MGV Geotechnical Group, PSC
Provides geotechnical-consulting and geological services for both public and private interests in Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands. The company performs geotechnical investigations and consulting services, geological and hydrogeological studies, environmental assessments, geo-environmental drilling, monitoring well installation, soil and concrete testing services and quality control of earthwork construction. Our soil and aggregate testing affiliate facilities and quality system have been inspected, reviewed and accredited by the AASHTO R-18 Program. A list of accredited test standards is further presented in this document.
Additionally, the US Army Corps of Engineers has validated our current AASHTO Accreditation with the USACE processes and standards. Our professional staff has provided geotechnical consulting services for housing developments, commercial developments, high-rise buildings, single-family custom homes, slope stability analyses, ground improvement recommendations, retaining walls, sinkholes evaluation, state roads and highway, schools, bridges, hospitals, among others.
The extensive experience of the staff at MGV Geotechnical Group, PSC, combined with the latest field equipment and computer analysis programs, promotes cost-effective solutions tailor-made to individual projects. Projects are approached with a thorough understanding of the proposed improvement/development, local and state codes, experience with local and regional geologic conditions, and a firm commitment to address the client’s needs in an efficient, cost-effective and timely manner. Engineering solutions are provided based on an objective analysis of the geotechnical conditions and proven methods of design analyses.
Capabilities and Experience
As a full service, client-oriented geotechnical/environmental engineering and soil and construction materials testing laboratory firm, MGV Geotechnical Group, PSC, provides a wide spectrum of technical capabilities, expertise, and resources to accommodate the needs of our clients. Our service capabilities include:
- Geotechnical Engineering and Geology Services
- Environmental Services
- Geophysical Investigations
- Electrical Resistivity
- Seismic Refraction
- Geotechnical and Geo-Environmental Drilling
- Monitoring Well Installations
- Soil and Concrete Testing
- Forensic Geotechnical Investigations
- Instrumentation Services
Geotechnical & Geological Services
MGV Geotechnical Group, PSC engineers are knowledgeable in foundation recommendations for a wide variety of structures ranging from dwelling to high-rise buildings, as well as public infrastructure projects. MGV Geotechnical Group, PSC engineers also analyze a wide range of foundation problems providing clients with variable foundation alternatives for economy analyses. Geotechnical and Geology Engineering Services Include:
- Bearing Capacity
- Axial and Lateral Pile Capacity, including Drilled Shafts
- Pile Driving Recommendations (Wave Equation and Dynamic Analysis)
- Slope Stability Analysis, Recommendations, and Remediation of Landslides
- Liquefaction Analysis and Mitigation
- Settlement Analysis (Elastic and Consolidation)
- Stability of Retaining Systems and Recommendations
- Location of Subsurface Cavities that can Develop into
- Sinkholes and Sinkhole Remediation Recommendations
- Ground Improvements Techniques
- Finite Element Analysis
- Temporary Retaining Systems for Excavations (Stability and Design)
- Hydrogeologic investigations for pollutant transport modeling.
- Instrumentation, Rock Slope Stability Analysis, Rock foundation Analysis, Engineering Geology mapping.
- Rock Hazard Rating System Surveys
Subsoil Drilling & Sampling
Drilling and Sampling Services for geotechnical and environmental projects are provided by MGV Geotechnical Group, PSC in a daily basis. In addition to the installation of wells.
Drilling Methods (Among others)
Auger Drilling:
Often used for site investigation, environmental and geotechnical drilling and sampling, and boreholes for construction purposes, auger drilling can be an efficient drilling method. The advantages include low operating costs, fast penetration rates in suitable formations and no contamination of samples by fluids. Continuous flight augers with hollow stems are used for sample recovery in environmental, geotechnical operations.
Air Rotary Drilling:
Rotary drilling uses a sharp, rotating drill bit to dig down through the Earth’s crust. Much like a common hand held drill, the spinning of the drill bit allows for penetration of even the hardest rock. The basic rotary drilling system consists of four groups of components; the prime movers, hoisting equipment, rotating equipment, and circulating equipment all combine to make rotary drilling possible. The circulating agent, which is the responsible for lifting the cuttings to the surface and cooling the drilling bit, may be either water (with or without additives-mud) or air. Pumps are used when water is used while an air compressor is used for air.
Odex Drilling:
A special hammer drill bit is designed to be used inside and at the bottom of steel casing so that the drill bit has an eccentric reamer below the steel casing. With this method the hammer pulverizes the material below the casing and then blows it back through the casing to the top of the hole with the aid of an air compressor. As the hammer drives through the material, it also reacts against interior shoulder beveled inside the steel casing, which pulls the casing down the hole as the hammer drill is advanced. This method is well suited for drilling through difficult formations such as rock fill and back fill.
