Cone Penetration Testing (CPT)
It’s a simple field test where we steadily push a narrow, metal cone deep into the ground and measure how firm the soil is and how water pressure changes, giving a clean, continuous picture of the layers without drilling. Seismic CPT (SCPT) adds a stiffness check at set depths. Our crew hits a steel plate at the surface with a sledge hammer, and the cone’s sensor times how fast that vibration travels through the ground. From that, we gauge how “dense” or “soft” the site is for earthquake design. CPT/SCPT is excellent on soft or loose soils (clay, silt, and peat sites) and on sites that could liquefy in an earthquake (loose sand briefly acting like quicksand). It lets us spot weak layers and changes throughout the soil profile that borings can miss, so we can give clear, dialed-in recommendations resulting in fewer construction surprises. CPT investigations contribute to better foundations, smarter ground improvement, and more confident decisions.
We own and operate our own cone penetration test (CPT) and seismic cone penetration test (SCPT) services under our inhouse specialists West Coast CPT. The CPT unit is transported in a compact 3 m (≈10 ft) trailer that connects to a third-party drill rig or other suitable hydraulic pusher. We run 10-ton Hogentogler cones rated to 30 MPa (~300 bar) tip resistance refusal, allowing soundings up to 60 m (≈200 ft) below grade where site access and ground conditions permit.
"Advantages of CPT: Fast and continuous profiling; repeatable and reliable data; economical and productive." -Peter K Robertson and K Cabal, Guide to Cone Penetration Testing
All testing is performed by DIG Engineering senior engineers with 10+ years of CPT experience, the same engineers who guide your testing also design the geotechnical elements of your project. We evaluate the data in real time as it'ds being acquired, verify data quality at the source, and deliver reliable results without extra handoffs. Because we don’t need a separate subcontractor for CPT/SCPT, you avoid extra mobilization and third-party markups, schedules are easier to lock in, and we can collect and interpret data on the spot. There are fewer handoffs, simpler pricing, and less downtime add up to real savings for our clients who use West Coast CPT, especially on soft-soil and liquefiable sites across the Lower Mainland and Sea-to-Sky.
Contractors and consultants can hire West Coast CPT for stand-alone CPT/SCPT services across B.C., as well as add on CPT services to existing DIG projects. We deliver fast, cost-effective CPT for ground improvement and densification verification (preload, vibro-stone, vibro-compaction, dynamic compaction), as well as CPT/SCPT data to support your own geotechnical investigations and liquefaction screening. Our team provides clean deliverables such as PDF logs plus CSV data and SCPT shear-wave profiles so you can plug results straight into your analysis.
If you’re looking for CPT testing in British Columbia, SeismicCPT (SCPT) testing in B.C., or CPT Verification services for contractors, we are your local and reliable option.
What you will see as we push the cone is how it records how firm the soil is (tip resistance), side friction, and water pressure plotted against depth. The pattern creates a continuous picture of the ground, highlighting soft or loose layers and any liquefiable sands so we can tailor foundations and ground-improvement decisions with precision.
