Stable design for a solid foundation

When planning to build, expand, excavate, or bore – geotechnical experts are the first line of defense in ensuring a project has no underground surprises. Understanding the soil quality, the type of rock, and the earth’s condition at your site is the key to saving money and providing confidence – for you, your community, and your investors. From access roadways, parking areas, bridges, and retaining walls to well pads, structures, impoundments, pipelines, and foundations – RETTEW’s geotechnical investigations and engineering solutions are critical to a stable design.

At RETTEW, our approach to projects is defined by proactive responsiveness and unwavering client commitment. We understand challenges like sinkholes don’t wait for convenient moments, which is why our highly trained staff stands ready to respond at a moment’s notice. With more than 50 years of dedicated service, we’ve built a reputation for reliable, timely communication that goes beyond typical industry standards.

Our expertise isn’t just about technical skill—it’s about being a dependable partner through every phase of a project, anticipated or unexpected. This commitment has earned us the trust of clients who know we’ll be there when it matters most.

Technical creativity

At RETTEW, we know not every project is the same, so we deliver strategic, customized solutions. We become an extension of your team, thinking critically and creatively to complete each project. We offer personalized solutions, budget efficiency, and enhanced safety – not one-size-fits-all answers.

From landslide evaluation and remediation to geotechnical investigations and construction inspection services, we’ve seen it all and done it all. RETTEW has experts on hand to remove any obstacle. We walk alongside our clients to design plans, prepare bids, work with contractors, and meet regularly with contractors, inspectors, construction managers, and environmental staff to keep your project running smoothly.

Geotechnical in practice

Knowing potential hazards that may lie ahead helps you better prepare for when they happen. The experts at RETTEW know exactly how to evaluate your risk and plan for mitigation measures. Clients with pipeline rights-of-way, proposed pipeline corridors, interconnect facilities, compressor stations, launcher-receiver facilities, and valve yards all call on our team. Landslide geohazards can jeopardize your assets when an active natural gas pipeline is part of a slide mass. We are on-hand to react immediately and provide solutions for both short-term stabilization (for interim pipeline integrity) and long-term stabilization (overall right-of-way stabilization). We can also identify existing or potential future geohazards for your current or upcoming midstream or upstream facilities.

Pipeline integrity concerns can keep you up at night. Our experienced field staff of geotechnical engineers and geologists use surveys and drone-mounted remote sensing to provide peace of mind and determine next steps. This unique approach provides several perspectives so you can see all your remediation options up front. Many companies are dealing with original pipeline construction, which during the early years of the Marcellus and Utica Shale exploration received minimal geotechnical engineering. As a result, we are often called upon for slope stability and embankment issues. Typically, we can resolve these concerns by using slope reconstruction or a retaining structure, giving our clients the protection and peace of mind they need.

In the highly regulated natural gas production industry, having senior geotechnical engineers on your side may save you thousands of dollars. The experts at RETTEW provide desktop pipeline routing evaluations, field reconnaissance and verification, LIDAR remote sensing drone flight data evaluation, asset management, and landslide identification. But we don’t stop there because stability is critical to safety and to your business needs. We also dive into landslide evaluation for land, environmental, and engineering impacts through test pit installations and test boring installations. Next, we help you prepare your team and contractors for the work needed – offering one-stop-shop services.

Permitting is an essential part of any project. That’s why we provide all-inclusive permit applications and submissions for horizontal directional drilling (HDD) installation. Our geotechnical experts work with our in-house land planning team to provide HDD plan and profile preparation. We also provide geotechnical reports following the field investigation, surveying services, wetland delineation services, and permit applications and submissions. RETTEW’s longstanding relationships with regulatory agencies, built on years of reliable partnerships, allow us to facilitate a smoother and more efficient permitting process.

Whether we’re providing a launcher/receiver pad subgrade to landslide repairs, well pads, or access roadways, we understand a safe, structurally reliable work site is the linchpin to a successful project. RETTEW’s experts include both civil engineers and geologists with significant experience in new earthwork construction projects and landslide repairs.

Building on challenging terrain requires expertise that protects your investment. The experts at RETTEW know exactly how to evaluate karst conditions and design solutions that work. Our comprehensive site investigations draw upon multiple testing methods – from air-track probes to cone-penetrometer borings and stormwater infiltration test pits – giving you confidence in your development plans. When site challenges arise, our innovative solutions help minimize costs. We transform potential obstacles into assets – like turning required floodplain setbacks along creeks into attractive open spaces that enhance your development.

Thinking beyond the box

At RETTEW, we empower better business decisions through innovative geotechnical solutions. Beyond traditional designs, we offer creative alternatives and rapid emergency response services. Our design-build approach works seamlessly with earthwork contractors, delivering cost-effective solutions tailored to your project’s unique goals and risk assessments.

Built on years of client trust, our relationships extend beyond project execution. We act as trusted advisors from the earliest stages, anticipating challenges and providing strategic insights that align with your budget and future growth objectives.

Our commitment is simple: to be your strategic partner in navigating complex geotechnical landscapes, promoting informed decisions and optimal project outcomes.

Geotechnical Specialties:

  • Bedrock Mapping
  • Construction Inspection
  • Embankment and Earthen Structures
  • Flexible and Rigid Pavement Analysis/Design
  • Geologic Hazards Mapping
  • Geotextile Applications
  • Ground Improvement Design/Recommendations
  • Laboratory Testing
  • Landslide Engineering/Mitigation
  • PennDOT-certified Drilling Inspection
  • Retaining Wall Design/Recommendations
  • Settlement Analysis
  • Sinkhole/Karst Terrain Mitigation
  • Slope Stability Analysis
  • Soils and Foundation Investigation and Design
  • Stormwater Infiltration Evaluations