Climate change and the prospects of renewable energy have reached the spotlight in recent times. Every industry is trying to implement more sustainable practices where possible, and the geotechnical sector is no exception. As a result of this, a couple of the...
Our expert drilling team offer many services, one of which is rotary drilling. This commonly used method suits a variety of drilling projects, both small and large. Borehole Solutions decided to investigate the method further considering that it dates back over 3,000...
There is a common saying that “great things come in small packages”. This is certainly true for the Eijkelkamp GeoPoint Compact CPT Rig. The rig delivers a pushing force of 100kN; whilst weighing in at little over 1 tonne and being a compact size of 2.62 x 0.79 x 2.03...
Once an exploratory hole has been drilled and the geotechnical testing is complete, it can’t simply be left open. The Borehole Solutions team have put together this blog to detail how to deal with a borehole properly. There are various processes in which an...
GPR is a non-intrusive and important part of many site investigations. Typically carried out to identify buried services prior to a careful evacuation, ground penetration radar can also be used to find sinkholes and features of karst geology. But how does this...
There are multiple stages to any site investigation, but one of the very first is usually Phase 1 Desk Studies. These will be carried out before property transactions or prior to site development as a form of due diligence This, of course, doesn’t clarify what this...
If you’re not familiar with the term, you’ll certainly be familiar with the structure. In fact, retaining walls are some of the most common structures that can be seen in the UK. Found anywhere from road embankments to landscape gardens, these recurrent walls are...
Before carrying out any geotechnical work, choosing the right rig for the job is a necessity. The drilling rig hire is only the first step, however! To ensure the project is completed to the highest possible standard, you may need to hire some extras alongside the...
Our island nation naturally has a great deal of coastline, which makes coastal engineering particularly important. According to the Ordnance Survey, the UK’s coastline racks up to a staggering 31,368km. Hard, igneous rocks make up some of our coastlines. This type of...
The term soft ground refers to weaker ground; anything from peat and running sands to weak clays and silts - something with a very low SPT (Standard Penetration Test). When it comes to soft ground site investigations, there are certain things that must be considered....
When we think of increasing a property’s space, our mind is likely to wander to a luxurious extension or annexe. Inner-city homes, however, frequently need to go down the route of basement underpinning. In areas, like London, where spaces comes at a premium, building...
If you’ve found yourself on this blog, we’re sure you’re aware of a plate bearing test. But, did you know they’re one of the most common geotechnical techniques used today? For projects in which temporary structures, such as scaffolding, are required, ground...
The importance of looking after the environment can’t be understated, but sometimes recycling simply isn’t enough. Occasionally, our intervention needs to be a little more drastic, often in the form of environmental remediation. This is the process of cleansing the...
We could fill a multitude of blogs with the comprehensive answer to this question! Geotechnical site investigations are required for an astounding amount of projects. Whether you’re planning some form of remediation, construction or structural alterations, a...
Highways are the nervous system of society. They are integral to so many different aspects of life, commerce, trade, and pleasure. Highway failures vary in degrees of severity and, much to our displeasure, annoyance. From the shallow potholes on back roads to...
Cable percussion drilling stands proud as the most popular form of drilling in, not only the United Kingdom, but probably the world! Time and time again, it has proven its worth as a drilling methodology. This is largely due to its sheer reliability; making it a firm...
Living in a country as wet as the UK, river-adjacent towns and cities are no stranger to the occasional washout or flood. For some, this may beg the question, ‘Do I need a soakaway?’. Well, if the threat of flooding is so consistent to the point of being debilitating...
When a construction project is proposed, before anything can begin it must first be determined whether construction is even feasible! This requires scrutiny of the ground conditions and soil composition; often done by excavating a trial pit. Simple, cost-effective and...
It can be difficult to know where to start when looking for assistance with your project from a borehole drilling company. You’ve probably identified a huge selection of potential contractors, all of which claim to be the “best for the job”. Whilst you should be...
The installation of personal, domestic water wells continues to rise in popularity in recent years. This self-sufficiency can be found in many businesses, too. Whilst we at Borehole applaud this adoption of our industry’s sustainable practices, we also believe it to...
Choosing the ideal drilling rig to hire is paramount in any geotechnical drilling scenario. Depending on the job, it might be a no-brainer, but in many cases the choice will hinge on a variety of factors. Remember, your chosen geotechnical company should ideally have...
