So, what's going on under the earth? Anyone connected with site development — owners, developers, architects, civil engineers, construction managers — needs facts fast to reduce risk and cost. During site acquisition and design, SME evaluates soil and groundwater conditions to assess their impact on proposed or existing facilities. We're always looking — and finding — ways to slice time and construction costs.

SME's ability to save clients money, lots of money, comes from experience. Our geotechnical team includes 31 registered professional engineers with an average of 17 years of experience. Most have master's degrees in geotechnical and pavement engineering. Many are authors whose papers are published in professional journals. This depth of knowledge will help ensure your site exploration isn't a problem waiting to happen.

What do our geotechnical engineering evaluations typically entail? They may include evaluating site soil and groundwater conditions through soil borings, test pits and monitoring wells; testing soil samples in our laboratory; and developing design recommendations for foundations, floor slabs, pavements, utilities, earth retention systems, retaining walls, slopes, and other site features.

In addition to conventional drilling and sampling procedures, SME uses advanced techniques such as pressuremeter, Dutch cone, Vane shear and dilatometer, to evaluate the physical characteristics of soils. And, we use sophisticated computer programs to analyze field and laboratory test data. Our modern soil laboratory facilities make it easy for us to provide accurate, objective testing of soil samples.

During construction, we put our vast field experience into play, providing field observation and testing services to facilitate the installation of foundations and specialized embankments. We're able to give you answers and practical solutions to problems as they arise during construction. What's more, we can design remote geotechnical instrumentation programs to monitor settlement and stability during construction, allowing for instant acquisition of site information from a series of sensors. If environmental issues crop up, we'll work hand-in-hand with our environmental engineers to make sure your concerns are resolved.

Every site has a story. SME will make sure yours has a happy ending.

For more information contact an SME office near you.
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