Specialized Geotechnical Testing

Pitcher Services employs knowledgeable engineers and operators for additional specialized testing depending on your project needs.

Services:

SPT Energy Testing/Calibration
Vane Shear Testing (VST)
Pressuremeter Testing (PMT)
Dilatometer & Seismic DMT

SPT ENERGY CALIBRATION

Pitcher operates a PDI SPT Analyzer consisting of a short 2ft section of instrumented rod connected to a small portable computer and data acquisition unit. The instrumented rod section is equipped with two strain gauges and two accelerometers to measure both the force and velocity of the wave created by the hammer as it impacts the sampler rod string. Energy measurements are collected for each blow of the hammer and are often averaged for each sample depth.

It is common for each rig to be tested yearly and on high-risk projects such as dams and levees if SPT blow counts are being recorded for design and evaluation. The measured energies are used to adjust the measured N60 values to a normalized N60 (normalized to 60% energy transfer)

Determine the energy transferred to the rod & sample system for each blow

Calculate more accurate N60 values for the SPT

Important for high-risk projects like dams & levees

VANE SHEAR TESTING

Pitcher operates the Geonor H-10 vane system. The Geonor H-10 uses an up-hole motor to turn the downhole vane for the test. The system uses different vane sizes for downhole testing. Vane Selection is based upon the expected strength of the soils being tested.

Vane shear testing provides an in situ measurement of undrained shear strength.

For People, For Planet

Pitcher Services is the company many engineers in California have known and come to trust. If you are new, we welcome the opportunity to build a long-term partnership based on our client-focused solutions.

We are proud of our partnership with the Operating Engineers Union #3 and #12, and as part of Sealaska, are an Alaska Native owned company.

As part of Sealaska’s Woocheen group of companies, our over arching goal is that of ocean health. We are dedicated to the philosophy of “For People, For Planet”

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