GeoTest Services, Inc. Blog

Once Vulnerable, Now Robust – ASCE

geotestservices — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 23:16:59 +0000

Needing to upgrade portions of two critical but deteriorating water transmission pipelines, the City of Everett, Washington, replaced 4,000 linear ft of both pipelines without interrupting service or disturbing the fragile wetlands through wich they pass. The project also had to contend with such challenges as very soft soils, the presence of a pedestrian bridge and a dike, and the proximity of various pile-supported structures. To read the full article in the American Society of Civil Engineers click on the below link.

ASCE Civil Engineering Magazine November 2011 Everett Waterline

GeoTest would like to thank the project team members and the great citizens of Everett, WA for making this project possible.

November Monthly Featured Service – CESCL

geotestservices — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 00:09:28 +0000

GeoTest – November Monthly Featured Service

Certified Erosion and Sediment Control
Lead (CESCL)

All of us in the Northwest are accustomed to dealing with rainfall during construction. What some of us may not be so familiar with are the requirements of the State of Washington Construction Stormwater General Permit. In order to comply with the Construction Stormwater General Permit, your project must follow the guidelines outlined by the Department of Ecology (DOE) and your project’s Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). For sites larger than one acre, part of compliance with these guidelines entails the need to have a Certified Erosion and Sediment Control Lead (CESCL) perform weekly site inspections, sample stormwater runoff and prepare reports for submittal to the DOE.

GeoTest’s CESCL team includes soils professionals with backgrounds in Inspection and Geology as well as a licensed Professional Engineer with experience in Site Development, Erosion Control Design, Storm Drainage Design, Hydrology, Hydraulics, Construction Support, SWPPP preparation and Permitting related to Construction Stormwater. Our experience and diverse staff gives GeoTest the ability to understand the construction process as it relates to stormwater during the construction phase, from start to finish, helping our clients save time and money.

GeoTest Professional Sampling Stormwater

What can GeoTest provide in terms of CESCL services?

GeoTest can provide any necessary testing and/or monitoring to ensure that your project complies with the CSWGP, project specific SWPPP and any other local jurisdictional standards. Such services include but are not limited to:

Turbidity Monitoring & pH testing
Visual site inspections (checking sources of pollutants, monitoring BMP’s, etc.)
Review of the project SWPPP and all other stormwater related reports and documentation. Our goal is to anticipate problems before they become a problem.
Compliance with Federal, State and Local guidelines.
Complete Inspection and Discharge Monitoring reports to the DOE.
Track issues with site specific stormwater and assist with solutions if needed.

Why should I use GeoTest as my CESCL on my project?

GeoTest has extensive experience in compliance with regulations associated with construction stormwater. Using GeoTest as a third-party to provide CESCL services ensures quality testing and documentation. GeoTest’s knowledge and experience will help to minimize costs associated with construction stormwater mitigation and will dramatically reduce the chances of fines resulting from non-compliance.

We clearly understand:

Current regulations applicable to construction sites
Construction stormwater permitting and reporting processes
Environmental impacts of sediment, high pH in stormwater runoff and construction site pollutants.
Common conditions on residential, commercial and transportation construction sites as well as complex sites containing sensitive areas such as steep slopes, wetlands, shorelines, streams and geologic hazards.
Principal factors affecting erosion: soils geology, weather, topography and vegetation.
Effective Best Management Practices that prevent or minimize erosion, trap sediments and control water pollution.
How changes to a site during construction will require modification of an original design to ensure compliance with the project’s Construction Stormwater Permit.

GeoTest believes in strong communication between project team members, including engineers, contractors and our client. It is our goal to provide cost-effective, sound solutions based on scientific principles that ensure compliance, minimize time spent away from actual construction addressing stormwater issues and allow to the team to focus on completing the project at hand.

Where can GeoTest provide CESCL Services?

Throughout the State of Washington.

Can GeoTest provide other Stormwater services?

Yes, GeoTest offers a wide variety of Stormwater services. To learn more about our Stormwater Department call us at 888-251-5276, email us at info@geotest-inc.com or visit us online at our updated website www.geotest-inc.com.

- The GeoTest Team

Geotechnial Engineering Environmental Services Special Inspection Materials Testing

Lummi Nation – Haxton Way Pedestrian Pathway Project

geotestservices — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 16:30:13 +0000

Congratulations to the Lummi Nation and the entire team that worked on the Lummi Nation Haxton Way Project. WSDOT has awarded this project with the 2011 Award of Excellence in the Best Special Project category. To read more about the award on WSDOT’s website click here.

For an inspiring video on how this project came about check out this video on YouTube.

GeoTest performed special inspections & materials testing for this project. Again, congratulations to the Lummi Nation and project team.

Watch how GeoForm can Increase Chances of Project Success

geotestservices — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 14:10:10 +0000

GeoForm gives GeoTest the ability to deliver special inspection and materials testing reports with lightning speed. Watch this video and see how this system will greatly enhance the chances of success on your project.

1st collector for GeoTest’s new Eco-Fast Reporting System, GeoForm
Follow my videos on vodpod

GeoTest Selected for Statewide On-Call Testing and Inspection Roster

geotestservices — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 16:09:56 +0000

GeoTest Services, Inc. is proud to announce that we have been selected to be part of the Washington State General Administration On-Call Testing and Inspection Roster. GeoTest is excited to be a part of the Washington State quality control team.

GeoTest finished 2^nd place in the overall selection process. The General Administration selected four firms overall for Statewide Testing & Inspection Services.

-The GeoTest Team

GeoTest Launches New Eco-Fast Reporting System, GeoForm

geotestservices — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 20:34:15 +0000

GeoTest is excited to announce the launch of our new Eco-Fast Reporting System, GeoForm. Our goal was to have our clients in mind when we developed this incredibly fast and easy to use reporting system. GeoForm is a secure cloud computing system that delivers special inspection and materials testing reports to our clients and members of the project team (aka distribution list) with lightning speed.

With GeoForms Report Center clients and members of the project team get secure 24/7 access to all of your reports for all projects. You can view your reports online anytime, from any device. GeoForm also gives members easy sorting features and emailing options to make your life easier.

GeoForm greatly enhances your chances of success on you project. With faster report distribution and enhanced tools for viewing reports the entire project team will communicate more efficiently and effectively. To see a brief video presentation of GeoForm click here.

What makes GeoForm so fast at distributing our special inspection and materials testing reports? Because GeoForm is an online platform our inspectors enter in their inspections on mobile devices in the field. This along with many other enhanced processes allows GeoTest to get reports out to members of the project team faster. And because everything is done online, GeoForm has also eliminated a great deal of paper waste for all team members. At GeoTest we are extremely proud to be able to help the environment and improve our business model at the same time.

If you have a project with GeoTest you will eventually be sent a welcome email instructing you on how to login to our new system (GeoForm Login Page). Once logged in check out our News/FAQ page to learn more about the system.

Connect with GeoForm on Facebook.

If you have questions regarding the new system please give us a call at 888-251-5276 or send us an email at info@geotest-inc.com.

We hope you enjoy our new system and please comment below and tell us what you think!

-The GeoTest Team

Now Offering Online Scheduling

geotestservices — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 15:51:03 +0000

GeoTest’s Special Inspection and Materials Testing Department has launched the online scheduler. The online scheduling tool can be accessed from any mobile device through the GeoTest Homepage. Contractors, Construction Managers or anyone who is responsible for scheduling inspections can now easily schedule online with a few clicks of the mouse.

Please comment below on our online scheduler and give us recommendations on how we can improve our business and make your life easier.

Thank you!

-The GeoTest Team