Vertek partner Incotec recently entered the cone penetration test business area with the purchase of a Vertek S4 Push System. Learn more about the geotechnical market in their home country of Bolivia and click through to the CPT U blog for the full story.
What is the scope and focus of Incotec today?
More specialization in all the fields of its activities, mainly with the incorporation of cutting edge equipments for soil tests (SCPTu from Vertek), deep foundation construction (BG18, BG20 and BG 30 from Bauer, with tools for Full Displacement Piles, Cutter Soil Mixing, cased piles) and quality controls (From Pile Dynamics, PIT, Cross Hole and PDA).
But the main product developed by Incotec during the last decade is the EXpander Body, a steel folded “balloon” that is installed at the tip of a pile or an anchor.
The EB is then injected with grout to expand it, compacting the surrounding soil and increasing significantly the stiffness, thus, the capacity.
Is the only system that measures the pressure and volume of the injection (like a pressuremeter), giving valuable information about the soil and the capacity of each element. And with better soil investigation, the results are more accurate.
What are the primary geological engineering challenges facing Bolivia at this time?
Better quality in the basic data in order to increase the quality of the solutions and reduce the costs due to the lack of reliable parameters.
Specific to CPT, what does Incotec offer that is unique in your region?
The SCPTu we have (Vertek S4), is the only in the country. It exists and old Bengeman cone at one public university in Cochabamba. But the difference in accuracy an quantity of information provided by our equipment makes it the best option right now. We also offer the design of foundations based in this information.
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