Geotechnical Engineering in Kamloops

In Kamloops, we often see surprises once you dig past the dry surface crust. The valley floor hides layers of glaciolacustrine silt that change behavior completely when saturated. A proper soil mechanics study goes beyond simple classification: we measure compressibility, shear strength, and permeability under conditions that match the site water table. Our lab processes samples from all over town — from Aberdeen slopes down to Valleyview flats — and we calibrate every triaxial cell against certified load rings. The goal is straightforward: give the structural engineer numbers that hold up in review. When a borehole log shows soft silt at 6 meters, the CPT test can add continuous tip resistance and pore pressure readings to refine the stratigraphy before we even open the sample tubes.

Lacustrine silt from the Thompson Valley can lose 40% of its undrained shear strength when remolded: lab testing catches what a field pocket penetrometer won't.

Local geology

Why choose us

A common mistake we see around Kamloops is designing shallow footings using only SPT N-values and textbook bearing capacity equations for sand, while ignoring the silt-dominated stratigraphy that actually controls settlement. The Thompson River deposits are interbedded: a sand layer might sit over compressible silt that consolidates slowly under load. If the soil mechanics study skips consolidation testing, the owner ends up with differential settlement cracking within three years of construction. We have reviewed reports where the lab classified a sample as low-plasticity silt but never ran a triaxial test, leaving the structural design blind to the undrained strength. In a city where the seismic hazard is real and the water table fluctuates seasonally along the river corridors, skipping those lab steps isn't a shortcut — it's a liability that turns a straightforward foundation into a long-term problem.

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