Geotechnical Engineering
Even the most perceptive professionals can’t see potential issues that lie beneath the surface. But with our team and equipment, we can get the full picture of the surface you’ll be working on. Our geotechnical engineering services identify risks and provide practical recommendations for building on the soils you have on site.
Delivering the Foundation of Stronger Foundations
Geotechnical engineering starts with drilling to understand the soil stratigraphy, perform in-situ testing, and the collection of samples for laboratory testing. Once we have collected this data and put it all together in soil logs, we can clearly visualize and understand the subsurface conditions on site. We combine detailed subsurface investigations with practical engineering analysis to deliver clear and defensible recommendations. By identifying risks early and aligning solutions with actual site conditions, we reduce the risk of costly surprises and reduce budget uncertainty.
Everything That Goes Into the Groundwork
We support every stage of your project, from the initial site investigation to construction field reviews and providing recommendations to help get the project to the finish line as quickly and efficiently as possible while maintaining site safety.
Subsurface Soil and Groundwater Identification and Classification
Understanding subsurface conditions is the first step in any geotechnical project. We identify and classify soil and groundwater characteristics through sample collection and testing. This data forms the foundation for safe design decisions and helps reduce uncertainty early on.
Soil Mechanics
We can evaluate how soils behave under different loads and conditions. By analyzing strength, compressibility, and stability, we help determine how soil will support structures over time and what foundation or site preparation is practical and viable for the project.
Rock Mechanics
The behaviour and stability of rock formations on your site are important considerations. Through testing and analysis, we assess their strength and load-bearing capacity, helping to inform excavation, foundation design, fracturing concerns, and slope stability in rock-heavy environments.
Soft Soil Analysis
Soft soils can present unexpected challenges, such as settlement and reduced load capacity. We assess these conditions to understand how these soils will behave under stress and over time. From here, we recommend project specific solutions such as preloads, suitable foundation types, or alternative ground improvement methods to that improve stability and minimize long-term risk.
Seismic Engineering Analysis
For many builds, understanding how ground conditions respond to seismic activity is crucial. By assessing soil behaviour and potential amplification effects, we help improve structural resilience to meet modern seismic codes.
Geotechnical Hazard Evaluations
Natural risks such as slope instability, liquefaction, or erosion are more common on sites than most people think. We evaluate these hazards to understand their potential impact on a project and recommend mitigation strategies that improve safety and reduce long-term risk.
Retaining Wall and Engineered Slope Design
Retaining walls and engineered slopes need to be designed to withstand both natural and manually applied forces. To help prevent failures and keep the area safe, we provide analysis and design support to ensure stability, durability, and performance.
Embankment Design
Stable, well-compacted, and suited to site conditions. Those are the qualities of a strong embankment, so we support designs that account for soil behaviour, loading, and environmental factors. This helps ensure long-term performance and reduces the risk of settlement or failure.
Excavation and Shoring Design
Excavations introduce significant risks to site stability and worker safety. To reduce these risks and keep operations running smoothly, our geotechnical engineers design shoring, provide excavation recommendations, and conduct regular field reviews to support your construction project. From multi-storey shoring designs to trench reviews, our geotechnical engineering team is ready to keep your project on time and on budget while keeping workers safe.
Deep and Shallow Foundation Design
Before digging, foundations must be matched to site conditions and structural demands. We design both deep and shallow foundation systems based on subsurface data and load requirements to keep structures supported and performing as they’re supposed to over time.
Paved and Unpaved Roadway Design
Road design is intended to provide a suitable driving surface while protecting the subgrade from failure. To support reliable performance, we provide geotechnical input for both paved and unpaved roads that considers expected traffic loads, design life, soil conditions, material availability, and maintenance requirements to ensure your new pavement will provide suitable durability for the intended design life.
Forensic Evaluations
While it’s true that geotechnical issues often can’t be undone easily and can continue to degrade without a clear understanding of the underlying conditions and cause. We can investigate failures or performance concerns to help identify root causes and contributing factors, support corrective action, and help prevent similar issues in future projects. This often involves coring through floor slabs and performing in-situ testing to understand what soil conditions are contributing to the observed issues.
Pile Driving Analysis/Drivability Assessments
High-strain dynamic testing of deep foundations, often referred to as Pile -Driving Analysis (PDA), focuses on the forces and stresses involved during driven pile installation and estimating the pile capacity. By evaluating driving conditions and equipment performance, we help optimize installation and reduce the risk of damage. Our geotechnical engineers utilize the CAse Pile Wave Analysis Program (CAPWAP) to determine the capacity of the pile. The Canadian Foundation Engineering Manual (CFEM) allows for an increase in the reduction factor from 0.4 to 0.5 on the tested result typically increasing pile capacities by 25% or more if the tested result is higher than the correlated estimate. Our PDA specialists work with your schedule to reduce driving rig downtime and get you back to driving production piles quickly.
Pile Load Test
Static Pile Load Testing is the highest level of test for a pile and typically involves loading a test pile to failure while measuring the load and strain (movement) of the pile. If this test is performed, the Canadian Foundation Engineering Manual allows for an increase in the reduction factor from 0.4 to 0.6 on the tested result typically increasing pile capacities by 50% or more if the tested result is higher than the correlated estimate.
Connect With Your Geotechnical Team
Read Fenton leads Metro’s geotechnical team with over eighteen years of geotechnical, materials engineering and project management experience.
Read has significant experience with geotechnical projects including wind farm projects, high rise buildings, schools, public buildings, highways, residential, commercial, large-scale industrial and rural developments.
The Metro Geotechnical Team has team members across BC and Alberta to assist with your projects.
Read Fenton, P.Eng., MBA
Senior Geotechnical Engineer
See Where Our Work Made a Difference
From small and complex sites to large-scale infrastructure, our geotechnical services help teams make informed decisions from the ground up. Explore the work we’ve done to see how investigation and engineering come together to support safer, more reliable outcomes.
