Our Services

Field Exploration & Construction Monitoring

From initial soil borings through final compaction testing, VO Engineering provides the field services that keep San Diego construction projects on schedule and in compliance.

Field Exploration

Hollow-Stem Auger Boring

Continuous soil sampling using hollow-stem auger drilling to characterize subsurface stratigraphy and collect undisturbed and disturbed samples for laboratory testing.

Cone Penetration Testing (CPT)

High-resolution continuous profiling of soil stratigraphy, strength, and liquefaction potential using electronic cone penetrometers.

Standard Penetration Testing (SPT)

In-situ soil resistance measurements per ASTM D1586 to evaluate bearing capacity, relative density, and seismic site classification.

Rock Coring

Diamond-bit rock coring to characterize bedrock depth, quality (RQD), fracture patterns, and engineering properties for foundation and excavation design.

Air Track Percussive Drill Rates

Rapid bedrock profiling using air-track drilling to map rock depth and hardness across large sites efficiently.

Geophysical Surveys

Non-invasive subsurface characterization using seismic refraction, MASW, and resistivity methods to supplement borehole data.

Construction Monitoring

Grading Observations

Full-time and periodic observation of earthwork operations to verify compliance with geotechnical recommendations and project specifications.

Compaction Testing

Nuclear gauge and sand-cone density testing to confirm fill placement meets specified relative compaction requirements.

Groundwater Monitoring

Installation and monitoring of piezometers and observation wells to track groundwater levels during and after construction.

Geotechnical Foundation Inspections

Observation of footing excavations, pier drilling, and pile installation to confirm design assumptions and document as-built conditions.

Concrete Sampling (ACI)

Concrete sampling, slump testing, air content measurement, and cylinder fabrication per ACI standards for structural concrete quality assurance.

Foundation Reinforcement (ICC)

Special inspection of foundation reinforcement placement and concrete placement per ICC and project structural drawings.

Need Field Services for Your Project?

Our crews are available throughout San Diego County and Southern California.