Geotechnical Engineering
RockSol has the experience and capability to provide geotechnical engineering analysis and design for new structures and roadway improvements.
RockSol has conducted hundreds of geotechnical related studies including soil and rock investigations and laboratory testing for all types of engineering design projects. Our geotechnical engineers have experience in foundations, including deep foundations, retaining structures, landslide and rockfall stabilization, soil and rock instrumentation, soil improvement, geosynthetics, construction over very soft soil, liquefaction analysis, and in situ testing.
RockSol approaches each project with a full understanding of the project design specifications and standards to provide the essential geotechnical recommendations in an efficient and cost effective approach. RockSol has experience in providing geotechnical services meeting federal, state, county, and city requirements.
Subsurface Investigations
Our geotechnical engineers provide services for all




phases of civil engineering projects, including geotechnical studies with site investigations, field exploration, geologic mapping, and field and laboratory materials testing. The RockSol team is experienced in and knowledgeable about all types of field procedures to characterize subsurface conditions, ranging from conventional methods – such as drilling and sampling – to geologic mapping and geophysical testing. The RockSol team has completed numerous geotechnical field investigations, including investigations in environmentally sensitive areas and in areas overlying abandoned coal mines. Over the past two years, RockSol geotechnical engineers have drilled and logged over 500 boreholes as part of various geotechnical investigations.
Pavement Analysis & Design
The RockSol team is highly experienced in analyzing pavement management and field performance data, evaluating existing pavement, evaluating sub-base and sub-grade, determining pavement structural requirements, developing analytical modeling, and assisting with plan specifications. Our team employs state-of-the-art analysis methods for the evaluation of current pavement conditions as well as pavement design for new roads or reconstruction projects including FAA Pavement Design and AASHTO mechanistic-empirical (M-E) pavement design principles to determine the stresses developed in the pavement structure. We have extensive experience in providing recommendations for roadway reconstruction, reclamation, materials, recycling, resurfacing and preservation treatments, and conducting life cycle cost analyses.
Foundation Design
RockSol personnel employ state-of-the-art analysis methods for the design of shallow foundations, geosynthetic reinforced soil foundations and deep foundations using driven piles and drilled shafts for bridges, retaining walls, and other structures. The RockSol team is highly qualified to develop and apply advanced computational methods for the most demanding geologic and loading conditions. Along with in-house spreadsheets, RockSol utilizes SoilWorks, FB-MultiPier, MSEW, Settle 3D 4.0, GRLWEAP, and L-Pile software to assist with foundation design.
Retaining Wall Design
RockSol performs geotechnical investigations to assist with the design of a variety of retaining wall types, such as mechanically stabilized earth, cast-in-place, and gravity retaining structures. Subsurface conditions are characterized to evaluate external stability, including bearing resistance, sliding, overturning, global stability, and settlement. Along with in-house spreadsheets, RockSol utilizes SlopeW, SoilWorks, Slide 2018, Settle 3D 4.0, Rocscience, and MSEW to assist with retaining wall foundation design.
Slope Stability & Landslide Analysis
We provide expertise in slope stability and landslide analysis for simple and complex loading and drainage situations including earthquake loading. The team’s geologists and geotechnical engineers provide comprehensive geotechnical engineering services to assess the stability of rock and soil slopes. The RockSol Team has expertise in evaluation, design, reinforcement of rocks, and soil stability problems. We have experience in rock mass characterization and interpretation. Our team members have unique expertise in numerical modeling and simulation as related to rock and soil mechanics problems. We also design excavation support systems and provide expertise in the area of soil improvement methods, soil nailing, rock dowelling, rock bolting, and grouting.
Construction & Soil Improvement Recommendations
We also design excavation support systems and provide expertise in the area of soil improvement. We have designed soil stabilization alternatives including lime stabilized soil, soil-cement mix design, grout injection, fly ash treated bases and subgrades, subgrade replacement, and incorporation of geogrids and geofabrics for roadway improvements, utility facilities, and new and existing structures.