Geotechnical work underway along portion of California project

Written by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor
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California High-Speed Rail Authority

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) and its contractor Kleinfelder are currently performing geotechnical work along State Route 152 in the Pacheco Pass.

CHSRA says getting a head start on geotechnical investigations is crucial even with the environmental clearance process for the San Jose to Merced section still underway.

Drilling crews are taking soil and rock samples from several locations within the public right of way. These samples will be used to determine the exact conditions of the ground, approximately 650 to 1,000 feet below the surface, where roughly 13 miles of future high-speed rail tunnels are proposed through part of the Diablo Mountain Range.

CHSRA says this geotechnical work is necessary to obtain core samples and ground water data to inform future tunneling procurements for the area. Crews are extracting five-foot core samples, which are then cleaned, measured and stored at a facility in Gilroy where they will then be tested to determine the engineering properties of the rock formations. Following extraction, crews will install vibrating wire piezometers to get readings of ground water levels over time.

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