All four survey disciplines under a single contract and a unified set of reports for expert review.
A brief introduction to building surveys and a guide to the right service.
Describe your site and objective — we will advise which documents you need.
All four survey disciplines under a single contract and a unified set of reports for expert review.
A brief introduction to building surveys and a guide to the right service.
Describe your site and objective — we will advise which documents you need.
We determine the ground profile and groundwater regime beneath your proposed building so the foundations can be designed accurately. We carry out borehole drilling, cone penetration testing (CPT) and laboratory soil testing, delivering a geotechnical report ready for expert review.
Not a single negative expert review conclusion in 13 years
Select an option — we will show the scope of work, timescales and prices for your specific task.
Geotechnical surveys for construction — is an investigation of soils and groundwater on a site prior to design. Its purpose is to obtain data for foundation design and to assess geological hazards. Simply put, we find out what lies beneath the future building: what soil layers are present and at what depth, how strong they are and how much they will compress under load, where groundwater occurs and whether it poses a risk to the foundation and basement, and whether karst, frost heave, weak soils or made ground are present.
Using these data, the structural engineer selects the foundation — raft, strip or piles — and designs it so that the building does not crack while avoiding unnecessary overdesign of concrete and reinforcement. Design documentation cannot be prepared without surveys (Article 47 of the Urban Development Code of the Russian Federation), and expert review will not accept it.
See a real example — sample pages from a major refurbishment report an industrial building on Bibirevskaya Street. We drilled 15 boreholes of 10 m each, performed 6 CPT soundings, collected 46 undisturbed core samples and passed state expert review.
We review your technical brief, master plan and topographic survey. We retrieve archival geological and hydrogeological maps, as well as historical survey results for adjacent plots.
Stage outcome: we understand what is already known about the site and what needs to be verified on the ground.
A geotechnical engineer visits the site: they inspect the terrain, check access for the drilling rig, and look for signs of hazardous processes such as waterlogging or landslides.
Stage outcome: verified access routes and site conditions — the basis for the survey programme.
We draw up the programme only after inspecting the site, as the exact scope of work depends on it. Based on the collected data, we select the drilling method, rig type and required tests.
If access is difficult, we allow for clearing tracks with a tractor or using a compact drilling rig at specific points. All of this is specified in the survey programme. In Moscow, we obtain the excavation permit ourselves if required.
Stage outcome: a ready action plan: drilling scope and method, list of equipment and tests.
| Borehole drilling | 15 BHs / 150 lin. m |
| Cone penetration testing (CPT) | 6 points |
| Undisturbed sampling | 46 |
| Disturbed samples | 3 |
| Soil samples for chemical analysis | 12 |
| Groundwater samples | 3 |
| Triaxial compression | 18 tests |
| Direct shear test | 18 tests |
We drill boreholes from 108 to 168 mm in diameter. The drilling method is selected in advance in the work programme: cable percussion, rotary core or push-sampling. Any of these three methods allows us to recover undisturbed soil samples (monoliths) required for mechanical testing. In certain cases we also use sonic/vibratory drilling, but only alongside the primary methods.
During drilling, the engineering geologist logs the strata in detail at various depths, measures groundwater levels and collects water and soil samples for corrosivity testing. Once fieldwork is complete, we backfill and seal the boreholes.
Stage outcome: log of each borehole, undisturbed core and bulk samples for the laboratory, groundwater level.
A cone-tipped probe is pushed into the ground while tip resistance and sleeve friction are continuously recorded. This method is typically used for sands, including water-bearing sands: recovering an intact sample from them for the laboratory is almost impossible, as it crumbles and loses its shape.
Cone penetration testing (CPT) provides the same parameters for sands as laboratory testing does for clays. It also traces layer boundaries between boreholes and provides data for pile design.
Stage outcome: soil strength profile by depth — sand parameters and data for pile design.
The bar shows the range of values within the stratum; the dot shows the characteristic value. The strongest stratum is the stiff clay loam of EGU-4 (3.2 MPa); driven pile bearing capacity is calculated in the report from the CPT data.
Undisturbed core samples and bulk samples are tested in an accredited laboratory for density, moisture content, plasticity and particle size distribution.