A WAC test is also known as a Waste Acceptance Criteria test. Essentially, this is determining whether organic material, usually soil, is suitable to be disposed of in a landfill. A WAC test is absolutely necessary before disposing of material in a landfill to ensure...
Our expert team offer a variety of services, one of which is rotary drilling services. This is a relatively common technique, which can suit a variety of projects, both large and small. Today, the expert team here at Borehole Solutions wanted to investigate how this...
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s not the importance of sample testing, as one would assume from the title of this blog; but that nothing stays the same. Time changes everything and the geotechnical sector is not an exemption to that rule. Historically,...
There are numerous situations in which restricted access drilling is necessary. Many imagine a heavy traffic urban setting, but realistically a rural setting is just as likely to have these implications. Should a site be difficult to enter, then a specialist rig...
There are many reasons that someone might get a borehole drilled. The most common of which is to access groundwater as a self-sufficient water source for businesses or for family homes. Businesses and homes alike can extract up to 20,000 litres of water a day without...
Modern boreholes use huge machines and can reach miles into the Earth’s crust. Obviously, this has not always been possible. Today we are going to take a look at the history of boreholes to see how we have ended up with the advanced techniques that we have today. ...
Recently, the UK government announced their latest plans to help to decarbonise residential heating systems across the country. They have pledged £450million in grants pertaining to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. The aim of this scheme is to persuade people to replace...
Winter is coming. Well, it is in a couple of months. However, the Christmas adverts are already hitting our screens. The unreasonably joyous music is starting to play in every shop on the high street. Halloween hasn’t even happened at the time of writing this, but......
Whilst our American cousins over the pond are celebrating National Farmer’s Day, it got us thinking about all the farmers we have worked with here at Borehole Solutions. We work with the industry to drill agricultural boreholes to access groundwater. We also line the...
We don’t know about you, but we’ve had a pretty chilly week here at Borehole Solutions. It’s starting to feel like Winter and we’re still over 2 months away! Of course, we’re pretty used to the cold weather because we’re always hitting the road in the wee hours of the...
Here at Borehole Solutions, we like to get dirty and make some noise when drilling our boreholes, but we know this isn’t always what is required of us. Our machines are nice and bulky, as you’d expect of heavy machinery, but this means they can cause disruptions when...
If you are looking to drill a borehole for extracting water, you will surely want to know how long your investment will last. You'll also be wanting to hear that the lifespan of a borehole is a long time. Well, there’s good news! Boreholes can last for decades, even a...
We take borehole drilling health and safety very seriously here at Borehole Solutions. When working with borehole drilling machines that weigh in excess of 200kg, you can’t afford not to. With the heavy machinery, loud noise from the drilling and potentially hazardous...
Dowsing, otherwise known as divining or water witching, is a method that is used in the hope of finding groundwater – an underground water resource. There are a few different techniques that can be employed for divination although most include either two ‘L-shaped’...
As the world is waking up to the importance of looking after our planet, it is only natural that every process to do with the land is scrutinised to ensure it is as environmentally friendly as possible. Boreholes are certainly no exception. Whilst it is rare that...
We’ve drilled thousands of boreholes in our 20+ years of experience here at Borehole Solutions, but we’ve never seen so much as a hint of extra-terrestrial beings buried beneath our feet. Maybe NASA will have better luck on Mars? The Perseverance Rover is actually...
The quick answer is that a borehole can be drilled at any time of year. Sure, there are times of the year when it’s nicer for us to be out and about at different sites. We’d rather not be traipsing around in the mud and the rain, but who would? Don’t worry about our...
A geotechnical site investigation is to be carried out during the planning phase of a construction project, although it is often overlooked or given little attention. The investigation will reveal the properties of the ground, such as how much weight it can bear, how...
England is notorious for its wet weather, and rainy forecasts. Although the English weather is mostly manageable, for some facilities, the threat of flooding means that further action must be taken to enable suitable drainage. This is where a rubble soakaway can make...
Piles are foundations that are drilled/bored into the ground in order to offer greater structural strength in weak soil conditions. Some soil is strong, and can carry heavy loads without too much difficulty. Other soil types, however, would fail structurally were you...
Cable percussion drilling is one of the most common forms of drilling out there. It’s cheap, effective and - most importantly - reliable. The rigs themselves, however - typically coming in a sort of A-frame shape - are quite large. In wide open spaces, where neither...