Direct Push Technology (DPT) Drilling:
The DPT Direct Push Drilling Technology allows for a wide variety of direct push tooling and instrumentation to be advanced into a subsurface lithology using the static weight of the rig, hydraulic down pressure, and rapid hydraulic hammering. Direct Push Tooling is used to perform soil, soil gas, and groundwater sampling. It is also used for soil remediation, and geotechnical sampling and testing. Compared to conventional drilling, direct push drilling is less labor intensive, offers quicker setup time, and generates less drill cuttings. Direct push tooling is also easier to decontaminate and maintain.
Available Drilling Rigs
Mobile B-61 HDX
- Auger Drilling
- Rotary Drilling
- Odex Drilling
Mobile B-61 HD
- Auger Drilling
CME 55
- Auger Drilling
CME 45
- Auger Drilling
AMS 9600 Power Probe
- DPT Drilling
- Auger Drilling
Miscellaneous Equipment
- Portable SIMCO Rig (Angle DPT and Auger Drilling)
- Aluminum Tripod with Cathead
- 2.25”, 3.25”, 4.25” and 6.25” ID Hollow Stem Augers
- Core Barrel and Wireline
- F450 (4×4)
- Two F350 (4×4)
- Haullmark 6’x12’ Closed Trailer
- 750 cfs Ingersollrand air compressor
- 3.5 Kw & 7 kW ave Generators
- PID
- Steam Cleaners
- Grouting Pump CG-050
- Peristaltic Pump
- Two Moino Pumps
- Well video camera
Geophysical Services
MGV Geotechnical Group, PSC, an offering geophysical services company, uses a variety of geophysical methods to solve engineering, geological, environmental and forensic problems. The methods and instruments we use are chosen to meet the specific needs of our clients and accommodate the existing field conditions.
Geophysical exploration has been utilized in numerous fields to o study a wide range of targets within the earth from discovering the deep structure of the earth at thousands meters to near surface structures and properties at depths of a few tens of meters. Some of the latest geophysical technologies are targeted at studying engineered material, such as pavements and bridge decks at only a few centimeters depth. Geophysical surveys are conducted on the ground surface, within drill holes, and from the water and air.
Non Destructive Testing (NDT) geophysical investigations are applied in two modes; parametric studies such as measuring and analyzing seismic velocity for determining the modulus of soils or concrete pavement, and imaging and mapping studies such as using ground penetrating radar (GPR) to look for trends that can be correlated to delaminations on a bridge deck among other non-transportation related projects.
Geophysical Areas Covered
- Electric Resistivity
- Seismic Refraction
- Seismic Reflection
- Seismic Downhole and Crosshole Surveys
- Microearthquakes
- Gravity
- Magnetics
- Ground Penetration Radar (GPR)
- DC Resistivity Depth Sounding and Profiling
- Electromagnetic Induction (EM)
- Very Low Frequency (VLF)
- Spontaneous Potential (SP)
- Tellurics, Dipole-Dipole & Other Electrical Methods
- Ground Motion Monitoring
- Seismic Resonance Profiling
Construction Material Lab
LABORATORY SERVICES
Our firm maintains a fully equipped soil and concrete testing shop and is currently accredited by AASHTO and certified by the Corps of Engineers. All physical testing of soil and aggregates are performed in accordance with ASTM, AASHTO, USACE, PRHWA, ACI or other applicable testing specifications. Skilled technicians utilizing state-of-the-art equipment assure that high quality standards are maintained. A quality assurance program that provides for regular review, update of staff skills and training, schedule of routine maintenance and calibration of laboratory equipment is maintained. A computer system facilitates precise computation and presentation of laboratory data.
Soil Testing Laboratory Services Include:
- Moisture Content of Soils
- Atterberg Limits
- Sieve Analysis-Grain Size Distribution
- Unconfined Compressive Strength
- Hydrometer AnalysisStandard and Modified Proctor Compaction Test (Automated Compaction Equipment)
- One Dimensional Consolidation Tests
- Direct Shear Strength Tests
- Triaxial Cell TestsHydraulic Conductivity Tests (Permeability)
- California Bearing Ratio (CBR)
- pH MeasurementIn-place Density/Moisture (Nuclear Methods)
- Soil Expansion Potential (Swelling)
- Potential Volume Change TestUnit Weight Determination
- Falling or Constant Head Permeability
- Specific Gravity Determination
- Organic Content Determination
- Other Tests on request
Concrete Testing Laboratory Services Include:
- Casting Concrete Cylinders
- Casting Concrete Beams Specimens
- Compressive Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens
- Flexural Strength Testing (Cast Beams)
- Unit Weight, Entrained Air Content, Slump
- Obtaining and Testing Drilled Concrete Cores
- Aggregates Sieve Analysis
- Specific Gravity (Fine and Coarse Grained Aggregates)
Projects
Geotechnical Exploration For Lufthansa Hangar, Aguadilla, PR
Geotechnical Exploration for design of structure foundations over karst terrain.
