Our Services
We Offer a Range of Services to Meet Your Needs
Cable Percussive Drilling
Cable percussion drilling or shell and auger is by far the most common method of drilling used for geotechnical site or ground investigations in the UK. Depending upon ground conditions, VC Drilling are capable of reaching depths of up to 80m boreholes with a diameter of 150mm to 300mm.
The rigs are powered by diesel engines and require a working headroom of around 6m and area of around 4-8 meters. We ensure all our SPT equipment is calibrated regularly and have adequate certification.
Window Sampling & Dynamic Probing
Windowless sampling is carried out by tracked percussive rigs. This technique uses a steel tube with a plastic liner to recover the sample. Depths of up-to 10m below ground level can be achieved, depending on the soil type. Our window sampling rigs have the facility to take SPT and CPT tests.
Window sampling can be used for the investigation of contaminated land, for geotechnical investigations and the instillation of ground gas and groundwater monitoring wells.
Vacuum Excavation
This is a new innovative technology which uses high power suction systems to excavate ground soil and other materials during site investigations.
This technique is superior using jets of air or water to loosen soils rather than hand held tools or heavy machinery improving safety and reducing fatigue. Once the soil is loosened it is extracted from the sub surface through an air vacuum hose. It is also a faster method than hand excavation.
Coring
VC Drilling are capable of drilling cores from 25mm to 300mm in diameter and a meter in depth through most building materials including concrete, brick and stone. This work can be undertaken in very small spaces including your home without leaving a huge mess.
This is a common method shared between electricians, builders and plumbers to provide access holes for pipe work and cables. It provides less risk to structures than traditional percussive drills.
Trial & Hand Pitting
Trial pitting is carried out up to a maximum depth of 4.5m with a standard excavation plant or hand digging methods. Our carefully trained engineers have a thorough knowledge of soil conditions and understand all the mechanics connected with the test.
Depending on the depth of the site a variety of excavators can be used. We are able to perform a range of insitu test including CBR tests and plate bearing test.
CBR & Plate Bearing Testing
A test founded in California (thus the name) is more commonly used throughout the world to design roads, pavements or concrete slab foundations.
We find quite often that confusion stems between which particular test they require or how to read the results but thats where VC Drilling come in. Our expertise with undertaking these tests throughout the UK is unrivalled and we are sure to be on hand to talk you through the results.
Ground Penetrating Radar
GPR, more commonly known as Ground Penetrating Radar uses pulses to image the surface. Using electromagnetic radiation, signals are reflected from the subsurface. The use of Ground Penetrating Radar is mandatory in majority of mapping surveys where non-metallic servers could be present.