Shear, oedometer compression and triaxial compression tests show what load the soil can bear and how much it will settle under the building's weight. Chemical analysis of soils and groundwater determines how aggressive they are to concrete and metal.
Stage outcome: physical and mechanical properties of each layer and aggressiveness of the environment.
| EGU | ρ, g/cm³ | IL | c, kPa | φ, ° | E, MPa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,99 | 0,32 | — | — | — |
| 2 | 1,94 | 0,29 | 52 | 19 | 18 |
| 3 | 2,12 | 0,35 | 32 | 22 | 22 |
| 4 | 2,17 | 0,16 | 40 | 24 | 26 |
ρ — density, IL — liquidity index, c and φ — cohesion and angle of internal friction, E — deformation modulus.
At the desk-study (office) stage, we compile the field and laboratory data. We delineate engineering geological units — strata with uniform properties — and calculate their characteristic and design values.
We construct geological cross-sections, assess the risks of groundwater flooding, frost heave, sinkholes and soil piping (karst and suffosion hazard), and provide recommendations for foundation design.
Stage outcome: geotechnical cross-sections and design soil parameters.
We compile all findings into a technical report — the structural engineer uses it to design the foundations, and this is the document submitted for expert review. Browse our report for the building on Bibirevskaya Street — it has already passed state expert review. It includes:
For expert review, we deliver the report in PDF and XML signed with a qualified electronic signature; hard-copy volumes are available on request.
Survey deliverables: digitally signed technical report for expert review (hard copies available on request).
178 sheets of this report. Client details, signatures and stamps have been redacted.
You submit our report for expert review and, if the reviewer raises any comments, simply forward them to us. We take over from there: if necessary, we liaise directly with the reviewer, resolve all queries and see the report through to approval. In 13 years of practice, not a single report of ours has received a negative expert review conclusion.
Cost of geotechnical surveys on our completed projects adjusted to today's prices. Projects with photos feature a detailed breakdown of the work on a dedicated page.
These are just some of our projects — we carry out surveys on 40–50 sites every year.
Enter the building parameters — the calculator will show an indicative the cost according to our rates. We will confirm the final price in our quotation only after reviewing your technical brief and project documentation.
We calculate the number and depth of boreholes in accordance with SP 47.13330 and SP 446.1325800. They depend on the dimensions of the future building and its load on the ground. The depth is also determined by the foundation type (for piles, drilling extends below their toe) and the thickness of the compressible stratum — the zone where the soil compresses under the weight of the structure. The spacing between boreholes is governed by the same standards and depends on the building footprint and the complexity of the ground conditions.
Technical brief and site location plan. If you do not have a technical brief — footprint dimensions of the structure, number of storeys or height, proposed foundation type and address. We will prepare the technical brief ourselves based on these details.
Yes, we carry out geotechnical surveys all year round. In winter, access routes may need to be cleared of snow, which has virtually no effect on drilling timescales.
Drilling in Moscow often requires an excavation permit — we obtain it ourselves. The permit lead time is added to the survey schedule.
Drilling provides soil samples for the laboratory, whilst cone penetration testing gives a continuous strength profile with depth without sampling. Together they provide an accurate picture: stratum boundaries between boreholes and reliable parameters for pile design.
Yes. We prepare the report in accordance with current regulations and support it through expert review: we respond to comments and make revisions. The obligation to take the report through to a positive conclusion is included in the contract.
The validity period is defined by Table 6.1 of SP 47.13330.2016 — this is the period from completion of surveys to the start of design. The geological structure of the site does not become outdated, whereas data on groundwater, soil properties and geological processes remain valid for 2 years on developed sites and 5 years on undeveloped sites. If the validity period has not expired and the building footprint, foundation type and depth have not changed, the previous report can be used without new surveys. If it has expired, an update is required: a walkover survey and, typically, verification boreholes. Send us your previous report and we will tell you what part of it can still be used.
Site geotechnical survey — is a geotechnical survey for house construction: an investigation of soils and groundwater before works begin. At the footprint of the future house, a drilling crew and an engineering geologist drill boreholes and inspect the site to identify adverse geological processes. The geologist logs the soil layers, takes samples and measures the water table. The samples are tested in a laboratory, and the findings are compiled into a technical report.
