Before any construction moves forward in earnest, planners must make sure they actually have a viable site to do their work. Soil must be tested to check for harmful chemicals and that its composition has the appropriate strength, stability and drainage for whatever might be built or dug at a given site. This is where Soil Mechanics comes in.
Responsible for investigating and testing construction sites and materials for important projects throughout the New York Metropolitan region, including the East End, Soil Mechanics Drilling Corp provides geotechnical, environmental and construction testing, and inspection services to certify soil, concrete, masonry and steel so developments are done correctly, by the law and with safety in mind.
Since it was established in 1956, the Seaford-based company has grown to employ a team of more than 60 multi-disciplined professionals, comprising licensed engineers, geologists, surveyors, environmental scientists, drillers, construction inspectors and laboratory technicians who provide services to identify issues and then define and supervise deficiencies at more than 800 new construction projects each year.
Soil Mechanics has given key inspection services and safety checks to all manner of commercial and residential construction on the East End, including work for numerous school districts, businesses and homes. Among their most notable local projects, Soil Mechanics completed services for the Watchcase luxury apartments in Sag Harbor and the Amazon warehouse at Westhampton Airport. They were also involved with work for Suffolk County Water Authority in creating a two-million-gallon water tank near East Hampton Airport in Wainscott to provide added capacity and safe supply to the area.
Thanks to their stellar reputation in the business, Soil Mechanics was recently awarded contracts for borings as part of New York City’s Green Infrastructure Program for bioswales to capture and treat groundwater runoff in Brooklyn and the Bronx.
Led by two professional engineers licensed in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, Soil Mechanics’ drilling staff conducts these kinds of investigations and provides geotechnical engineering reports that include recommendations for construction. Their equipment is geared for any site condition, with drill rigs mounted onto trucks, track machinery, ATVs and barges. They also have excavators, dump trucks and utility vans as support vehicles for drilling services, such as soil borings, test pits, soil percolation tests, Shelby tube sampling, groundwater monitoring wells, asphalt and concrete core sampling, rock core sampling and geo probes.
Soil Mechanics’ testing lab is accredited by the City of New York, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (ASHTO) and Cement Concrete Reference Lab (CCRL) to perform testing on soils, concrete and asphalt. Their skilled staff laboratory technicians are certified by the American Concrete Institute (ACI).
The company, owned by Carl Vernick, employs more than 30 specially certified inspectors who will look at new construction and renovations and take part in post-construction investigations and testing services relative to structures and parking areas. A full understanding of soil’s makeup and mechanical behavior can avoid future design and construction problems.
To reach Soil Mechanics for a wide range of services, call 516-221-2333 or visit soilmechanicsdrilling.com.
