Geologic Consulting

Geologic Reconnaissance

With an experienced staff of Certified Engineering Geologists (CEGs), Professional Geologists (PGs), and Geologists in Training (GITs), Christian Wheeler Engineering has the depth and expertise to assess and address geologic conditions and potential hazards throughout Southern California. During site acquisitions and due diligence evaluations we can provide a written Report of Geological Reconnaissance that, based on our site observations, review of readily available geologic literature, and our experience, provides qualitative assessments of site geological conditions, potential geologic hazards, and anticipated suitability for the continued or proposed land usage.

Fault Hazard Evaluations

Whether a site is in a state-defined earthquake fault zone (Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zone) or a locally mapped fault zone, Christian Wheeler Engineering’s geology staff can conduct a fault hazard evaluation to identify if a given site is bisected by faulting, to provide a professional opinion as to the activity of any encountered faulting, and if necessary, provide minimum setback recommendations from the encountered faulting to proposed structures for human occupancy. Typically, such evaluations are conducted by geologically logging trenches that are excavated in an orthogonal alignment to the mapped fault orientations in the vicinity of a particular site. Where existing conditions prohibit such trenching (deep fills, shallow groundwater, surface impediments) fault hazard evaluations may also include arrays of tightly spaced Cone Penetrometer Tests (CPTs) and both large- and small-diameter auger borings.

Coastal Geology

Based on the results of subsurface investigations and surficial mapping, our geology staff can map the edge of the coastal bluff on oceanfront lots. Such mapping, along with analyses of mean annual bluff edge retreat rates and the results of global stability analyses are then used to present a recommended horizontal setback distance from the edge of bluff to proposed improvements.