Geotechnical Engineering

The Engineering Beneath What You Build.

From the first borehole to the final field review, we define the ground conditions your project depends on — and design for them with confidence.

Every structure transfers its load into the ground, and the ground rarely behaves the way drawings assume. Geotechnical work rewards experience more than almost any other discipline in engineering: the ground is variable, and judgement is what turns data into a defensible design. The work is finding out what's actually down there, how it will respond, and how to build on it safely and economically.

GES has investigated, analyzed, and designed for ground conditions across Western Canada and beyond — soft Lower Mainland silts and liquefiable sands, weak prairie bedrock, mountain slopes, and oil-sands terrain.

Whether the question is a foundation for a residential build or the stability of a slope above (or below) a development, the work starts the same way: with evidence from the ground itself.

Geotechnical Services

  • Geotechnical drilling, sampling and logging; cone penetration testing (CPT/SCPT); pressuremeter and dynamic cone testing; geophysical surveys; terrain stability assessments.

  • Shallow and deep (piled) foundation design; pile load testing and PDA; settlement and bearing-capacity analysis.

  • Slope stability and landslide assessment; stabilization (shear keys, horizontal drains, soil nailing); retaining-wall design (reinforced earth, MSE, Allan/Lockblock).

  • Deep excavation and shoring design; tieback anchors, sheet and soldier piles; dewatering and groundwater control.

  • Preloading and surcharge design; Rapid Impact Compaction and vibro-replacement; densification and settlement control.

  • Seismic site response and liquefaction assessment; qualitative and probabilistic risk assessment.

  • Field reviews and contract administration; materials and compaction testing; instrumentation and monitoring (inclinometers, piezometers); BC Building Code Letters of Assurance.

Four-Step Geotechnical Approach

Understand the Question

Every project starts with a conversation, not a drill rig. We review what you’re building and what’s already known about the site, so the investigation answers questions that actually matter.

Read the Ground

We investigate the site directly – boreholes, sampling, and in-situ testing – gathering evidence from the subsurface instead of assuming what’s there.

Analyze & Advise

Laboratory testing and engineering analysis turn that evidence into clear, defensible recommendations: foundations, slopes, and ground conditions you can design and build around.

See It Through

We stay on through construction with field reviews and testing, confirming the ground behaves the way our analysis said it would.

Let’s Work Together

If you're interested in working with us, complete the form with a few details about your project. We'll review your message and get back to you within 48 hours.