Drilling Services

Drilling Services at LDE

LDE get quality data quickly with our CPT drilling rig and testing services. We have been in the drilling business since 2005. With all this experience, we know how to produce exceptional data. Our plots are perfect for geotechnical interpretation – clear information and a log of interpreted data calibrated to New Zealand standards give you everything needed to understand the site quickly. We will undertake core logging for you if you wish.

Mobilisation costs can be a huge component of your project budget, so why waste it on moving lots of heavy equipment to the site?
For example, conventional Rigs require an excavator’s pre-arrangement/project management to cut in access tracks. Our rigs are not limited to flat dry sites. We can drill into landslides, down the bank, up the face, and other hard-to-access sites.

Another example is, that conventional set-ups often require three rigs on site for CPTs, boreholes and test pits. LDE can have them all done from one rig quickly. Get core to calibrate your CPT with direct push borehole technology, or simply dig some test pits with the excavator on the same day.

We strictly follow all New Zealand standards to ensure quality and compliance. Contact us to learn more.

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Hand Augers

Scala Penetrometers

Cone Penetrometer Testing (CPT)

Piezocone Penetration Testing (CPTu)

Flat Dilatometer Testing (DMT)

Seismic Dilatometer Test (sDMT)

Fully Cored Boreholes

Core Logging Services

Factual Reports

Project Experience

Geotechnical Feasibility Assessments

Whangārei Heads Wastewater Storage

Far North Landslide Assessments

River Stopbank Assessment

Kawakawa Hospital Northland

Nuhaka River Road Landslide

Geotech Bridge Investigation

Mangakāhia Road Stabilisation

Hīhītahi Rise Landslide

Landslide Remediation

Tauwhareparae Road Landslide

Hand Augers

Hand augers are an essential tool for shallow soil sampling and geotechnical investigations, providing a simple yet effective method for collecting subsurface data. At LDE, we offer professional hand auger services tailored to a variety of environmental and engineering projects. Our experienced team uses hand augers to perform precise and efficient soil sampling, ensuring that the data collected is accurate and reliable for further analysis and decision-making.

Why Choose LDE for Hand Auger Services?

Precision and Care: Our technicians are skilled in using hand augers to collect soil samples without disturbing the surrounding area, ensuring high-quality data collection.
Versatility: Hand augers are ideal for a range of projects, including environmental assessments, geotechnical investigations, and agricultural studies.
Cost-Effective Solution: Hand augers provide a cost-effective method for shallow drilling, especially in remote or sensitive areas where larger equipment may not be feasible.

Key Services:

Soil Sampling
- Collecting soil samples at various depths for geotechnical analysis, environmental testing, and soil classification.
- Ensuring that samples are properly preserved and transported for laboratory analysis, maintaining the integrity of the data.
Site Investigations
- Conducting preliminary site investigations using hand augers to assess soil conditions, groundwater levels, and other subsurface characteristics.
- Providing detailed logs and reports that document the findings, supporting further site analysis and project planning.
Environmental Assessments
- Utilizing hand augers for environmental assessments, including soil contamination studies and remediation planning.
- Minimizing environmental impact by using hand augers in sensitive areas where mechanical drilling is not suitable.
Agricultural and Horticultural Studies
- Assisting in agricultural and horticultural studies by providing soil samples that help determine soil health, fertility, and suitability for different crops.
- Offering insights into soil composition, moisture content, and other factors that influence agricultural productivity.

By choosing LDE for your hand auger services, you are ensuring accurate, reliable, and environmentally sensitive soil sampling and site investigation. Our commitment to precision and care makes us the ideal partner for your geotechnical and environmental projects.

Scala Penetrometers

Scala penetrometers are vital tools in geotechnical engineering, used to assess soil strength and bearing capacity in the field. At LDE, we provide professional Scala penetrometer testing services to support a wide range of construction and engineering projects. Our team uses Scala penetrometers to accurately measure soil resistance, offering valuable data that informs foundation design, earthworks, and other critical aspects of site development.

Why Choose LDE for Scala Penetrometer Testing?

Accurate Soil Assessment: Our experienced technicians use Scala penetrometers to provide precise measurements of soil strength, ensuring reliable data for your project.
Critical for Foundation Design: The data collected from Scala penetrometer tests is essential for designing safe and effective foundations, particularly in areas with variable soil conditions.
Compliance with NZ Standards: We ensure that all testing is conducted in accordance with New Zealand’s geotechnical and construction standards, supporting compliance and safety.

