Geoprobe Soil and Groundwater Sampling Inside a Building

This project included the collection of soil and groundwater samples performed within a building located in Orlando, Florida.  The building was in the process of being razed, however, prior to the demolition of the building, an environmental study was being performed to determine if the soil and/or groundwater had been environmentally impacted by petroleum compounds, possibly consisting of VOCs, metals, or other petroleum constituents. 

The building contained various pieces of equipment and abandoned furnishings which allowed only limited areas open for access by a drill rig to facilitate the required environmental sampling to be performed.  SEI was contracted to conduct the soil and groundwater sampling through the utilization of our small, limited-access Geoprobe drill rig.   SEI’s Geoprobe drill rig is a 54LT track-mounted Direct Push Technology (DPT) drill rig incorporating a standard Macrocore soil sampling tool string and groundwater sampling equipment.

The specific project tasks included coring through the concrete at each location and then collecting continuous soil samples extending to the top of the groundwater table.  The groundwater table was encountered at an approximate depth of approximately 16 feet, below ground surface (bgs).  A total of 16 separate sampling locations were selected by the client, located both within the building as well as at exterior locations surrounding the building.    The small size and the easy maneuverability of the 54LT drill rig allowed SEI’s OSHA certified crew to mobilize to each location requested by the client.  Groundwater samples were collected using the quiescent sampling technique utilizing a battery-operated peristaltic pump.  The project was completed within a two day time frame meeting all of the clients environmental needs to allow a satisfactory assessment of the environmental conditions at the site.