It's used only where site-specific conditions allow it; cased or duplex drilling is far more common across most of the county due to the generally shallow water table.
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 from caving in and carries cuttings out as the hole advances, eliminating the step of installing and later withdrawing a casing.
In Harris County, that method is viable only in the firmer, less saturated ground that occasionally sits above the water table at a given site; the loose, highly saturated clay that predominates through most of the county typically requires a cased or duplex method to keep the hole from collapsing before the grout sets. GSI's Harris County drilling work includes:
It's used only where site-specific conditions allow it; cased or duplex drilling is far more common across most of the county due to the generally shallow water table.
Cased drilling, which is frequently required in the county's saturated ground, generally costs more than open-hole drilling elsewhere, since it involves installing and withdrawing casing material.
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 method for that section immediately, since continuing open-hole through saturated, unstable ground would risk the borehole collapsing.
Yes, in isolated pockets of firmer ground above the water table, though it's far less broadly applicable here than in drier inland Texas markets.
We confirm groundwater depth and soil saturation with test borings before drilling begins, rather than assuming a single method fits every site in the county.
Subsidence affects long-term bearing design more than the drilling method itself, though our engineers factor regional settlement history into the overall foundation or anchor design.
Yes. It's common for different zones of the same site to call for different methods depending on where groundwater and soil conditions change.
Assuming open-hole drilling will work in Harris County's saturated ground risks a collapsed borehole and a stalled project. Call (855) 599-5217 to get a drilling assessment from a licensed engineer.
