Geotechnical services division with a fully equipped remote lab

Since April 2007, Wellsite Masters has completed geotechnical projects including supervising installation of monitoring instruments at the Shell Jackpine Mine (JPM) and subsoil investigations at Jackpine Phase 2 (JP2). From our experience there is a great demand for geotechnical services on Oil Sands projects. With the addition of a fully equipped mobile geotechnical laboratory, Wellsite Masters would be able to extend its services on-site.
Initially the lab will be carrying out index tests of soil and rock (Phase I). Later on advanced testing facilities will be added to the Lab (Phase II).

Business scope of geotechnical services division:

Soil & Rock Sampling, analysis, and classification testing for:

• Residential Buildings
• Industrial Buildings
• Highways
• Parking lots
• Embankments
• Open Pit Mining
• Tunnel Mining
• Open Pit Quarries
• Grouting

Scope of proposed geotechnical services:

1. Site investigation.
2. Slope Protection Analysis.
3. Field surface, open pit and drill hole sampling.
4. In-situ testing.
5. Field coring for concrete.
6. Construction Inspection & Testing.
7. Field construction supervision for pavement, road fill, earth-filled dams, embankments, slopes, excavations, shoring, and tunnels.
8. Laboratory and field testing and inspection services for soil, rock, and aggregates.

Laboratory Testing:

• Particle size distribution
• Natural Moisture content
• Atterberg Limits
• Dry density
• Proctor Test
• Unconfined Compression Test for Rocks
• Field coring for concrete
• Consolidation Testing
• Permeability Testing

The field lab is going to be mounted inside a 60x12ft Office with the following setup:

Laboratory Testing: (Services planned for later Phase.)

• Sample handling and Storage
• Bulk sampling
• Undisturbed and core sampling
• CBR (California Bearing  Ratio)
• Oedometer Test
• Unconfined Compression
• Dorry Abrasion
• Los Angeles Abrasion
• Coring from block of rock
• Schmidt Hammer test
• PUNDIT Velocity
• Point Load Index
• Modulus of Elasticity
• Poisson’s Ratio
• Indirect Tensile Strength Test (Brazilian Test)

OVERVIEW:

WM geotechnical laboratory staff has extensive experience in laboratory soil testing, field testing, sampling, and monitoring. Our expertise in laboratory testing and field work allows us to provide comprehensive geotechnical services to our clients.

Our remote soil testing laboratory will enable us to perform in-house testing of soil physical properties for most of Oil Sands Projects. Geotechnical testing provides supporting data and represents a key component in site characterization; evaluations of soil settlement, expansive soil behavior, soil collapse potential, ground subsidence, landslide and slope stability, and moisture intrusion; and performance assessments for earth filled embankments, retaining walls, and other structures.

WM geotechnical laboratory also has geotechnical field sampling, testing, and monitoring capabilities, which enable us to efficiently collect high-quality samples for laboratory testing and perform in-situ testing and data collection. Our geotechnical engineers and geologists have many years of experience in conducting field investigations, such as geologic mapping and data collection via site reconnaissance and slope movement monitoring by inclinometers, groundwater-level monitoring.

Compression potential or to determine soil stiffness and damping properties necessary for ground motion (seismic) evaluation. Additional outside resources are readily available for projects requiring specialized laboratory testing or state-of-the-art site monitoring (e.g., remote sensing).

Our remote soil laboratory testing capabilities include:

Classification and index properties

• Grain-size analysis 
• Atterberg limits 
• Organic content

Density and strength

• Direct shear
• Moisture and density 
• Compaction

Our field capabilities include:

• Soil boring and test-pit excavation supervision (or observation), logging, and sample collection 
• Installation and monitoring of geotechnical instrumentation (e.g., piezometers, inclinometers) 
• In-situ moisture and density testing
• Packer test (permeability)
• Supervision of drilling for Pressure Grouting
• Supervision of drilling for relief Wells and drainage Curtains

If you would like more information about the lab and a detailed presentation about our services please contact us.