As a geotechnical firm, a lot of what we do revolves around problem-solving. Whilst there are similar jobs, and run-of-the-mill projects, the fact remains that no two jobs are the same. And in certain circumstances, a job will have more than one problem associated...
We’ve written before about both restricted access and limited access drilling, their differences and their difficulties. We recently undertook a particularly challenging (and equally rewarding) rail infrastructure job in Teignmouth, on Devon’s south coastline. From...
Contamination testing is vital to resolving any potential issues that may be lurking prior to the development of a project. Here at Borehole Solutions, using our experience as a geothermal drilling and site investigation company, we can offer a range of testing...
The process of water borehole drilling isn’t quite as daunting as it sounds. Water well drilling to access a fresh and private water supply has many benefits. Providing the water is of adequate quality, the greatest advantage of installing a well is to save money....
It’s true that the technique of soil stabilisation (or soil mixing) has been applied in building and construction for thousands of years. Both the Mesopotamian and Roman empires pioneered the technique of stabilising terrain with the intention to ferry men, wagons and...
Soakaways are an economical and environmentally friendly solution to combat the ever-looming threat of excessive rain and flooding. Which is an issue that UK residents face more regularly than we care for. If you find yourself asking the question "are soakaways...
Being an island nation, we have a lot of coastline. In fact, according to the Ordnance Survey, the UK has –including its islands - a staggering total of 31,368km. Some of our coastlines are formed from hard, igneous rocks like granite; these can withstand a huge...
For the third year running, Borehole Solutions’ Managing Director John Rodgman will be running the London Marathon. Running one London marathon is impressive, but running three?! Well, that’s just bordering on madness. Mad though it may be, it’s a feat worth noting...
No, you read that right and no, we’ve not randomly changed industries. We’re still the same old geotechnical company you know and love, but now we’ve got our own snazzy shipping container bar, too! Portable, industrial and entirely on-brand for our boys, the new bar...
Retaining walls are some of the most common structures seen in the UK today. From landscape gardens through to road embankments, these walls, though common, often go overlooked in terms of their importance. The team here at Borehole Solutions, one of the UK’s leading...
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were chemicals previously used extensively across a range of industries – across the globe – thanks to their impressive chemical stability; PCB mixtures, were found, for instance, in everything ranging from plasticizers to coolants,...
Britain’s road network is as big as it is complex; for a relatively small country, in terms of land mass, we’ve got a huge number of highways. From huge motorways through to the tiniest of country roads, our roads get a lot of usage. With such traffic comes inevitable...
You might be familiar with the terms green belt and brownfield land when talking about whether land’s previously been developed upon or not, but have you heard of made ground? It falls under a similar sort of field as those first two terms, though it’s not quite the...
Ground source heat pumps are a great alternative to conventional methods for heating your home, business facility or development. We’ve written previously about the various benefits of having a ground source heat pump installed, but today we wanted to look at some of...
There are many different drilling types out there, from cable percussion through to handheld, from RAB through to augur. There are few drilling types which offer as much versatility as sonic drilling, however, especially in more problematic formations. The team here...
One of the most common form of geotechnical investigative techniques used today, the plate bearing test helps determine/prove the composition of a stabilised platform within in-situ soil. For works where temporary works constructions are required (like the...
Much though it would make the lives of developers easier, soil conditions aren’t always perfect. Often, in fact, the properties of in-situ soil (in various ways) is so poor that it’s not of an adequate quality to develop or build upon. In cases like these, a ground...
Britain’s roads are its blood vessels. They keep businesses booming, enable families to get together (in more normal times) and lives to be saved. Whilst air, boat and rail are unquestionably all important modes of travel, there’s nothing quite like our arterial...
Gone are the days of primitive drilling machinery, nowadays drilling rigs are state-of-the-art and require regular maintenance, calibration and servicing. Nowhere is this more the case than within sonic drilling. The team at Borehole Solutions offers extensive sonic...
We all know the importance of looking after the environment, but sometimes intervention needs to be a bit more drastic than simply remembering to recycle. Environmental remediation is the process of removing contaminants and other harmful materials from the...
It can be all too easy to focus on the negatives at the minute. Even the most chipper of individuals would find it difficult not to be worn down at least a little bit by the constant doom and gloom of the news at the minute. But that’s why it’s so important to focus...
We live in a more environmentally-conscious era than ever before. With the likes of Sir David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg helping place climate-based issues centre stage, human impacts on the natural world are (rightly) more scrutinised than ever before. That’s...
