What is it that we do? 

GBI is a specialist contractor that services various industries. We predominantly service the construction industry, especially construction for new residential and commercial developments.

 

Work generally includes geotechnical studies for these developments, which includes aspects such as compaction testing (ensuring the ground has been adequately compacted before casting a slab), and material fill testing (verifying that good quality material is present to form a suitable foundation). These works are mostly for broadacre and single residential developments.

​

Imagine building a sandcastle. If you build it on dry, compact sand, it might stand; if you build it on wet, shifting mud, it will wash away or sink.

Geotechnical work is the scientific study of that "sand" and "mud" before a shovel even touches the ground. Just as a doctor gives you a physical exam to check your health, a geotechnical engineer examines the "health" of the Earth to see if it can support the weight of a house or a multi-story office building.

 

What it Means for the Housing Sector

In residential construction, this work dictates how a builder will pour the concrete slab or build the footings.

• Soil Testing: GBI drills boreholes to assist engineers to test how much weight the dirt can hold.

• Avoiding Cracks: It tells builders whether the soil is highly reactive (e.g., clay that expands when wet and shrinks when dry), so they can design a foundation that will not crack as the ground moves.

• Site Classification: The results help builders place your home in a specific risk category (like standard, slightly reactive, or extreme) to comply with local building regulations.

 

What it Means for the Commercial Sector

For commercial and industrial spaces, geotechnical work takes on a larger scale to handle heavier loads.

• Deep Foundations: If the surface soil is too weak to support a large retail center or a high-rise, it helps engineers design deep pile foundations (long poles driven deep into the ground to anchor the building to solid bedrock).

• Excavation & Retaining Walls: It assesses the ground so teams can safely dig deep underground parking garages without the earth caving in.

• Risk Mitigation: It identifies long-term hazards such as landslides, sinkholes, or rising groundwater, ensuring the property maintains its structural integrity.