GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING
Geotechnical engineering includes the investigation and engineering evaluation of earth materials including soil, rock, groundwater and manmade materials and their interaction with earth retention systems, foundations and other civil engineering works. The practice involves application of the principals of soil mechanics and the earth sciences and requires a knowledge of engineering laws, formulas, construction techniques and performance evaluation of civil engineering works influenced by earth materials.
ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
Environmental services include a full range of assessment and remedial technologies from phase 1 site assessments to soil and ground water remediation activities.
ENGINEERING GEOLOGY
Engineering Geology includes geologic and seismic hazard investigations, slope stability analysis, dams, tunnels and other structure evaluations.
CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION AND MATERIALS TESTING
Soils Engineering, Inc. provides quality services and qualified engineering technicians certified in ACI, ICBO and AWS-CWI as required for all types of Special Inspection projects.
CIVIL ENGINEERING AND LAND DEVELOPMENT
Today's complex and challenging project needs demand professionals who can integrate depth of experience on a diverse range of projects with advanced technology and continuity of service from planning to final construction. At SEI our chief focus is on surpassing our clients expectations on-time and on-budget in the following areas of expertise:
- Project feasibility studies
- Master planning and design
- Sustainable design
- Utilities master planning
- Grading, drainage and flood control
- Water and sewer systems
- Subdivision design
- Street and highway improvements
- Cost estimating
- GIS applications
- Design/build for site work
- Value engineering/analysis
- Construction management
- Construction mitigation monitoring
SURVEY SERVICES
As an additional service to our clients, and to help increase the efficiency and accuracy of project completion, Soils Engineering maintains full-service land surveying capabilities.
Our primary emphasis is on the integration of survey-grade location and mapping abilities into our existing geotechnical and geological investigations, as well as allowing drilled borings, excavation areas, and other test sites to be precisely located.
Other survey services we offer include:
- Grading Plans
- Topographic Surveys
- As-Built Surveys
- Monitoring Surveys
- Volumetric Surveys
- Elevation Certificates
- Construction Staking
DEFINITIONS:
As-Built Survey – a survey performed after construction has been completed to locate the positions and/or determine the dimensions of structures and improvements.
Construction Staking – a survey performed before or during construction to set markers (lath, hubs, nails) to designate the design locations and/or elevations of proposed structures and improvements.
Elevation Certificate – a survey performed to determine the elevation(s) of pads, forms, and/or structures under construction, for the purpose of providing information relative to floodplain management practices.
Grading Plan – a map or drawing produced on which proposed grading (earthwork cuts & fills, retaining walls, drainage structures, etc.) is shown relative to the contours of existing ground surfaces. Existing ground information is typically provided by first conducting a topographic survey (see below).
Monitoring Survey – a survey performed on two or more occasions, in which structures or surfaces of concern are surveyed at designated locations, and the locations are then checked for horizontal and/or vertical movement over time.
Topographic Survey – a survey performed to determine the contours of the existing ground surface at the time of the survey, as well as the locations of existing natural and/or man-made features within the survey area.
Volumetric Survey – a survey performed to determine the current volume, or the change in volume, of earthwork areas, borrow pits, materials stockpiles, sumps, reservoirs, or other such areas.
3D SCANNING
- SEI uses a Trimble GX Advanced 3D laser scanner.
- Shots are collected directly on objects at up to five thousand points per second
- Shots are collected remotely from the instrument’s position, without personnel or equipment needing to access or touch the objects being surveyed.
GPS Surveying
- SEI uses Trimble R8 GPS receivers, with a permanently-mounted GPS antenna attached to our office building’s roof.
- Real-time signal corrections are calculated based on the office base receiver.
- Survey crews can navigate directly to points using the real-time corrections and can immediately begin survey procedures.
Robotic Surveying
- SEI uses a Trimble VX Robotic Total Station with 1” angular accuracy.
- The total station has a Direct Reflex EDM to allow shots directly to surfaces without the use of a prism.
- For shots to prisms, the Trimble MultiTrack target ensures the correct prism is shot.
Digital Leveling
- SEI uses a Trimble DiNi (03) Electronic Digital Level.
- The level uses an “electronic eye” to optically read a bar-code level rod.
- The rod readings are displayed and stored to the 10,000th of a foot. (0.0001 foot)