CPT is one of the most common geotechnical investigation methods available. If you’re looking for a reliable, versatile and efficient way of sampling ground conditions. There are several types, however, and the method carried out by your contractor will depend on...
Over the past couple of decades, renewable wind power has become an increasingly popular energy option for national governments, the world over. Given the increasingly pressing climate crisis, seeking out greener energy has never been as important as it is today. The...
Whilst rural properties might have the luxury of building an extension or annex should they wish for a bit more space, inner-city homes are afforded no such thing. With space coming at such a premium, particularly in cities like London, one of the only truly...
During the Cold War, things across the world got more than a little bit, well, weird on several occasions. From face mask disguises to threats to detonate nuclear warheads on the moon, there was a very real risk of events boiling over into a full-scale global, nuclear...
Christmas Wishes From The Borehole Team! In what’s been a year like no other, the Borehole Solutions team has felt privileged to keep providing geotechnical and ground investigation services, the nation over. Perspective is something we’ve all gained a bit more of...
We’ve talked in posts before about the many benefits of having BRE365 soakaways installed. They’re cost-effective, relatively easy to install and practical means of improving drainage – particularly in areas prone to flooding. Now we’re in the midst of winter, it’s...
Here at Borehole Solutions, we’re regularly met with poorly maintained water systems when we go out to properties as part of our water well drilling service. Now, whilst ill-advised, most of the year you probably can get away with not paying as much attention to your...
For many people, soil is exactly that. The stuff that gets on your children’s new clothes, your Sunday League shorts or your fingers whilst gardening. Most of us don’t give soil much thought beyond it being, well, soil. However when carrying out a ground investigation...
Knowing that you need a ground investigation is one thing, knowing what type of ground investigation you need is quite another. Here at Borehole Solutions Ltd, we’ve got decades’ worth of industry experience between us. This experience has enabled us to put together a...
As the evenings grow longer, temperatures creep downwards and we hunker down for the winter, it might be time to consider whether you’re heating your home in the best way possible. Many of us, when we move into our homes, simply accept the current heating situation...
Though it might sound like something from an 80’s action movie, ground penetration radar (GPR) is actually an important part of many a site investigation. This non-intrusive investigative method is mainly used to identify buried services before a careful evacuation -...
Unless you’ve been living under a particularly carcinogenic rock, you probably know by now that asbestos isn’t the best thing in the world when it comes to your health. In fact, we’ve known for a while now the material’s danger, with Greeks and Romans recognising that...
Dealing with contaminated land consists of four key phases for geotechnical firms. These are: desktop study, intrusive site investigation, remediation and finally, validation and verification. Whilst no one phase is more important than any other, it’s of course vital...
Rain is inevitable when living in the UK, soakaways and other geotechnical drilling methods are a great way to tackle these downpours. Although we tend to get rain all year round here in the UK, the autumn and winter months bring with them the most truly miserable...
Phase 1 Desk Studies are amongst the very first stages which are usually carried out in any geotechnical investigations. They are either carried out as a form of due diligence before property transactions or prior to site development. That’s what we’re interested in,...
Borehole Solutions drilling company discuss site investigations on soft ground and the different considerations to take on board. Soft ground is a term used to describe weaker ground, which has often already been developed upon, in previous years. This land-type is...
WAC testing, or, Waste Acceptance Criteria testing, is used to determine whether particular organic material (most often soil) is suitable to be disposed of in landfill, per the EU’s Waste Framework Directive. In other words, you’re looking to see how certain...
Geotechnical testing requires below the ground investigative work. In order to decide various spoil properties and geological make-up. This is in the form of sonic drilling, rotary drilling, window sampling, cable percussion or trial pitting. This is in order to...
We’re a nation propped up on logistics and motoring. On the smooth and seamless transport of people, goods and services between one location and another. We utilise trains, planes and ships, but there’s no form of transport with such a widespread and versatile set of...
The life of a driller is one of hard graft, early starts and time spent away from loved ones. It’s as challenging as it is rewarding, but for the team at Borehole Solutions, one of the UK’s foremost geotechnical drilling companies (and certainly one of the...
Increasingly, homeowners look to their own back gardens to heat their homes. How? Through the use of ground source heat pumps (GSHPs). These simple, yet deceptively clever pieces of kit help leave your home toasty and warm. Even in the harshest of winters. Asides from...