Key Services:

Soil Strength Testing
- Conducting Scala penetrometer tests to measure the penetration resistance of soils, providing insights into their strength and stability.
- Using the results to assess the suitability of soils for various types of construction, including residential, commercial, and infrastructure projects.
Foundation Design Support
- Providing essential data for foundation design, helping engineers determine the appropriate type and depth of foundations needed for safe construction.
- Assisting in the evaluation of potential settlement issues, ensuring that foundations are designed to accommodate local soil conditions.
Earthworks and Compaction Verification
- Using Scala penetrometers to verify the effectiveness of soil compaction in earthworks projects, ensuring that the compaction meets required specifications.
- Providing detailed reports that document soil strength and compaction levels, supporting quality control and project documentation.
Site Investigations
- Integrating Scala penetrometer testing into broader site investigations, providing a comprehensive understanding of subsurface conditions.
- Offering on-site analysis and interpretation of test results, allowing for timely decision-making and project planning.

By choosing LDE for your Scala penetrometer testing needs, you are ensuring that your project benefits from accurate soil assessments and expert geotechnical support. Our commitment to precision and compliance ensures that your foundations and earthworks are built on solid ground.

Cone Penetrometer Testing (CPT)

Cone Penetrometer Testing (CPT) is a widely used geotechnical method for determining the subsurface stratigraphy and soil properties. At LDE, we offer CPT services to provide accurate and detailed data on soil behavior, essential for foundation design, site characterization, and risk assessment. Our CPT services are conducted using advanced equipment, ensuring precise measurements that support informed decision-making for your engineering projects.

Why Choose LDE for CPT Services?

High-Resolution Data: Our CPT services provide continuous, real-time data on soil properties, including resistance, friction, and pore pressure, critical for understanding subsurface conditions.
Applicable to Various Projects: CPT is ideal for a wide range of projects, including construction, infrastructure development, and environmental assessments.
Compliance with NZ Standards: We ensure that all CPT operations adhere to New Zealand’s geotechnical standards, providing reliable and compliant data.

Key Services:

Subsurface Profiling
- Conducting CPT to create detailed subsurface profiles, identifying soil layers, and detecting potential issues such as weak zones or voids.
- Using CPT data to assess soil bearing capacity and suitability for different types of construction.
Foundation Design Support
- Providing essential data for designing safe and effective foundations, particularly in areas with complex subsurface conditions.
- Assisting in the evaluation of settlement potential, liquefaction risk, and other geotechnical factors.
Environmental Site Assessments
- Utilizing CPT for environmental investigations, including contamination assessment and monitoring of ground conditions in sensitive areas.
- Offering fast and efficient data collection with minimal site disturbance.

Piezocone Penetration Testing (CPTu)

CPTu, or Piezocone Penetration Testing, is an advanced version of CPT that includes pore pressure measurement, providing additional insights into soil behavior and groundwater conditions. LDE offers CPTu services to enhance the understanding of subsurface conditions, especially in saturated soils or areas with complex hydrogeology. This data is crucial for projects requiring detailed analysis of soil stability, groundwater flow, and consolidation potential.

Why Choose LDE for CPTu Services?

Enhanced Data Accuracy: CPTu provides more comprehensive data by measuring pore pressure in addition to cone resistance and friction, offering a deeper understanding of soil behavior.
Critical for Saturated Soils: CPTu is particularly valuable in assessing the behavior of saturated soils, including identifying potential liquefaction zones and estimating consolidation rates.
Compliance with NZ Standards: We ensure that CPTu testing meets New Zealand’s geotechnical standards, supporting accurate and reliable project outcomes.

Key Services:

Pore Pressure Measurement
- Measuring in-situ pore pressure during penetration to assess groundwater conditions and soil consolidation characteristics.
- Providing data for advanced soil models that predict behavior under different loading conditions.
Liquefaction Assessment
- Using CPTu data to evaluate the liquefaction potential of soils, a critical factor in seismic design and risk mitigation.
- Offering detailed analysis to support the design of earthquake-resistant structures.
Groundwater Flow Analysis
- Conducting CPTu to analyze groundwater flow patterns and pressure distribution, essential for projects involving dewatering, slope stability, and foundation design.

Flat Dilatometer Testing (DMT)

Flat Dilatometer Testing (DMT) is a geotechnical method used to determine the mechanical properties of soils, including stiffness, strength, and in-situ stress conditions. LDE provides DMT services to deliver accurate soil property data, crucial for foundation design, slope stability analysis, and soil improvement projects. Our DMT services offer reliable and detailed insights, aiding engineers in designing safe and efficient structures.

Why Choose LDE for DMT Services?