Geotechnical Exploration for Tank Farm at Total Petroleum, Guaynabo, PR
Geotechnical recommendations based on subsoil investigation consisting in SPT boreholes and Electrical Resistivity Survey for 120’ diam. and 69’ high tanks.
Preliminary Geotechnical Exploration for Fifteen Bridges of Extension PR22, Hatillo-Aguadilla, PR
Gotechnical Exploration for preliminary recommendations for design of bridges foundations.
Rock Stability Assessment for 110 Cut-slopes Along PR-22, San Juan-Hatillo, PR
Rock stability assesment.
Geotechnical Exploration for Remediation of Landslide in Victoria Heights, Bayamón, PR
Characterization and recommendations for remediation of landslide 75 mts. long and 65 mts. wide.
Supervision of Load Tests and Installation for 100 Soil Anchors at Pier 6, San Juan, PR
Supervision of load test and installation including data reduction and interpretation of load tests results. Verification of compliance with project specifications.
Geotechnical Exploration for New Cells Landfills in the Municipalities of Hormigueros, Vega Baja, Lajas and Barranquitas, PR
Total and differential settlements analyses, global slope stability analyses and infinite slope stability analyses.
Drilling, Sampling and Installation of Monitoring Wells in EPA Superfund, Cabo Rojo, PR
DPT and SPT sampling, air rotary drilling and installation of monitoring wells up to 200’ below surface.
Geotechnical Exploration for more than ten Raw Water Intake structures of PRASA
Recommendations for structures foundation design, including dams, pump stations, among others.
Drilling, Sampling and Installation of deep Monitoring Wells in Landfill, Peñuelas, PR
Air rotary drilling and installation of monitoring wells deeper than 300’ below surface.
Geotechnical Exploration for Water Tank at NAVY Communication Facilities, Aguada, PR
Geotechnical Exploration including Mitigation Liquefiable Soils.
Drilled Shaft Instrumentation and Static Load Test at Hacienda La Esperanza, Manatí, PR
Instrumentation of 30 inches diameter and 35 feet long drilled shaft by means of vibrating strain gages in order to determine skin friction and tip capacity by separate after executed static load test to 150 tons.
Value Engineering and Pile Driving Inspection for Armed Forces Reserve Center, Mayagüez, PR
Evaluation of settlements and negative skin friction in piles. Results showed the elimination of friction reducing agent and the reduction in pile length from 80 to 40 and 60 feet long.
Forensic Geotechnical Exploration for El Yunque Communication Site, Río Grande, PR
Geotechnical Exploration by means of Soil Borings with aluminum tripod, execution of Pile Integrity Tests (PIT) for retrofit study of concrete anchor and bearing capacity determination.
Forensic Geotechnical Exploration for Pep Boys Store, Bayamón, PR
Geotechnical Exploration by means of Soil Borings, special laboratory program and analysis of historic stereo pairs photographs in order to determine reason for high amounts of settlements in structure.
Geotechnical Exploration for Closure of Existing Cell and Proposed New Cell at Vega Baja, PR
Geotechnical Exploration by means of Soil Borings including undisturbed sampling by means of Shelby tubes. Lab testing included Consolidation Tests and Direct Shear for Geotechnical analyses of settlement for proposed new cell and slope stability of cells slopes.
Forensic Geotechnical Exploration for Existing Aguirre Fuel Pier, Salinas, PR
Geotechnical Exploration by means of Soil Borings on a barge and execution of Pile Integrity Tests (PIT) for retrofit study of pier piles.
Geotechnical Exploration of Expansion to Bristol Myers Squibb Manufacturing Building, Manatí, PR
Geotechnical Exploration by means of Soil Borings and Non-Invasive Geophysical Study. Criteria for 36-96” in diameter-drilled shaft construction.
Inspection of Foundation Construction – Expansion to Bristol Myers Squibb Manufacturing Building, Manatí, PR
Quality Control and Quality Monitoring of concrete poured for drilled shafts. Geological logging of large diameter borehole for the construction of drilled shafts from 36 to 96” in diameter.
Geo Environmental Drilling and Monitoring Well Installation at many sites in PR
Installation of monitoring wells and environmental sampling.
CONTACT US
Marcus García Vincenty, PE (PR, FL & USVI), MECE
Geotechnical Engineer
Iván L. Guzmán, PhD, MBA, PE
Geotechnical Engineer
Leandro Addarich Martínez, PG
Geologist
Lawrence Correa Aponte, PE
Lab Manager
Mrs. Norma Lázaro
Lab Supervisor
Mrs. Johelly Rodríguez Nicolopulos
Administrator