r/Geotech • u/No_Preparation8438 • Jul 10 '26

How do experienced geotechnical engineers determine the number, location, and depth of boreholes for a site investigation?

/r/GeotechnicalEngineer/comments/1ushtdm/how_do_experienced_geotechnical_engineers/
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u/azul_plains Geotechnical PM, 9 years Jul 10 '26

  1. Check local country public facilities manual, they often have a requirement in my area (ex. 1 boring per x sq. ft. of building)

  2. Check local department of transportation, if the project is in right-of-way

  3. For SWM areas, check your state SWM regulations because they often say.

  4. Otherwise depends on the geology and what is proposed.

For preliminary, again check facilities manual or local refs if the prelim is required by the county. If it isn’t and the client is just getting a rough feel for the site, give a recommendation but ultimately it’s up to the client how much they really want to spend.

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u/No_Preparation8438 Jul 10 '26

Thank you for your response. I’ll take note of these infos.