A soil test before building any construction is a vital step to find out what you are building on. The soil profile will affect the foundations of the building.
Soils can vary from sandy, silty, clay or to rock or a combination of all these. Many building estates have been filled to either raise them above low lying ground, overland water flows or to level them out for easier building purposes.
Soils can range from soft (low bearing capacity) to hard (high bearing capacity). Clays can be reactive to moisture change i.e.. swell when dry becoming wet or shrink when wet becoming dry. Silts can turn weak quickly when moisture content increases. Rock boulders can move independently in the soil profile.
The information gathered in a soil test investigation can greatly impact on the integrity of the proposed building and if done with care can provide the engineer with the tools to design a proper long lasting foundation. It is vital to get the foundations right so the building will stand the test of time.
Saving a few dollars to build a lesser foundation initially may cost many times over to repair a damaged building a few years later.
CSI Soil Testing is about doing a good sound job for a very reasonable price. We will actually take time to drill your site and find out the soil types and a solid bearing layer so the engineer can feel confident in the foundation design process. We are not one of the supercheap high turnover operators who treat your site as another quick job.