Services we offer.
Carlson Geotechnical (CGT) provides comprehensive geotechnical engineering services to meet the challenges of your project.
CGT routinely conducts over 60 geotechnical investigations each year. Our services have included remote and/or limited access sites that require the use of hand equipment and limited access drill rigs, geotechnical investigations utilizing test pits, hollow-stem auger or mud-rotary drilling techniques, and specialized sites that require the use of cone penetrometer testing, tri‑cone drilling, or roto-sonic drilling.
We are also experienced with geophysical techniques such as seismic refraction surveys, resistivity surveys, ground penetrating radar, and other techniques to supplement our geotechnical investigations. Our geologists are experienced with geologic mapping and identification of geologic hazards (liquefiable soils, expansive or compressive soils, landslides, faults, debris flows and lahars, and rock fall hazards) that are common to the Pacific Northwest.
Our staff has expertise with routine and specialized investigation methods, and can provide a cost effective and technically appropriate approach for each of our client’s projects. One of the primary roles of our geotechnical department is to provide recommendations for foundation design and provide analysis of subgrade soils with respect to the proposed structural loading.
CGT has provided foundation design recommendations and analysis for a wide variety of structures that have included critical or special occupancy structures, lightly-loaded buildings, heavily-loaded structures, structures on slopes, structures overlying either compressible or expansive soils, and structures subjected to large lateral forces. We have broad experience with analysis of shallow spread footings, mat foundations, and deep foundations that include driven piles, auger-cast piles, and drilled piers. In addition, we have experience with specialized foundation alternatives that include driven grout piles, pin-piles, helical anchors, grouted anchors, soil grouted piles, preloading of sites, use of low density fill, and ground-improvement methods such as rammed aggregate piers, soil-cement columns, vibro-compaction, and vibro-replacement.
This wide range of knowledge allows CGT to provide cost-effective design options for foundations, no matter what conditions are encountered.
CGT has a wide range of experience in retaining wall design and analysis. We have provided design and analysis for various types of retaining walls, including rock/boulder stacked walls (rockery walls), Ultra-Block™ gravity walls, Lock-and-Load™ Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls (MSEW), Keystone MSEW, soil nail walls, tangent pile walls, sheet pile walls, and cast-in-place concrete gravity or cantilever retaining walls.
We routinely provide stability analyses for various types, heights, and configurations of retaining walls and provide design parameters. We have the expertise to recommend cost-effective and practical approaches for selection of the wall type and construction methodology.
CGT has advanced knowledge and experience in the areas of slope stability analysis, landslide evaluation, and levee and embankment characterization. Our slope stability capabilities include the use of the latest software to analyze the stability of slopes under a variety of conditions, including slopes subjected to structural or seismic loads and the use of reinforcement to improve stability. We can provide evaluation and analysis of existing landslides in order to identify the mechanism of failure and make recommendations for remediation. With regard to levees and embankments, we have the ability to perform the explorations and analyses required to certify levees according to FEMA or U.S. Army Corps of Engineers standards.
CGT also has expertise in specialized services that include geologic hazard identification and mitigation, including slope stability and fault identification, liquefaction and lateral spread potential. We routinely provide peer review services on geotechnical projects for various clients that include school districts, municipalities, and commercial developers.
In conjunction with our broad range of geotechnical laboratory testing services, including consolidation and direct shear testing, CTI has the largest and most qualified commercial construction materials testing laboratory in Oregon and southwest Washington. With laboratories in Bend, Tigard, and Salem, Oregon, we provide laboratory testing for soil, asphalt, concrete, base rock, masonry, steel, and other building materials.
CGT has advanced knowledge and experience in the areas of slope stability analysis, landslide evaluation, and levee/embankment characterization. Our slope stability capabilities include the use of the latest software to analyze the stability of slopes under a variety of conditions, including slopes subjected to structural or seismic loads and the use of reinforcement to improve stability. We can provide evaluation and analysis of existing landslides in order to identify the mechanism of failure and make recommendations for remediation. With regard to levee and embankments, we have the ability to perform the explorations and analysis required to certify levees and embankments according to FEMA or U.S. Army Corps of Engineers standards.
CGT also has expertise in specialized services that include geologic hazard identification and mitigation, including slope stability and fault identification, liquefaction and lateral spread potential. We routinely provide peer review services on geotechnical projects for various clients that include school districts, municipalities, and commercial developers.
In conjunction with our broad range of geotechnical laboratory testing services, including consolidation and direct shear testing, CTI has the largest and most qualified commercial construction materials testing laboratory in Oregon and southwest Washington.
With laboratories in Bend, Tigard, and Salem, Oregon, we provide laboratory testing for soil, asphalt, concrete, base rock, masonry, steel, and other building materials. The CTI laboratories are accredited by various agencies that include International Accreditation Service (IAS), Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), and Washington Association of Building Officials (WABO).
We maintain a high level of quality control, training of staff, and are regarded as an industry leader with respect to laboratory testing services.
CGT has a long history of providing construction phase geotechnical special inspections and testing for government (federal, state, county, and municipal), industrial, commercial, and residential clients, and we have the experience and expertise to provide a wide variety of on-site testing and special inspection services for a project. CGT provides on-site inspection and testing of native and fill soils, base rock, asphalt, soil cement application, retaining walls, slope stabilization, soil nails, drains and storm-water mitigation measures, deep foundation installations and deep ground improvements.
Our technicians and special inspectors are fully trained and certified, and have earned a reputation for superior service throughout the Pacific Northwest. Our project managers have the expertise to handle multiple, large and complex projects, and as a company, we have decades of experience in providing on-site geotechnical construction inspection and testing services. We have provided on-site inspection and testing services for roadways, retaining walls, highways, bridges, airports, commercial buildings, industrial facilities, hospitals, schools, government facilities, dams and reservoirs, landfills, high-rises, mixed-use developments, railroads, power and utilities, and residential developments throughout the Pacific Northwest.