Geotechnical Engineering
HWA is a full-service geotechnical engineering firm, offering consulting expertise and experience over a wide range of soil-mechanics and foundation engineering disciplines. Although HWA is a mid-sized Pacific Northwest firm, we work on major projects throughout the United States. HWA also performs international consulting assignments in Canada, Central America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
HWA delivers geotechnical engineering services for projects from initial planning to final design, and construction procedures, inspection, and observation. Our geotechnical engineers and engineering geologists provide data and design recommendations to assist other engineers, architects, and planners in determining cost-effective designs for all manner of foundation systems, site development and preparation works, and construction techniques for a variety of projects. Additionally, our engineering and geological staff has a vast experience base with hazardous terrain assessment, and design and construction of slope stabilization methods for steep slopes or seismic instability. Frequently, our professionals perform peer reviews in support of city-owned capital projects, operations, and maintenance.
Typical services related to geotechnical engineering include:
- Site investigations and assessments
- Landslide stabilization and critical areas studies
- Slope stability and slide stabilization design
- Shallow and deep foundations design
- Piles and drilled piers design and installation inspection
- Retaining structures design and construction inspection
- Earth pressures and shoring
- Dam safety assessments
- Pavement evaluation and design
- Earthquake engineering
- Seismic response and soil liquefaction analyses
- Site pretreatment and improvement methods
- Dewatering and drainage design
- Earthworks design and construction monitoring
- Trenchless construction design, including tunneling, micro-tunneling, and directional drilling
- Peer review
- Expert testimony
Selected project examples below, see Menu "Projects" tab for additional project descriptions:
Lake Stevens Wastewater Treatment Plant