What's Behind the Name?
GeoprobeŽ...
a brand name of high quality, hydraulically-powered, direct push machines that use
both static force and percussion to advance sampling and logging tools
into the subsurface. The first GeoprobeŽ brand machine was built for the
Environmental Protection Agency in 1988.
The GeoprobeŽ brand name refers to both machines
and tools manufactured and sold exclusively by GeoprobeŽ
Systems in Salina, Kansas. GeoprobeŽ tools are used to perform
soil
core and soil
gas sampling, groundwater
sampling, electrical
conductivity and contaminant logging, grouting,
and materials injection.
Soil probing techniques can be thought of as a subcategory of what are commonly referred to as "Direct Push" techniques. Direct Push refers to tools and sensors that are "pushed" into the ground without the use of drilling to remove soil or to make a path for the tool. A GeoprobeŽ direct push machine relies on a relatively small amount of static (vehicle) weight combined with percussion as the energy for advancement of a tool string.
Using a GeoprobeŽ direct push machine, you can drive tools to obtain continuous soil cores or discrete soil samples. You can drive samplers to obtain groundwater samples or vapor samples. You can insert permanent sampling implants and air sparging points. You can drive a conductivity sensor probe to map subsurface lithology. You can install small diameter monitoring wells. In fact, the GeoprobeŽ machine has been used to perform many of these functions to depths of 100 feet (30m) or more where the geology and soil conditions are appropriate.
Show me the Geoprobe® Direct Push Machines 
Soil probing equipment is typically used for site investigations to depths of 30 to 60 feet (9 to 18 m) depending upon soil conditions. However, this range is elusive and constantly increasing as better probing equipment is produced. GeoprobeŽ brand soil probing equipment has been used to depths exceeding 100 feet (30 m) in many areas of the United States and overseas.
- It's hydraulically powered either from a vehicle or an auxiliary engine.
- It uses static force and the dynamic percussion force of the GH40 or GH60 Soil Probing Hammer to advance small diameter sampling tools.
- It rearranges particles in the subsurface by application of weight and percussion to advance a tool string and produces no cuttings in the process.
- It can drill through surface pavements 12 inches (305 mm) or more in thickness and probes beneath them.
- It can be used for collecting soil cores, groundwater samples, and soil gas samples. A probing tool is also available to make continuous log of soil conductivity and probe penetration rates.
GeoprobeŽ
probing equipment has redefined the way sites are investigated in the
Environmental Industry. In many areas of the country, GeoprobeŽ brand
machines and tools have displaced traditional drilling methods as the
preferred mode of collecting subsurface samples. There are numerous reasons
why GeoprobeŽ direct push techniques have found such wide acceptance in
the field. Among these reasons are the following:
- No cuttings are produced during the sampling process.
- Probing is fast: typical penetration rates are from 5 to 25 feet (2 to 8 m) per minute.
- Mobilization is quick and economical.
- The sampling process is fast; 20-40 sample locations per day.
- Probing machines are easy to operate and relatively simple to maintain.
- Probing tools create small diameter holes which minimize surface and subsurface disturbance.
- GeoprobeŽ machines fold compactly and store in cargo vans or truck toppers where the unit and tools can be locked and secured.
- GeoprobeŽ machines have lower capital costs and are more economical to operate than rotary drilling machines and the level of effort and labor required for GeoprobeŽ machine operation is much less than for conventional drilling.
- GeoprobeŽ machines can be used to sample subsurface media including soil, groundwater, and soil gas. GeoprobeŽ machines can also be used to retrieve geotechnical data via cone penetration testing.