During periods of heavy rainfall (which are extremely common within the UK), surface water develops on the ground of some properties, causing flooding. This is extremely frustrating - especially if it becomes a frequent issue that you have to deal with. If it does...
The sheer range of projects which require an initial geotechnical site investigation is astounding. If you’re planning any kind of construction, remediation or structural alterations, the chances are you’ll need to carry out a geotechnical site investigation...
Choosing what rig you need for your project is only the first step in carrying out your geotechnical work. As a contractor, there are often additional extras you’ll need to hire in order to deliver your project to the highest standard possible. Unfortunately, many of...
The drilling industry is one which requires many things from those who work within it. As an absolute base minimum, it requires a lot of hard work. Beyond this, however, there are several additional qualities that a geotechnical drilling company needs to possess...
One of the many geotechnical drilling services we offer here at Borehole Solutions is rotary drilling. This commonly used method of drilling suits many different types of project, both small and large. The team here at Borehole wanted to look at the process in more...
It seems a simple question, but geotechnical drilling actually covers an immensely wide range of different processes and operations. In short, however, it refers to the process of boreholes (or other similar holes/excavations) being drilled prior to subsequent...
For any geotechnical drilling scenario, you’re going to need a rig of some sort. What rig you require, however, hinges entirely on various factors, some of which we will go into within this blog post. In recent years, the sheer expense of the drilling equipment alone...
Having a water well drilled undoubtedly brings with it several great benefits. In fact, we’ve written a whole blog on the topic – you can find it here! However, what many people fail to realise is that installing a water well isn’t a one-size-fits all process. There...
Our sonic drilling service is one of the things we’re most proud of as a geotechnical drilling company. Although it has been around for years now, the proliferation of sonic drilling as a more widely-used drilling method amongst contractors has only been relatively...
Cable percussion drilling has long been the most common form of drilling in the United Kingdom, if not the world. It has proven its worth as a drilling methodology time and time again, and its reliability is just one of the reasons why it has become so popular to...
Before any construction project takes place, the ground conditions and soil composition must be worked out to determine whether the proposed construction is feasible or not. This is often done by excavating a trial pit. It’s a simple and cost-effective means of...
We live in a pretty rainy country here in the UK. It’s not uncommon for our summer plans to be scuppered by total washouts and floods are something that river-adjacent towns and cities see as par for the course. In some cases, the constant threat of flooding is so...
When most people think of geotechnical drilling companies, they don’t think of an urban setting. But here’s the thing, we do. Restricted access drilling is now a rock-solid option when it comes to those environments where a regular rig won’t work. Towns and cities are...
Every so often, as adults, days come along that feel just like Christmas did as a child. The joy of waking up and tearing open that year’s present was beyond comparison. Well, at BSL Precision Engineering - part of the Borehole Solutions Group - the metal engineering...
We’re in unprecedented times at the minute. In fact, I’m not sure the word unprecedented has ever been said as much as it has been in the last couple of months. However, it’s been used with good reason because we’re all of us in the midst of a global pandemic. The...
In geotechnical surveying situations, different situations call for different approaches, just like with everything in life. There are those drilling rigs which are truly huge in scale and their drilling capabilities are unparalleled but whose footprint is sizable....
One of the more recent additions to our drilling armoury here at Borehole Solutions is the Compact CPT Rig from Eijkelkamp GeoPoint. There’s a saying that goes the greatest things often come in the smallest packages. That’s certainly the case with this rig. The...
In a world full of fads, trends and phases, the drilling industry has proved no different. There’s been a trend in recent years for geotechnical site investigation companies to err towards using sonic drilling rigs. But why is this? Unlike more conventional auger and...
Renewable energies have taken centre-stage in recent times. Taking proactive environmental steps has become even more important since Greta Thunberg and her cohort of supporters, including none other than David Attenborough himself, took centre stage over a year ago...
An increasing number of people in recent times have looked to install their own, domestic water wall for their home’s water supply. Businesses too have looked to water borehole drilling for greater levels of self-sufficiency. It’s important, however, that you make...
Time changes every industry and the geotechnical sector is no different. Gone are the days in which drilling revolved around rough estimates and ‘that’ll do’ mentalities. In today’s geotechnical industry, the need for precision, accuracy and watertight results is...
Undertaking a geotechnical site investigation is no small feat. It requires extensive planning, and there are several key considerations to make before you even get on site. It isn’t simply a case of getting there, drilling a hole and going on your way again, as many...