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Geotechnical Engineering & Geophysics

Staff member performing geotechnical engineering analysis

Technical, Innovative & Adaptive Solutions.

ESNW provides our clients with a geotechnical engineering staff possessing a wealth of experience and knowledge in the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. Our goal is to provide our clients with cost-effective and innovative solutions to their projects’ geotechnical needs. To this end, some of our services include:

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  • Dewatering Studies/Designs

  • Expert Witness

  • Forensic/Failure Analysis

  • Geologic Hazard Evaluations

  • Geologic Reconnaissance/Reports

  • Geotechnical Studies

  • Groundwater Level Monitoring

  • MSE Wall Designs

  • Pavement Designs

  • Pile and Conventional Foundation Design

  • Seismic Hazard Analysis

  • Shoring & Soil Nail Designs

  • Slope Stability Analysis

  • Soil Suitability Evaluations

  • Stormwater Infiltration & Dispersion Studies

Geophysics

Geophysical Investigation Services.

Earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest are not a matter of if, but when. ESNW utilizes cutting-edge Refraction Microtremor (ReMi) technology to measure subsurface shear-wave velocities and ground shaking potential at your project site. ReMi provides a non-invasive method of subsurface exploration and can serve as a valuable supplement to traditional exploration methods (e.g., excavation or drilling) for stratigraphic delineation and correlation in complex geologic environments.​​

Our geophysical services provide the following advantages and benefits:

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  • No excavation required, leaving your site undisturbed by heavy machinery.

  • Can reduce the number of physical subsurface exploration sites (drilled borings or excavated test pits) needed by providing a correlative and spatially distributed dataset.

  • Adaptable to a variety of surface conditions, such as hard surfaces, vegetation, exposed soils, and slopes.

  • Thrives in noisy urban environments where more traditional MASW systems may falter.

  • Can deploy on relatively short notice, as there is no need to coordinate with a subcontractor or wait for utility locates to be completed.

The applications and results of our geophysical services include:

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  • Determination of seismic site class via a site-specific Vs100 profile (compliant with ASCE 7-22, which will be part of the 2024 IBC).

  • 1-dimensional shear-wave velocity profiles up to about 115 feet deep.

  • 2-dimensional shear-wave velocity profiles up to about 70 feet deep.

  • Depth-to-bedrock and rippability evaluations.

  • Real-time depth-to-groundwater evaluation.

  • Identification of discontinuities such as faults, slip surfaces, or voids.

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