structures during and after construction. This includes the installation and monitoring of various instruments such as settlement gauges, inclinometers, and piezometers to measure soil and rock movement, groundwater pressure, and other critical parameters.
At AKM Geotechnical, our team of experts is committed to delivering high-quality services that meet the unique needs of each client. We take a collaborative approach to every project, working closely with clients to understand our goals, constraints, and challenges. With our extensive experience and technical expertise, AKM Geotechnical is well-equipped to handle any geotechnical engineering challenge and provide cost-effective solutions that meet the highest standards of quality and safety.
Our range of services include:
Geotechnical drilling is a method by which core samples of rocks and soil samples are recovered and then tested both in-situ and ex-situ to determine engineering properties of these samples and cores. This is a very integral part of soil investigation for any project as unstable and unsafe rocks and soil could undermine the integrity of the site. Accurate drilling establishes a safe foundation for whatever project the contractors are going to work on. Drilling in soil or rock formations is performed in a wide range of ground conditions both in-shore and off-shore employing hand auger drilling rigs, straight rotary rigs, reverse rotary rigs, light and heavy percussion rigs. Different diameters of drilling can also be achieved by increasing the bit size. Collection of disturbed and undisturbed samples (DS & UDS).
During drilling when we acquire the samples from the ground, we usually have two types of samples; disturbed and undisturbed samples.
1. DISTURBED SAMPLES (DS)
When the structure, texture, density, natural water contents or the stress conditions of the samples cannot be taken as in ”in-situ conditions”, we refer to it as disturbed samples. However, these samples can be recovered.
2. UNDISTURBED SAMPLES (UDS)
Without disturbing the structure, texture, density, natural water contents or the stress conditions of the sample is called an undisturbed sample. These are normally taken in sample barrels such as Shelby, Denison and Pitcher samplers which retain the original in-situ condition of soil samples when taken for tests in laboratory.
The Standard Penetration test (SPT) is common in situ testing method used to determine the blow count commonly referred to as “N Values” of subsurface soils. The standard penetration tests are carried out in borehole according to the ASTM standard (ASTM D1586).
Borehole logging is a time and money-saving approach to gaining detailed information which is otherwise only obtainable from performing and analysing numerous cores. Borehole logging data is typically used to characterize geology, fracture patterns, fluid flow, and geologic structural properties. Standard guide ASTM D5434 for field logging of sub-surface exploration of rock and soil are followed.
Test pits are used for sampling and closely examining the engineering properties of soils. The plan view of the pit is usually circular or rectangular. Test pits can be excavated through machinery or hand tools. Test pits also give a close to in-situ condition of soil that can be tested in laboratory to more accuracy to determine the engineering properties, this sampling technique is usually called Block Samples that is carefully extracted from the pit, waxed and stored in a wooden box to retain the original moisture.
The Lugeon test, sometimes call also Packer test, is an in-situ testing method widely used to estimate the average hydraulic conductivity of rock mass. It is indeed In situ test of formation permeability performed by measuring the volume of water taken in a section of test hole when the interval is pressurized at a given pressure (10 bars -150 psi). It is used primarily in variably permeable formations under the evaluation of fracturating.
The test is named after Maurice Lugeon (1933), a Swiss geologist who first formulated the test. Basically, the Lugeon test is a constant head permeability type test carried out in an isolated part of a borehole. The results provide information about hydraulic conductivity of the rock mass including the rock matrix and the discontinuities. The test is carried out as specified in ASTM D6028 / D6028M – 20.
This test measures the seepage of water through the soil. There are several methods to perform permeability tests such as falling head, constant head and laboratory methods that are carried out in soils. The falling head method of determining permeability is used for soil with low discharge, whereas the constant head permeability test is used for coarse-grained soils with a reasonable discharge in a given time. For very fine-grained soil, the capillarity permeability test is recommended. The knowledge of this property is much useful in solving problems involving yield of water-bearing strata, seepage through earthen dams, the stability of earthen dams, and embankments of canal bank affected by seepage, settlement, etc.
The field density test is conducted to find out if the specified compaction has been achieved in the soil layers in the field. Sand replacement method or sand cone method is commonly used to determing the field density. The procedure of the test is performed accurately as specified in ASTM D446-82 standards.
Grout is a mixture of cement, sand and water which is used to fill the gaps in any structure such
as concrete, tiles, water proofing etc.