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Geotechnical Engineering

Able and creative partners are key when designing and redeveloping a site.

Pioneer’s geotechnical engineering team delivers the experience and knowledge that the real estate development and construction industry have come to rely on for subsurface soil and groundwater conditions. Understanding subsurface conditions prior to design and construction is an essential part of every project. Pioneer’s engineering team works closely with architects, civil and structural engineers to determine technically sound and cost-effective options for projects ranging from the engineering and design of racking and substation/transmission structures for a community solar farm to deep foundation systems for a high-rise building using a caisson and grade beam foundations.

Pioneer owns and operates its own drilling equipment, and our rigs are mounted on a variety of vehicles that allow us to drill virtually any site, regardless of terrain. Our equipment is continuously maintained and calibrated to ensure top performance and reliability.

Our Geotechnical team has the following capabilities:

  • Subsurface Investigation 
  • Mud Rotary Drilling & Rock Coring 
  • Pressure Meter Testing
  • Soil Vane Shear Testing
  • Slope Stability Analysis
  • Excavation Assessment and Design
  • Earth Retention Systems
  • Foundation Bearing & Settlement Calculations
  • Driven Pile Axial & Uplift Capacities
  • Pile Load Testing Recommendations
  • Pavement and Subgrade Recommendations

Pioneer’s soil testing laboratory performs an array of physical tests for soils, including:

  • Moisture Content
  • Unconfined Compressive Strength
  • Permeability
  • Grain Size Analysis
  • Dry Density
  • Proctors (Standard & Modified)
  • Hydraulic Conductivity
  • Thermal Conductivity
  • Corrosion Potential
  • Electrical Resistivity

What Our Clients Say

I have been working with Pioneer Engineering for nearly 15 years on behalf of financial institutions. They adhere to the agreed upon service levels, produce high quality and thorough reports, and allow for an open communication line regarding any particular project. They are very competent environmental consultants that we have come to rely on for our reporting needs.

Darren BrandtSenior Vice President – Real Estate Services, Wintrust Financial Corporation

We have been impressed with the professionalism and talents of the Pioneer staff. Not only do they help us make the right decision before we buy a property, they help us with the correct course of action during development and completion. Helping us identify the problems and proposing multiple solutions has been Pioneer's strength. I always feel the Pioneer team has our best interests in mind.

Thomas W. MeyerLexington Homes, LLC

We use Pioneer exclusively for the Phase I and II work on our contaminated sites, as well as the actual remediation work and closure, because they provided us with a single source responsible for the entire project. We were also impressed with the way they interacted with the Illinois EPA. Pioneer certainly knows its way around that bureaucracy and that helped our projects to proceed smoothly!

James PersinoPrincipal, First Development Corporation

The firm's geotechnical engineers consistently provide creative solutions that help minimize construction costs and I have found their entire technical staff to be extremely competent, resourceful, up-to-date on regulations and responsive. Simply speaking, they go the extra mile!

Jonathan SplittPrincipal, Jonathan Splitt Architects ltd.

The Pioneer Environmental team is a trusted adviser to Frontline Real Estate Partners for environmental due diligence and site remediation services. Pioneer has been of tremendous value in performing remediation services on contaminated properties that we have acquired over the years.

Matt DarinPrincipal, Frontline Real Estate Partners, LLC

For 20 years, Pioneer has been my go-to consultant for due diligence and site remediation projects, as I found the firm's responsiveness, competitive pricing, ability to develop and implement cost-effective solutions, and report quality to be unmatched. The firm is unique in its understanding of the business end of my deals. They are a true value-add partner that delivers.

Joshua SilvergladePrincipal, The Equitable Funds LLC

We feel that our work with Pioneer over the past several years represents a true professional partnership and has been a vital asset to the success of many of our projects. The quality of the work has always been superior, and we have really enjoyed working with a consistent group of professionals year after year. We always have confidence that we will receive the best possible assessments and solutions.

Alan LevPresident & CEO, Belgravia Group, Ltd.

We have been fortunate to work with Pioneer on significant multi-million dollar redevelopment projects that have presented complex and time-sensitive environmental issues. They are extremely responsive, knowledgeable and easy to work with. We look forward to more opportunities to work with Pioneer.

Peter TsantilisEsq, The Law Offices of Liston & Tsantilis, P.C.

We have been impressed with the professionalism and talents of the Pioneer staff. Not only do they help us make the right decision before we buy a property, they help us with the correct course of action during development and completion. Helping us identify the problems and proposing multiple solutions has been Pioneer's strength. I always feel the Pioneer team has our best interests in mind.

Thomas MeyerVice President of Operations, Lexington Homes, LLC

Pioneer is truly our right hand when it comes to developments with environmental issues. You have solved so many problems for us in ways that did not doom our developments. The highest compliment I can pay you is that you are knowledgeable, thoughtful and eminently fair. We would not use anyone else.

David BrintPrincipal, Brinshore Development

We have used Pioneer many times over the years on Phase I, Phase II, NFR and other environmental consulting work. We have always found their advice to be practical yet protecting, their service extremely responsive and their pricing fair. We wouldn’t hesitate to continue to use them as a preferred vendor in the future or recommend them to other users of environmental consulting services.

Justin P. FierzPrincipal, MWI Property Group

Pioneer is our #1 go to team for pre-marketing diligence activities (Phase I, II, Geotech) for all of our land development sites we sell. Pioneer has always delivered the highest quality service on time and on budget. Best of all, they are highly respected in the market as experts in the field and our buyers appreciate their early involvement in the transaction process.

Dan ReynoldsManaging Director - Land Sales, JLL Capital Markets
Read our case studies:
Geotechnical Investigation & Engineering: Roosevelt Square Redevelopment with Multiple 1 to 5-Story Mixed-Use Buildings

Geotechnical Investigation & Engineering: Roosevelt Square Redevelopment with Multiple 1 to 5-Story Mixed-Use Buildings

Geotechnical Investigation & Engineering For 5-Story Mixed Use Project

Geotechnical Investigation & Engineering For 5-Story Mixed Use Project

Geotechnical Investigation & Engineering – Warehouse Development

Geotechnical Investigation & Engineering – Warehouse Development

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