Fieldwork crucial for useful soil research

For good soil research, fieldwork is an important link. Performing soil borings and taking soil and groundwater samples, taking into account the purpose of the study and local conditions such as geology or the presence of contaminants, places very different demands on an organization than processing the results.

Speaking is Henk Nijmeijers, director of Sialtech, an internationally operating fieldwork company with more than 25 years of experience in soil drilling and soil and groundwater sampling, both on land and on water. 

From geotechnical drilling in the center of Amsterdam to a water bottom survey in the ports of Rotterdam or from archaeological research in Antwerp to environmental soil research in Sweden. Quality is paramount at Sialtech and that is why the company is engaged by many reputable parties at home and abroad. Nijmeijers: "We evolved from a consultancy firm and this is still in our DNA. We believe that good fieldwork is crucial in the final advice. We apply our knowledge of the various drilling and sampling techniques to good soil research. In the Netherlands, we have therefore always been closely involved in the creation of laws and regulations. Internationally, we also try to transfer our knowledge by participating in the approach to projects."

Sialtech masters virtually all common drilling and sampling techniques, ranging from the traditional pulse drilling to the more innovative sonic drilling. "Thanks to our background, the wide variety of techniques combined with extensive expertise, we are always able to think along with the consultant. That makes us different from other fieldwork companies. We know what is required for a usable soil survey."

Projects

Sialtech is involved in a wide variety of projects, including the geotechnical soil investigation for the construction of a new traffic tunnel under the Scheldt River. "The Scheldt Tunnel or Oosterweel Tunnel is of the immersed type. To assess the geotechnical bearing capacity and the stability of the subsurface, it is important to map it. We performed the drilling and soil sampling for this project," explained Nijmeijers. "The assignment included carrying out soil drilling including sampling from a working platform in the Scheldt."

For an important environmental soil survey in central Sweden, Sialtech recently "flew over" the CompactRotoSonic. "With this device we can drill through sonic vibrations and can thus drill through any geology. In this case mainly boulders and rocks."

Closer to home, Sialtech has helped with soil testing at Griftpark Utrecht Netherlands. Researchers hope to find bacteria deep in the heavily contaminated soil. Here too, Sialtech helped think through how to conduct the soil investigation and which drilling and sampling techniques could best be used. 

"So it's safe to say that soil is in the genes at Sialtech. As is our drive to keep developing."