A house rests not on concrete, but on the ground beneath it. Sand, clay, peat and made ground carry loads differently, compress differently and behave differently when frozen. High groundwater can flood a basement and deteriorate concrete over time. None of this is visible from the surface: even neighbouring plots can have very different ground conditions, and drilling is the only way to find out.
Without surveys without survey data, the structural engineer normally over-designs the foundation with excess concrete and reinforcement — so you overpay for materials. The opposite also happens: the ground turns out weaker or the water table higher than assumed, and the building cracks. A geotechnical survey removes both risks: the foundation is designed for the actual ground conditions on your plot.
Using the report, the designer or builder selects the foundation type — strip, raft or piles — and its depth. A geotechnical survey costs noticeably less than extra concrete and reinforcement added 'just in case', and incomparably less than repairing a house after cracking.
The same stages as for major projects, just smaller in scope and faster.
Message us or call: tell us where the plot is, what kind of house you are planning, and whether there will be a basement. That is enough.
We specify the scope of work in accordance with SP 446.1325800 — for a private house it is much smaller than for commercial developments. We then confirm the price and mobilisation date.
Stage outcome: a clear price and drilling rig mobilisation date.
Geotechnical fieldwork on the plot begins with mobilisation: a drilling crew and an engineering geologist arrive on site and drill a cored borehole within the footprint of the future house. If there is no lorry access or the plot has a lawn, we bring a compact drilling rig.
The geotechnical engineer logs the soil profile by depth, collects undisturbed core samples (monoliths) and disturbed samples for the laboratory, and measures the groundwater level. Upon completion, the borehole is backfilled.
Stage outcome: soil profile description by depth, laboratory samples, water table level.
Samples are tested in an accredited laboratory for density, moisture content, strength, compressibility, frost susceptibility and soil aggressiveness.
Stage outcome: soil parameters for foundation design.
| Density and moisture content | soil unit weight and how it will behave beneath the house |
| Angle of internal friction and cohesion | what load the foundation soil can support |
| Deformation modulus | how much the foundation will settle |
| Frost susceptibility | at what depth to found the structure |
| Water table | whether a basement is feasible and whether waterproofing is required |
| Soil aggressiveness | whether concrete and metal protection is required |
A report for a private house is shorter than for a commercial property, but follows the same standards. Browse our report for a detached residential house:
Survey deliverables: technical report in electronic format — used by the designer or builder to select the foundation.
27 sheets of this report. Client details, signatures and stamps have been redacted.
Without a geotechnical survey, foundations are either over-designed (wasting money on concrete and reinforcement) or left exposed to cracking and basement flooding.
For the vast majority of private houses, a concise technical report is sufficient.
One house — 80,000 ₽. Team up with neighbours on your estate: each additional house in a single order is 40,000 ₽, bringing the average cost per house down to as little as 45,000 ₽ on larger combined orders.
Turnaround time — 20 calendar days. For several houses under a single order — the same 20 days: work on the plots runs in parallel and finishes together.
Based on your inputs, without registration or submitting an enquiry.Calculate for my plotTo properly select and design the foundation: its type — strip, raft, or pile — founding depth, and reinforcement. Without soil data, the designer either overdesigns the foundation with a large safety margin or risks cracking and basement flooding if the soils turn out to be weaker or the groundwater higher than expected.
For the vast majority of private houses, 1 to 3 boreholes are sufficient. Under the standards, this depends on the building footprint: if the longest side of your house does not exceed 12 metres, 1 borehole is enough. If the longest side exceeds 12 metres, we drill 2 or 3 boreholes. Upon completion, you will receive a concise technical report.
We bring a compact portable drilling rig — it fits through narrow gates and will not damage your lawn.
Before foundation design: the results are used to select the foundation type and depth. If you already have a design, the geotechnical survey will show whether it suits the site's soils.
Yes, we drill all year round. In winter, access may need to be cleared of snow.
Electronic technical report: description of soils and groundwater by borehole, soil parameters for foundation design, frost penetration depth, laboratory schedules, factual data map and borehole log.
If you do not have a technical brief, describe the project: site location, planned construction, and whether a design exists. We will reply with a scope of work and cost.