Geotechnical Engineering and Its Importance

There have been many questions and speculations around the Millennium Tower, a luxury residential skyscraper opened in 2009, which is on its way to becoming the new US Tower of Pisa: What allowed such a costly structure to sink about 40 centimeters? Was it the fault of the professionals who built it on an inadequate basis?

The Millennium Tower owners' association recently started an investigation to determine the cause. But, faced with a case as delicate as this we pose: What is Geotechnical Engineering and why is so crucial?

This science is a branch of the civil engineering that is in charge of the study of the mechanical and hydraulic properties of a land, being the geotechnical engineer the one in charge of investigating the ground and the rocks of the subsoil for the later design of the foundations of buildings, bridges, central or any infrastructure that is built on the site.

According to the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE), "everything that soil or rock does not support, falls, flies or floats." And as stated in the report of the National Office of Economic Development: more than a third of overweight construction projects cite the unexpected conditions of the subsoil as an essential factor contributing to this reality. But with the analysis of soil mechanics and rock, geotechnical engineers can avoid significant construction problems or worse catastrophes.

Geotechnical engineering in city of Calgary is the branch of civil engineering that is in charge of the study of the mechanical, hydraulic and engineering properties of the materials coming from the Earth. This implies that the professional in the area or the geotechnical engineer has a function to investigate the soil and rocks below the surface determining their properties, designing the foundations for structures such as buildings, bridges, hydroelectric power stations, and so on. Karl Terzaghi is considered as the father of geotechnical engineering and Soil mechanics.

Geotechnical engineers as researchers inquire about the risks that exist for man, properties, and characteristics, investigate the risk to humans, natural environmental phenomena or propitiated by human activity such as landslides, landslides, mudflows and rock fall.

Previously geotechnical engineering in Calgary was known as, soil mechanics. But today it has acquired broad terms that include seismic engineering, production of geotechnical materials, improvement of soil characteristics, soil-structure interaction and others. There are areas such as geotechnical-mechanical engineering of soil and rocks that perform:

• Expertise
• Soil mechanics studies
• Rock Mechanics Studies
• Design anchors
• Foundation design
• Training in Mechanical Soils and Rocks
• Technical inspection of anchors

Geotechnical Engineering uses the principles of Soil Mechanics and Rock Mechanics to investigate subsoil conditions and materials, determine the physical/chemical relevance and mechanical properties of these materials, evaluate the stability of natural slopes of the soil and built deposits by man; and assess the risks posed by site conditions, land movement design and foundation structure, and monitor site conditions, land movement and foundation construction.

The term has broadened to include issues such as seismic engineering, geotechnical materials, improvement of soil characteristics, soil-structure interaction and others. However, geotechnics is one of the youngest branches of civil engineering and, therefore, continues to evolve actively.

What Are Phase 1 And Phase 2 Site Assessment? Why Do You Need Them?

Site assessment means differently in different industries. When it comes to the field of environmental consulting, this means an assessment of the site to find out the potential impact of the upcoming project on the environmental elements of that location and determining the contamination rate present in the current environment that can affect the project. Only certified Environmental Consultants can perform this task correctly.

Assessment of the site is important to understand the local environment and its impact on the project as well. Sometimes, it is the project that can affect the environment deeply. It can be a threat to flora and fauna and change their natural habitat. Nonetheless, in some cases, it is the environment that can have a deep and terrifying impact on the projects and you have to be careful about the same. Here are two examples to explain these conditions.

1. When you have to cut down a forest area to develop a new road, then your development project will have a great impact on the wildlife and the forest area.
2. When you wish to build a five star hotel on a sea beach, then the beach climate may have a deep impact on the construction of that building, and you should be aware of the same.

While doing the phase 1 assessment, they can check the site, prepare the reports on the potential risks and tell you how to find the solutions. Apart from this, there is one more thing listed in the phase 1 report. The consultants can suggest you whether you should have a Phase 2 Environmental Assessment or not.

The phase 2 assessment is a more detailed report on these subjects. In case the phase 1 report has the sign of potential contaminate in that site then the phase 2 assessment is required to find out the detail of that contamination, its type nature, impact, solution, etc. The professional environmental consultants visit the siteas well as collect the samples and send them to the labs for detailed analysis. In this phase they work as a separate team with distinct goals and the final reports are created with the help of the assessment details of all these teams.

Why These Reports Are Important

Environmental Site Assessments are crucial as per the Canadian law of environment protection. This is to avoid the litigations for violating those laws. In many cases, the property or project owners are not aware of these laws, and they get the legal notice from the respective authority with some legal charges. When you have these reports in your hand, then you can plan the development of the project as per the same and avoid the potential risks which can be occurred due to the contamination present in the environment.

Hire the firms that have the certification from Associated Environmental Site Assessors of Canada so that you can receive authentic service from the experts. They offer their services multiple sectors including agriculture, mining, oil and gas industries as per the demand of their clients in Canada.

Important Factors You Must Consider While Choosing Environmental Consultant

With the rapid growth in industrial and commercial sectors, the demand for trained and skilled Environmental Consultants becomes higher than before. There are various sectors in today’s life where you can obtain their expertise and get benefits. They are the skilled and experienced professionals who have the latest knowledge about the environment and various measures to keep the balance of nature. There are companies that work as professional environmental consultancy and provide the service of the experts. However, before you select any of them, you should know about some important factors that are closely related to them.

What Can They Do For Your Business

The job profile of a professional Environmental Consultant Canada is wide enough. They can do a lot of things that are related to the environment of a certain geographic location. They can do some surveys and review the condition of your plants or projects to ensure that they are not harmful to the surrounding environment. They also ensure that if there is any threat to the environment, then right measures should be applied to lessen the effect and make it less harmful for the surrounding. Make sure that the consultant can perform all these tasks successfully for the clients.

Which Are Their Areas Of Action

A professional and well-trained Environmental Consultant Canada can offer his service in a wide range of sectors such as land development, transportation, mining, wind energy, chemical plants, infrastructure and public facilities and recreational projects. In some cases, you can get the service of Due diligence from the consultant as well. This is offered for Real Estate projects as a part of the Environmental Site Assessment service. That means you can get their support in maintaining the environmental regulation in various industries or projects.

Experience Of The Consultant

Before you hire a professional consultant for this job, do not forget to check his experience. In case you are hiring the service from a consultancy or a company, ensure that they have proper experience and reputation in the market. Check their existing and previous projects and understand how good they are in assessments. This will help you to know how efficient their service can be for your business. Moreover, they must have proper knowledge about the current environmental regulations of Canada so that they can help the Canada-based businesses to prepare their projects without any legal faults regarding the environmental issues.

The Process Of Work

If possible then check their process of work. They do survey the project or the area where the balance of nature must be kept well. Once they complete the survey, then they start reviewing the same to find out what the drawbacks are and how to solve them. They find the problems and then determine the solutions and after that help the clients to implement them in a successful manner. By their survey reports businesses can get the right solution for their environmental disputes.

To obtain the best service, you must hire the most dedicated and experienced Environmental Consultant Canada. They can make an effort to offer you services that are affordable, scientific and highly useful.

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