Inside the Graduate Program: Project Manager Course

Building the Next Generation of Project Managers At Douglas Partners, technical excellence is only part of the story. Delivering grounded solutions for the built environment requires more than strong geotechnical, environmental and groundwater expertise. I It demands leadership, commercial awareness and trusted client relationships. It’s for these reasons our Graduate Program goes beyond technical training. […]

Douglas Partners’ 38th Annual Technical Seminar “Win Winning”

Douglas-Partners-38th-Annual-Technical-Seminar-Win-Winning

Uniting Expertise, Innovation and the Spirit of Winning Each year, Douglas Partners brings together our geotechnical engineers, geologists, hydrogeologists, environmental specialists and technical professionals from across 19 branches for our Annual Technical Seminar, an event that sits at the heart of our culture of technical excellence, collaboration and shared success. Our team shared practical insights, […]

Understanding the Plate Load Test: Procedure, Interpretation & Importance in Foundation Design

Designing Shallow Foundations In geotechnical engineering, the safe and cost-effective design of shallow foundations depends on accurately determining the soil’s bearing capacity at the intended depth. Without reliable data, there is a risk of over-designing, which increases costs, or under-designing, which compromises structural safety. The Plate Load Test (PLT) is a widely used in-situ method […]

Case Studies of Filling Movements under Buildings

Abstract Three case studies of filling works are reviewed. In the first case, a deep quarry was backfilled with a combination of clays, ripped shale and ripped sandstone under controlled conditions. Settlement monitoring was carried out over a period of two years to measure the consolidation of the filling. The settlement results are presented and […]

Deep Foundation Design for Complex Soils

pile foundation

Why Deep Foundations Are Required In many projects, shallow foundations are sufficient to support the loads of a structure because the surface soils have adequate bearing capacity and settlement characteristics. However, in other cases, near-surface soils may be too weak, compressible, or variable to provide reliable support. This is particularly evident in areas with soft […]

Three-dimensional Bearing Capacity of Footings on Sand over Clay

Introduction The bearing capacity of soil is one of the most critical factors in foundation design, particularly where sand overlies clay. While dense sand offers relatively high load-bearing strength and effective drainage, underlying clay soils are often weaker, compressible, and more prone to long-term settlement. This layered interaction poses challenges for shallow foundations, where the […]

What are the Factors Affecting the Choice of Foundation Type?

A building’s foundation forms the critical link between the structure and the earth. It supports the entire structure, distributes building loads into the soil beneath, and ensures long-term structural stability. Selecting the appropriate type of foundation depends on various factors, including soil conditions, structural demands, and cost. At Douglas Partners, we provide expert geotechnical engineering […]

How to interpret borehole data for foundation design?

Understanding how to interpret borehole data is essential when planning the design and construction of a reliable foundation. Borehole drilling plays a critical role in this process, as it provides engineers with first-hand information about the physical properties of subsurface materials. The quality and detail of data obtained from borehole drilling services allow for accurate […]