Whatever your geotechnical challenge is – we can help.

Everything starts from the ground up and geotechnical engineering plays a significant role in the early stages of a project

Our geotechnical engineers investigate ground conditions to determine how the ground is going to respond for use in civil applications including house foundations, subdivisions, roading, infrastructure and commercial buildings.

From individual homeowners, structural engineers, architects, landscapers, local authorities and land developers, as an established practice with over twenty years of experience, we have a solid reputation in delivering geotechnical projects.

Whether you’re building your forever home or developing a subdivision we can scale up and down to suit.

DOWEB_Video_Tile_Geotechnical
OUR GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING SERVICES INCLUDE:
Geotechnical investigations
Ground and soil reports
Foundational recommendation for residential and commercial development
Rockfall hazard assessment and design of protection structures
Natural hazard assessments and the impact of climate change
Liquefaction and lateral spreading assessments
Earthworks construction monitoring
Geomorphological mapping
Detailed assessment for TC1, TC2, TC3 & hillside sites
Geotechnical peer review
Slope stability analysis
Request a call from a geotechnical engineer

People
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BEN-P Ben Parry – Principal Engineering Geologist
BJORN Bjorn Raasch – Principal Engineering Geologist
MARKHAM Markham Phillips – Engineering Geologist
SAM-W Samantha Webb – Engineering Geologist – Technical Director
HENRY-W Henry Winter – West Coast Geotechnical Lead
ELLIOT Elliot Duke – Director, Chartered Professional Engineer
GREG-B Greg Browne – Senior Engineering Geologist
Man in a blue jacket ,patterned jumper and glasses standing in a park Christopher Sandoval – Principal Geotechnical Engineer
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
When do you need a geotechnical engineer?
What do I need to provide for a geotechnical investigation?
What does the geotechnical investigation involve?
Why do you need a geotechnical report?
Which geotechnical investigation and report suits my project?
Which geotechnical inspection is required after excavation of my foundation during construction?
Which type of geotechnical investigation is necessary for property subdivision?

If you’re project touches the ground, whether that be building or extending a house, constructing a road or pipeline, on flat ground or on sloping ground, you and your design team need to know how the ground will respond to your project and what foundations you need. – that’s when you need a geotechnical engineer.  

Prior to our site visit, providing building plans, previous/subdivision geotechnical reports, and fill certificates will help with our investigations.

The geotechnical investigation process involves thorough assessment of ground conditions. It typically includes drilling, sampling, laboratory testing, and analysis. Our experts perform these steps to provide comprehensive insights and foundation design recommendations.

A geotechnical report is essential for your builder, architect, structural engineer and consenting authority to assess foundation construction costs, comply with building consent requirements, and design the appropriate foundations for your project.  

The level of geotechnical investigation, analysis and reporting will depend on what is known about the ground conditions on your site. Factors such as the Technical Category (TC) or liquefaction potential, historic use of the land, location relative to natural hazards and slope of the land will influence the type of investigation required.

 

The nature of your development also affects the scale of the investigation. For example, if you want to subdivide or build a multi-store building more investigation will be needed than building a standard residential home. In most cases an investigation on land classified as TC 3 will involve deep testing, while investigations on TC 1 or 2 require only shallow testing methods.

 

If you are unsure of what services you need for your site, please contact our team and we can help you determine the extent of testing required.

Our Pre-Purchase assessment identifies ground condition risks for properties you plan to buy. We offer desk study or on-site testing with permission. If dwelling location remains constant, our report may suffice for building consent. Contact us before due diligence to discuss the assessment timeframe.

To obtain subdivision consent, a Detailed Geotechnical Investigation (DGI) is essential. This includes thorough assessments like test pits, boreholes, and/or CPTs, along with an evaluation of Section 106 of the Resource Management Act (1991). The report will include a Statement of Suitability for subdivisions, focusing on potential natural hazards.

 

The amount of testing depends on the size of your property and the number of lots it is being subdivided into. You can contact our geotechnical department to discuss your plans for subdivision and we will then provide you with an appropriate scope of work for your development.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
When do you need a geotechnical engineer?

If you’re project touches the ground, whether that be building or extending a house, constructing a road or pipeline, on flat ground or on sloping ground, you and your design team need to know how the ground will respond to your project and what foundations you need. – that’s when you need a geotechnical engineer.  

What do I need to provide for a geotechnical investigation?

Prior to our site visit, providing building plans, previous/subdivision geotechnical reports, and fill certificates will help with our investigations.

What does the geotechnical investigation involve?

The geotechnical investigation process involves thorough assessment of ground conditions. It typically includes drilling, sampling, laboratory testing, and analysis. Our experts perform these steps to provide comprehensive insights and foundation design recommendations.

Why do you need a geotechnical report?

A geotechnical report is essential for your builder, architect, structural engineer and consenting authority to assess foundation construction costs, comply with building consent requirements, and design the appropriate foundations for your project.  

Which geotechnical investigation and report suits my project?

The level of geotechnical investigation, analysis and reporting will depend on what is known about the ground conditions on your site. Factors such as the Technical Category (TC) or liquefaction potential, historic use of the land, location relative to natural hazards and slope of the land will influence the type of investigation required.

 

The nature of your development also affects the scale of the investigation. For example, if you want to subdivide or build a multi-store building more investigation will be needed than building a standard residential home. In most cases an investigation on land classified as TC 3 will involve deep testing, while investigations on TC 1 or 2 require only shallow testing methods.

 

If you are unsure of what services you need for your site, please contact our team and we can help you determine the extent of testing required.

Which geotechnical inspection is required after excavation of my foundation during construction?

Our Pre-Purchase assessment identifies ground condition risks for properties you plan to buy. We offer desk study or on-site testing with permission. If dwelling location remains constant, our report may suffice for building consent. Contact us before due diligence to discuss the assessment timeframe.

Which type of geotechnical investigation is necessary for property subdivision?

To obtain subdivision consent, a Detailed Geotechnical Investigation (DGI) is essential. This includes thorough assessments like test pits, boreholes, and/or CPTs, along with an evaluation of Section 106 of the Resource Management Act (1991). The report will include a Statement of Suitability for subdivisions, focusing on potential natural hazards.

 

The amount of testing depends on the size of your property and the number of lots it is being subdivided into. You can contact our geotechnical department to discuss your plans for subdivision and we will then provide you with an appropriate scope of work for your development.

Projects
View all projects
project - hokitika flood protection -feature Hokitika Flood Protection – Civil Engineering
Rockfall fence Akaloa Little Akaloa – Geotechnical Engineering
Aerial view of rockface Emily Heights – Geotechnical Engineering
Photo of geotechnical investigation equipment on dry soil The Clearing – Geotechnical Engineering
Aerial view of damaged roading Marlborough Stormwater Remediation – Geotechnical Engineering
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