We mobilize a tracked excavator to open test pits across Brandon Manitoba, typically reaching depths of 3 to 4.5 m depending on the water table. The machine digs a trench roughly 0.8 m wide, allowing our engineer to log soil strata directly in the sidewall. Each profile is photographed, measured for color and moisture, and sampled at 0.3 m intervals. We complement the field logging with georradar GPR to detect buried obstructions before excavation begins. The entire process follows CFEM for visual classification and ASTM D420 for subsurface exploration standards.
Direct visual inspection of soil strata in the sidewall remains the most reliable method to verify stratification before foundation design.