InnovoGeo Engineering performed advanced in-situ cone penetration testing with pore pressure measurement (CPTu) for a coastal shoreline resiliency project in Colonial Beach, Virginia.  The project seeks to address shoreline erosion that had damaged an existing concrete boardwalk.

Following completion of conventional SPT borings by others, which encountered soft clay layers, the client retained InnovoGeo to perform rapid-turnaround CPTu testing to provide higher-resolution subsurface characterization.

InnovoGeo’s limited-access box truck allowed safe and efficient access through narrow residential streets where larger trucks and trailers would have been difficult to maneuver.  Field testing was completed using InnovoGeo’s Pagani limited-access tracked rig, which was well suited for the constrained shoreline conditions, including narrow beach areas, moderately steep slopes, and loose and rounded sand and gravel surfaces.  The rig’s lightweight footprint and variable mast inclination capability allowed CPTu soundings to be performed efficiently in challenging terrain.

InnovoGeo mobilized quickly, self-performed the CPTu investigation, and delivered finalized CPTu logs within one week of initial client outreach.

The CPTu investigation provided continuous, high-resolution stratigraphic data and improved differentiation between sand and clay layers compared to SPT borings alone.  The additional data is expected to support improved design decisions and long-term shoreline resiliency performance.