Comprehensive Soil Characterization: DMT provides detailed information on soil stiffness and strength, which are essential for assessing soil behavior under load.
Ideal for Soft Soils: DMT is particularly effective in characterizing soft to medium-stiff soils, where accurate stiffness and consolidation properties are critical.
Compliance with NZ Standards: We ensure that DMT operations align with New Zealand’s geotechnical guidelines, providing trustworthy and applicable data.

Key Services:

Soil Stiffness and Strength Analysis
- Performing DMT to measure soil stiffness and strength, essential for foundation and earthworks design.
- Providing data on in-situ horizontal stress and material modulus, supporting detailed geotechnical modeling.
Slope Stability and Earthworks Design
- Using DMT data to evaluate slope stability, particularly in soft or sensitive soils, informing the design of retaining structures and earthworks.
- Assisting in the design of ground improvement techniques based on accurate soil properties.
Foundation Support
- Delivering data for the design of shallow and deep foundations, ensuring that structures are supported by accurately characterized soil conditions.

Seismic Dilatometer Test (sDMT)

The Seismic Dilatometer Test (sDMT) combines the capabilities of the Flat Dilatometer Test (DMT) with seismic wave velocity measurements, providing a comprehensive assessment of both mechanical and dynamic soil properties. LDE offers sDMT services to support seismic design and soil-structure interaction studies, offering valuable data for projects in seismically active areas.

Why Choose LDE for sDMT Services?

Integrated Data Collection: sDMT provides both mechanical and seismic properties of soils, offering a complete picture of soil behavior under static and dynamic loads.
Critical for Seismic Design: sDMT is essential for projects in seismically active regions, where understanding soil behavior during earthquakes is crucial.
Compliance with NZ Seismic Standards: We ensure that sDMT testing adheres to New Zealand’s seismic design guidelines, providing reliable data for safe construction practices.

Key Services:

Seismic Wave Velocity Measurement
- Measuring shear wave velocity in addition to soil stiffness and strength, providing data for seismic site classification and ground response analysis.
- Supporting the design of earthquake-resistant structures by offering detailed insights into soil dynamics.
Soil-Structure Interaction Analysis
- Using sDMT data to assess how soil interacts with structures during seismic events, informing the design of foundations and retaining structures.
- Providing critical information for liquefaction potential analysis and ground improvement design.
Foundation and Earthquake Engineering Support
- Delivering comprehensive data for the design of foundations in seismically active areas, ensuring that structures are built to withstand dynamic loads.

Fully Cored Boreholes

Fully cored boreholes are a critical method for obtaining continuous core samples from subsurface materials, providing valuable insights into the geological, geotechnical, and environmental conditions of a site. At LDE, we offer fully cored borehole services to support detailed subsurface investigations, ensuring that accurate and comprehensive data is collected for your project. Our drilling team uses advanced coring techniques to retrieve high-quality samples, essential for applications such as foundation design, mineral exploration, and environmental assessments.

Why Choose LDE for Fully Cored Borehole Services?

High-Quality Core Samples: We ensure the extraction of continuous, intact core samples that preserve the subsurface structure, providing detailed information on soil and rock formations.
Comprehensive Site Analysis: Fully cored boreholes offer a complete profile of subsurface conditions, essential for informed decision-making in engineering, construction, and environmental projects.
Compliance with NZ Standards: We adhere to New Zealand’s geotechnical and environmental standards, ensuring that all borehole data is reliable and compliant.

Key Services:

Geotechnical Investigations
- Conducting fully cored boreholes to obtain continuous core samples that reveal detailed information about soil and rock properties, stratigraphy, and groundwater conditions.
- Providing essential data for the design of foundations, retaining structures, and other critical infrastructure.
Mineral Exploration
- Utilizing fully cored boreholes for mineral exploration, allowing for precise sampling of subsurface materials to identify mineral deposits and assess their economic viability.
- Offering detailed core logging and analysis to support resource evaluation and mine planning.
Environmental Assessments
- Performing fully cored boreholes for environmental investigations, including contamination assessments and groundwater monitoring.
- Ensuring that core samples are carefully extracted and preserved for accurate laboratory analysis, supporting environmental compliance and remediation planning.
Core Logging and Analysis
- Providing detailed core logging services, documenting the physical properties, lithology, and other characteristics of the core samples.
- Offering expert interpretation of core data, supporting geotechnical, geological, and environmental decision-making.
Foundation Design and Engineering Support
- Delivering critical data for foundation design, ensuring that structures are supported by accurately characterized subsurface conditions.
- Assisting engineers in evaluating potential risks such as subsidence, slope stability, and groundwater issues.

