Overwater Geotechnical Drilling
S&ME provides geotechnical drilling services in active waterway environments. By combining overwater site investigation with geotechnical engineering expertise, make informed design, rehabilitation, and construction decisions.
Get Overwater Drilling Support
What’s included:
- Geotechnical drilling from barges, bridges, spillways, and suspended work platforms
- Amphibious rig drilling in wetlands, shallow water, and other soft-ground or difficult access environments
- Geotechnical and substructure investigations beneath active waterways
- Subsurface data collection for geotechnical engineering and rehabilitation planning
When it’s needed:
- Bridge infrastructure and transportation improvements
- Waterfront and marine construction projects
- Concrete dam, spillway, and water retention structure rehabilitation
- Energy infrastructure and utility projects
- Wetland remediation
Proven Expertise with Complex Geotechnical Drilling
Go beyond the reach of inland geotechnical investigation methods with crews trained in the most demanding overwater environments.
Drilling Data that Drives Geotechnical Engineering
Get more than soil borings. S&ME offers geotechnical drilling backed by geotechnical engineering and materials testing services, turning subsurface data into actionable design.
Project Feature: Bridge Infrastructure Geotechnical Engineering & Difficult Access Drilling
Highway 278 Bridge Corridor – Hilton Head Area, SC
S&ME provided geotechnical engineering and drilling support for a new bridge corridor project serving the Hilton Head area. Work includes field exploration and subsurface investigation activities supporting transportation infrastructure development in active marine construction conditions.
Project highlights:
- Overwater geotechnical drilling for bridge infrastructure improvements
- Geotechnical investigation and subsurface evaluation
- Coordination within active transportation and construction environments
- Support for infrastructure planning and foundation design activities
Our Approach to Geotechnical Drilling Over Water
With more than 50 years of experience, S&ME has a portfolio supporting geotechnical drilling across concrete dam repair, transportation construction, utility relocation projects, and more.
Key elements of our approach:
- Dedicated difficult access, geotechnical drilling crews
- In-house drilling rigs for suspended, confined space, barge drilling platforms
- Adaptable drilling using specialized augers and rotary methods, paired with site-specific geotechnical sampling and exploration techniques
- Integrated geotechnical engineering, testing, and instrumentation capabilities
- Coordination with contractors, DOTs, utilities, and active construction teams
Geotechnical Drilling Services for Bridge Infrastructure
S&ME provides overwater geotechnical drilling for transportation infrastructure projects with targeted subsurface investigation for foundation design, rehabilitation, and bridge expansions. Our teams work in active waterways and waterfront environments to collect geotechnical data required for construction on transportation structures.
- In-situ testing for transportation infrastructure to confirm soil strength and load-bearing capacity for bridge foundation design
- Marine geotechnical drilling using barge-mounted cone penetration testing (CPT) rig
- Geotechnical testing for expansion and rehabilitation projects
- Subsurface investigation in ports, waterways, and coastal environments
Geotechnical Investigation in Wetlands
Drill in soft ground and over shallow water with our amphibious rig. Its ground pressure is just 1 psi, making it well suited for wetlands such as swamps and marshes, as well as man-made soft ground conditions like dredge spoils and tailings ponds.
Personnel carriers support the drilling platform by transporting crews and supplies and assisting with site reconnaissance, boring layout, and emergency response.
Utility & Energy Infrastructure Drilling
S&ME provides geotechnical drilling for energy infrastructure projects in reservoirs, ash ponds, and flooded environments. Our teams perform subsurface investigations to deliver geotechnical data for design, rehabilitation, and construction in water-impacted sites.
- Geotechnical drilling for utility relocation projects under waterways
- Testing for deep foundation design of transmission towers and power poles located in reservoirs
- Ash pond closure and remediation projects requiring geotechnical investigation
- In situ downhole vane shear testing of pipeline crossings beneath flooded area
- Overwater geotechnical drilling for containment system design and rehabilitation in reservoirs, impoundments, and tailings facilities
Concrete Dam Repair and Rehabilitation
S&ME supports concrete dam repair, spillway rehabilitation, and utility projects for water control structure projects. With geotechnical drilling and in-situ testing services, get geotechnical data to optimize the structural performance for reservoirs, impoundments, and other retained water systems.
- Hydraulic conductivity testing for rock, soil, and concrete dam structures
- Foundation and spillway investigations
- Installation of piezometers, inclinometers, extensometers, and monitoring wells
- Drilling support for grouting, post-tensioned anchors, cutoff walls, and waterstop seal installations
- In-situ overcore stress testing for concrete and rock structures
Project Feature: Geotechnical Testing for Marine Construction
Clouter Island – Charleston Harbor, SC
S&ME performed geotechnical drilling and cone penetration testing (CPT) on a dredge spill island within Charleston Harbor. Due to challenging site access conditions, crews and equipment were mobilized to the island using a ramp barge to support geotechnical investigation activities.
Project highlights:
- Difficult access drilling in an active coastal environment
- Ramp barge mobilization for personnel and equipment access
- Cone penetration testing (CPT) and subsurface exploration support
Need a Geotechnical Report for Drilling Services?
Overwater and difficult access projects introduce operational challenges that require geotechnical drilling expertise.
Whether you’re planning a bridge investigation, waterfront infrastructure project, dam rehabilitation effort, or energy infrastructure upgrade, we provide a geotechnical report that informs engineering design.
Discuss Your Project With Our Team
Geotechnical Drilling Overwater FAQs
+ What are the mobile drill rig options for overwater geotechnical drilling?
S&ME utilizes a variety of drilling equipment and access platforms based on water depth, site conditions, and project requirements. Each type provides unique advantages for stability, mobility, and access.
- Large ocean-going barges and jack-up barges are subcontracted for project-specific access and stability requirements.
- Our ATV/track-mounted and truck-mounted drill rigs are deployed on subcontracted barges to perform overwater drilling operations.
- Our small barges with permanently mounted drill rigs are an inhouse solution for overwater investigations.
+ What’s the difference between geotechnical investigation over water versus on land?
Overwater geotechnical drilling is a specific type of difficult access drilling focused on operations performed from barges, bridges, or other marine platforms. While both involve constrained environments, overwater drilling is defined by the need to work from floating or elevated systems.
- Geotechnical investigation over water: requires marine platforms, specialized crews, and coordination with tides, water depth, currents, and active waterways
- Geotechnical investigation on land: uses land-based rigs operating on stable ground with standard access, fewer logistical constraints, and simpler mobilization
+ What overwater infrastructure does geotechnical drilling services support?
Geotechnical drilling services support a range of infrastructure that require subsurface investigation in active waterways and difficult access environments. These services are essential for projects where foundation design, rehabilitation, or construction occurs below or adjacent to water.
- Bridge infrastructure: foundation investigations, substructure evaluation, and rehabilitation support
- Concrete dams & water control structures: spillways, reservoirs, and marine infrastructure projects
- Energy infrastructure: utilities, transmission structures, and projects in flooded or retained water environments
- Marine construction: ports, waterfront development, and coastal infrastructure projects
+ What geotechnical testing methods are used when projects involve variable soil, rock, or groundwater conditions?
S&ME selects drilling and geotechnical sampling approaches based on site access, subsurface conditions, and project goals.
- Drilling methods: hollow stem auger, wash rotary, and air rotary drilling for advancing boreholes in variable soil and rock conditions
- Sampling and exploration methods: rock coring, direct push exploration, and exploratory borings to characterize subsurface conditions
Using multiple drilling and sampling methods allows S&ME to gather the geotechnical data needed for detailed subsurface characterization and informed engineering decisions for construction projects.
