Geotechnics

Geotechnics combines various areas of applied earth sciences and civil engineering. It examines the technical properties of the subsoil and the interaction between a structure and the surrounding subsoil, terrain and other structures. Aspects of construction process engineering are also taken into account. Geotechnics thus serves clients and planners as a foundation for safe and economical construction.

Geotechnical consulting

The basis for successful geotechnical consulting is a well-founded subsoil model. We take into account the relevant boundary conditions of the planned structure and the construction methods as early as the planning stage of the investigation. On this basis, we create meaningful three-dimensional ground models and explain them in our geotechnical reports. This also includes recommendations for the construction of excavation pits and foundations, earthworks and tunnel construction or dewatering measures.

Excavations and embankments

Building in inner-city areas is characterized by complex boundary conditions. As a rule, several basement levels are built and therefore deep excavation pits are required. Solutions must be found as early as the planning phase to minimize the impact on neighbouring buildings, traffic routes and media during construction. In addition to stability, serviceability, durability and cost-effectiveness are decisive factors here.

Earthworks, road construction, landfill construction

Infrastructure projects such as roads, railroad lines, waterways and airports require extensive geotechnical investigations. The success of the project depends largely on the quality of the exploration, the subsoil model and the geotechnical assessment. The requirements for engineering structures such as bridges and tunnels and those for earthworks in the area of cuttings and dams must be recorded

Special civil engineering and tunnel construction

The selection of construction methods in foundation engineering and tunnel construction is based on the results of the ground investigation. Here we create a reliable basis with our customized exploration concepts and well-founded subsoil models.

Numerical calculations

Well-founded statements on the effects of construction projects on people and the environment are of crucial importance for both public acceptance and the approvability of construction projects. Complex inner-city construction projects for buildings and infrastructure can no longer be carried out without numerical calculations of the building-soil interaction or analyses of the groundwater situation. Important aspects are deformation predictions, the understanding of failure mechanisms, the dimensioning of geotechnical constructions and forensic investigations of damage cases.

Foundations

The safe and economical foundation of structures is a basic prerequisite for the success of any project. We have decades of experience in consulting, design and geotechnical monitoring of foundation systems of every type and complexity. These range from shallow foundations and deep foundations to combined pile and slab foundations (CPP) on land and in water. In the course of sustainable construction and the associated efforts to preserve existing structures, the evaluation and upgrading of existing or historical foundations is also becoming increasingly important.

Damage assessment and preservation of evidence

Georisks, e.g. in the form of landslides or in the course of civil engineering or tunnel construction measures, repeatedly cause damage to buildings or infrastructure.

Zur Beurteilung von Gebäudeschäden, Verformungen und Wasserschäden sind neben der Untersuchung der anstehenden Baugrund- und Gründungsverhältnisse auch die Interaktion zwischen Bauwerk und Gründung zu bewerten.

Water rights proceedings

Protecting our waters (coastal and surface waters, groundwater) from pollution is of great importance. Remediation is only possible, if at all, at great financial and technical expense and over long periods of time. The consistent application of the precautionary principle is therefore a top priority. Accordingly, the legislator has enacted extensive legal regulations in this area.

Measuring in geotechnics

Due to the natural inhomogeneity of the subsoil and the often complex boundary conditions, predictions, e.g. of expected deformations of excavation structures, are associated with uncertainties. DIN 1054 therefore recommends the use of the observation method for construction measures of geotechnical category 3 or complex technical boundary conditions.

Construction supervision, quality assurance

Geotechnical construction measures are associated with uncertainties and risks due to the natural variability of the subsoil and the often complex boundary conditions. For this reason, quality assurance in the course of internal monitoring as well as external and construction supervision is of great importance.