Site Investigations
& Geotechnical Design

At GGPGeo, we offer a comprehensive suite of site investigation and geotechnical design services tailored to the needs of contractors and consultants across the UK. With over 25 years of industry experience, our skilled and accredited team delivers professional, practical, and cost-effective solutions, ensuring projects are grounded on solid understanding.

Introducing GGPGeo

Offering turnkey Site Investigations and Geotechnical Engineering services, GGPGeo provides a wide range of solutions to our valued clients, bringing added control, technical expertise, and professionalism to every project.

Our Expertise Includes:

Window Sampling & Dynamic Probing: Utilising tracked Terrier rigs for efficient subsurface sampling.
Handheld Window Sampling: Employing lightweight hydraulic power packs for areas with restricted access.
Diamond Coring: Precision coring into concrete slabs, brickwork, abutments, and other structures.
Mackintosh Probing: Using Dynamic Cone Penetrometers for assessing superficial ground conditions.
Waste Acceptance & BRE Suite Sample Testing: Comprehensive testing services to meet regulatory standards.
Non-Destructive Testing: Including Schmidt Hammer, Ferroscan, and Ultrasound techniques.
CBR Testing: Conducted using the Zorn Lightweight Deflectometer for accurate measurements.
Geotechnical Interpretation & Design: Providing insightful analysis and design recommendations.

Dart Competitor Mini-Tracked Heavy-Duty Rig

This compact and versatile rig is designed for restricted access and confined spaces, enabling high-quality disturbed and undisturbed sampling. Mounted on a small crawler unit, it's lightweight, easily transportable, and manoeuvrable, causing minimal disturbance to the surroundings.

Capabilities:

Percussive sampling with SPT and dynamic probing capabilities.
U38, U70, UT100 Sampling
Compact crawler-mounted design for enhanced mobility.
Ability to access slopes and tight areas.
Borehole casing to prevent collapse or contamination.
Ride-on platform for operator convenience.
Capable of reaching coring depths of up to 15m.

Premier Modular 100 Rig

The Modular 100 is a lightweight, fully dismountable rig designed for use in extremely limited-access areas, including indoor environments, steep slopes, and remote locations. Despite its compact footprint, it's fully equipped for geotechnical investigations requiring SPTs and U100T sampling.

Capabilities:

Percussive sampling with SPT and dynamic probing capabilities.
U38 and U70 Sampling.
Concrete coring.
Borehole casing up to 128mm diameter.
Capable of reaching coring depths of up to 10m.

Handheld Window Sampler

Ideal for tight-access sites with minimal setup, this tool uses a JCB Beaver powerpack and handheld drill to penetrate hard surfaces and collect high-quality samples. It provides fast, efficient solutions for window sampling across a wide range of sites with limited access.

JBC Beaver powerpack:

Soil sampling and borehole logging.
Groundwater identification.
Soil sampling for laboratory analysis

In-situ Testing

Mackintosh Probe

This lightweight, handheld device is suited for investigating soft soils to depths of up to 10m. Its portability makes it ideal for uneven or swampy terrain. Results are repeatable and correlate to undrained shear strength, assisting in targeted borehole placement and soil interpolation.

Dynamic Probe (DPSH)

Dynamic probing involves driving a cylindrical cone into the ground using a 63.5kg weight dropped from 750mm. This method measures soil resistance in 100 mm increments and is conducted using our Dart Competitor rig. The resulting blow counts are correlated to SPT 'N' values and are presented graphically for clear subsurface interpretation.

Shear vane

The shear vane test measures the undrained shear strength of cohesive soils. A steel rod with four vanes is inserted into the soil and rotated at a constant rate. A torque gauge measures the resistance, which is converted into shear strength based on the vane dimensions.

Pull-Out Testing

We offer on-site pull-out testing using portable hydraulic rigs, ideal for verifying the performance of anchors, fixings, and safety-critical connections in concrete, brickwork, and masonry. Tests are conducted to industry standards with digital data capture and traceable reporting, providing assurance for both temporary and permanent works.

CBR (California Bearing Ratio)

The California Bearing Ratio (CBR) is a measure of the strength of a subgrade or pavement material and its suitability for use in road and pavement construction.

Traditionally, CBR testing has been carried out either in the laboratory or in the field using a small rig mounted on the back of a vehicle. However, we now offer a more efficient and modern approach using the Zorn Lightweight Deflectometer (LWD). This portable device employs a drop weight to apply a dynamic load to the ground surface and measures the resulting elastic deflection. From this, CBR values can be rapidly estimated and recorded digitally, allowing for quick and informed decisions to be made directly on site.

Diamond Tip Core Drilling

Diamond tip core drilling is a precise and efficient method used to extract cylindrical samples from concrete, brickwork, or masonry structures. This technique is commonly used for structural assessment, material sampling, and creating openings for services.

Our drilling setup features a Diaquip core drill with interchangeable coring barrels of various diameters. The rig is mounted on an adjustable stand that allows for both vertical and horizontal drilling, depending on the specific site requirements.

Using our lightweight and portable equipment, we offer:

Diamond coring into concrete and masonry (both vertically and horizontally), suitable for: Floor slabs, Walls, Bridge abutments, Foundations and other structural elements.
Turbo diamond core drill bits, ideal for producing clean, round holes in hard materials such as concrete and brickwork.
Dry core drilling, which allows for safe drilling in environments where water use is restricted or not possible.

Geotechnical Engineering

GGPGeo has chartered Geotechnical Engineers that can provide engineering design services to your projects. We have experience across a range of sectors and can offer the following services: