Productivity Push Leads EGS to 20CPT

With drilling services focused predominantly on infrastructure investigations – roadways and bridges – Environmental and Geotechnical Specialists Inc (EGS) in Tallahassee, Florida, began looking for ways to increase productivity. Key to their discussions was the need for lighter, faster options to supplement their current geotechnical drilling operations, conducting miles of soil borings.

“We’re often completing borings on alignments for stretches of miles at a time. These aren’t always on even ground and the ground is often soft,” Myron Hayden, engineer, said. “We wanted equipment to quickly travel distances off-road – and we already owned a skid steer – so we chose the Geoprobe® 20CPT Press."

They now believe they are better equipped to conduct hydrodynamic testing, mapping changes in strata more accurately while assessing water dissipation and variances in permeability. The geophysical capabilities – such as testing electrical conductivity – with the seismic cone was another factor in choosing Geoprobe® tools and machines.

EGS has devoted a three-man team to the 20CPT Press. By focusing a driller, helper, and engineer on the equipment, EGS ensures analysis and procedures are kept consistent.

“We’re very satisfied with the unit,” Hayden said. “We’re comparing it to results from some roadway new alignments and the data we have is good. A little more verification and we’ll turn it loose to augment drilling operations.”

Once calibrated, Hayden envisions going from drilling 12 borings to drilling three and probing nine in order to speed up their processes. Long-term he hopes to be able to rely solely on probing, but the Florida Department of Transportation has expressed hesitancy in accepting strictly probe data. However, conversations have led the two entities to trade data in order for each to become more comfortable with its accuracy.

“I see positive things for it. It meshes really well with geophysics – ground proofing and calibrating geophysics. As we intertwine them better, we’ll use it more,” Hayden said. “I know that’s not something no one has done before, but I think we’ll be able to make it work well.”