Open-hole drilling is typically faster since it skips installing and withdrawing a casing, though duration depends on hole depth and confirmed rock conditions.
Open-hole drilling circulates grout as the drilling fluid itself instead of supporting the borehole with a temporary steel casing. The grout's density keeps surrounding soil or rock from caving in and carries cuttings out as the hole advances, eliminating the step of installing and later withdrawing a casing.
In Bexar County, that approach works well once a hole reaches solid limestone, but soft marl or clay layers common in the same corridor typically need a cased or duplex method to keep the hole from collapsing before the grout sets. GSI's Bexar County drilling work includes:
Open-hole drilling is typically faster since it skips installing and withdrawing a casing, though duration depends on hole depth and confirmed rock conditions.
Cost varies by site; marl or clay layers requiring cased drilling generally cost more than sites where open-hole drilling into solid limestone is viable.
Yes. Our PE-licensed engineers specify the method by zone based on confirmed subsurface conditions, and every design meets applicable code requirements.
We switch to a cased or duplex drilling method for that section immediately, since continuing open-hole through soft marl risks the borehole collapsing.
No. It's reliable in solid limestone, but marl and clay layers are common enough in the same corridors that every hole needs site-specific confirmation.
We confirm ground conditions with test borings specific to the site rather than assuming uniform geology across the corridor.
Yes, wherever an anchor extends into confirmed solid limestone, since a competent rock socket holds the hole open without a casing.
Yes. It's common for different zones of the same site, especially one spanning limestone and marl, to call for different drilling methods.
Using the wrong drilling method for the ground beneath a Bexar County site risks a collapsed borehole and a stalled project. Call (855) 599-5217 to get a drilling assessment from a licensed engineer.
