Detailed site investigations for civil engineering works are a relatively recent development within the Company. These geotechnical studies generally involve very detailed soil and/or geological mapping, combined with geophysical measurements, using seismic refraction, electrical resistivity and electromagnetic methods.  Projects in this field have been undertaken to determine soil mechanical conditions at building and road construction sites, along projected or existing pipeline routes, and at proposed dam sites.  Parameters that can be determined are the soil thickness and its aggressiveness in corroding pipes and consequently the need for cathodic protection, depth of weathering, soundness of rock, degree of fracturing, occurrence of fault zones.

Use of a 3D three component down hole geophone makes it is possible to determine both P and S wave velocities, which allow the calculation of important soil and rock parameters, such as Poisson Ratio and Young’s Modulus.