By choosing LDE for your fully cored borehole needs, you are ensuring that your project benefits from precise, detailed subsurface data collected and analyzed by experienced professionals. Our commitment to quality and compliance guarantees that your core samples provide the reliable information needed to drive successful project outcomes.

Core Logging Services

Core logging is a vital process in geotechnical and geological investigations, providing detailed records of subsurface materials encountered during drilling. At LDE, we offer professional core logging services to ensure that all core samples are accurately documented and analyzed. Our experienced geologists and engineers meticulously log core samples, capturing essential information about lithology, structure, and geotechnical properties, which is critical for project planning, design, and risk management.

Why Choose LDE for Core Logging Services?

Detailed Documentation: We provide comprehensive core logs that include detailed descriptions of rock and soil types, structures, and other geotechnical features, ensuring a clear understanding of subsurface conditions.
Expert Analysis: Our team of geologists and engineers offers expert interpretation of core data, supporting informed decision-making for engineering, mining, and environmental projects.
Compliance with NZ Standards: We adhere to New Zealand’s industry standards for core logging, ensuring that all data is reliable, accurate, and suitable for regulatory submissions.

Key Services:

Lithological Logging
- Recording detailed descriptions of rock and soil types, including grain size, mineral composition, color, and texture, to build a comprehensive geological profile.
- Identifying key lithological units and boundaries, supporting the interpretation of subsurface conditions.
Structural Logging
- Documenting structural features such as bedding planes, fractures, faults, and folds, providing insights into geological history and potential geotechnical challenges.
- Measuring orientation and inclination of structures to support the analysis of slope stability, fault movement, and other critical factors.
Geotechnical Logging
- Assessing and recording geotechnical properties such as rock quality designation (RQD), hardness, and weathering, which are essential for foundation design and other engineering applications.
- Providing data to support the evaluation of soil and rock strength, deformability, and other mechanical properties.
Core Photography and Preservation
- Capturing high-resolution images of core samples to provide a visual record that complements the written log.
- Ensuring that core samples are properly preserved and stored for future reference and further analysis.
Data Integration and Reporting
- Integrating core logging data with other geotechnical and geological information to create comprehensive reports that inform project design and risk management.
- Providing detailed, standardized reports that are suitable for submission to regulatory authorities, clients, and stakeholders.

By choosing LDE for your core logging services, you are ensuring that your subsurface data is accurately recorded and expertly analyzed, providing a solid foundation for your project’s success. Our commitment to quality and compliance ensures that your core logs are reliable and valuable for all stages of project development.

Factual Reports

Factual reports are a critical component of any geotechnical or drilling project, providing a detailed and accurate record of the data collected during site investigations. At LDE, we produce high-quality factual reports that present all relevant findings in a clear, concise, and unbiased manner. These reports serve as an essential foundation for further analysis, design, and decision-making in engineering, construction, and environmental projects.

Why Choose LDE for Factual Reports?

Accurate Data Presentation: Our factual reports are meticulously compiled, ensuring that all data collected during site investigations is presented clearly and accurately, without interpretation or bias.
Comprehensive Documentation: We include all relevant details, such as drilling logs, laboratory test results, site conditions, and observations, ensuring a complete record of the investigation.
Compliance with NZ Standards: Our reports adhere to New Zealand’s industry standards and guidelines, ensuring that the information provided is reliable and suitable for regulatory and project requirements.

Key Services:

Drilling and Site Investigation Reports
- Compiling detailed reports that document the methods, procedures, and findings of drilling and site investigation activities.
- Including all relevant data such as borehole logs, core samples, in-situ testing results, and groundwater observations.
Geotechnical Data Reports
- Presenting all geotechnical data collected during investigations, including soil and rock properties, subsurface conditions, and any encountered anomalies.
- Providing a factual basis for geotechnical analysis, design, and risk assessment.
Laboratory Test Results
- Reporting the results of laboratory tests conducted on soil, rock, and water samples, including physical and mechanical properties, chemical composition, and other relevant parameters.
- Ensuring that all test results are accurately documented and presented for use in further project phases.
Environmental Monitoring Reports
- Documenting the findings of environmental monitoring activities, such as contamination assessments, groundwater quality testing, and air and noise measurements.
- Providing factual data that supports environmental compliance and decision-making.
Compliance and Documentation
- Ensuring that all reports comply with relevant New Zealand standards, guidelines, and client specifications.
- Offering well-organized, professional reports that are suitable for submission to regulatory authorities, clients, and other stakeholders.

By choosing LDE for your factual reports, you can be confident that all site investigation data is thoroughly and accurately documented, providing a solid foundation for the success of your project. Our commitment to precision and compliance ensures that our reports meet the highest standards of quality and reliability.

Drilling Services