Gannett Fleming expands geotechnical operations in Florida

Largo, Fla. — Gannett Fleming has strengthened its commitment to the Florida geotechnical community with the expansion of its facilities and upgrades to its equipment for geotechnical and environmental investigations, as well as mineral exploration. These changes are designed to meet the growing needs of the firm’s transportation, water resources, mining, and commercial development clients.

The firm is relocating one of its Florida geotechnical hubs; the Tampa Bay area operations are being moved to a 10,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility in Pinellas Park, which is dedicated exclusively to geotechnical services. The new space features fully equipped laboratory facilities, including a clean lab and a dirty lab that will be certified by multiple agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Florida Department of Transportation, Construction Materials Engineering Council, and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Materials Reference Laboratory.

The laboratories provide cutting-edge technology and systems that enable the firm’s geotechnical professionals to facilitate geotechnical construction projects, such as soil mix designs and conventional uses, such as the determination of the physical and mechanical properties of soils, asphalt, concrete, masonry, and aggregates. The testing results become the foundation upon which Gannett Fleming’s designs depend. The new geotechnical facility also features internal storage for the firm’s drilling equipment. Providing protection from the Florida elements, internal storage is critical in maintaining project schedules and reducing downtime or other delays because of equipment malfunction and repair.

In addition to its new facility, Gannett Fleming has made a $1 million investment in its fleet of drilling equipment with the purchase of new drill rigs, as well as upgrades and enhancements to its current fleet of rigs, boats, and barges.

The new rigs that have joined Gannett Fleming’s diverse fleet include two Dietrich D50 drills, one truck-mounted and the other articulating buggy-mounted; as well as a CME-850 track rig. Also included are rebuilds of the firm’s existing equipment, such as its CME-75 truck-mounted rig and Geoprobe 5800.

“Geotechnical engineering is a cornerstone of Gannett Fleming and is one of the firm’s special competencies in which we use only the most advanced facilities, equipment, and technology,” said David Rancman, P.E., geotechnical operations manager. “The firm’s investment in and expansion of geotechnical services enables our continued delivery of excellence in geotech to our Florida clients.”