CPT Testing Ipswich: Reliable Cone Penetration Data for Site Design

The Anglian till here contains chalk clasts and occasional cobbles. We use a pre-drilled pilot hole through the most stubborn upper metre if needed, then push the cone through the underlying matrix. If the cone refusal risk is high, we recommend a combined approach: CPT for the softer layers, supplemented by rotary coring for the very dense zones.

For a standard piezocone test up to 20 metres depth, budget between £120 and £180 per push, which includes mobilisation of the 10-tonne rig, data acquisition, and a processed log with soil behaviour type classification. The total cost depends on the number of pushes and whether you add seismic or dissipation testing.

Raw data is available on the rig screen in real time. The processed CPT log with soil behaviour type classification, friction ratio, and pore pressure plots is typically emailed within 48 hours of the field work. Faster turnaround is possible if the design team is waiting to finalise pile lengths.

A CPT does not recover a physical sample, so we still recommend at least one borehole or test pit on site to calibrate the cone response against the actual Ipswich lithology. The combined approach gives you both the continuous profile from the CPT and the visual classification from the borehole log, aligning fully with BS EN 1997-2 requirements.

Yes. In fact, the soft alluvial silts and peats along the Orwell corridor are where CPT provides the greatest value over SPT alone. The cone gives you a continuous undrained shear strength profile and identifies thin permeable layers that control the rate of consolidation—information that directly feeds settlement calculations and ground improvement design.