Cardiff sits on the Severn Estuary floodplain, with ground elevations ranging from sea level to about 40 metres in the northern suburbs. The underlying geology is a mix of Mercia Mudstone, Glacial Till, and Holocene alluvium in the city centre and Cardiff Bay. A Cone Penetration Test in Cardiff is our preferred method for continuous stratigraphic profiling, because the soft alluvial clays and loose sands respond well to the 15 cm² cone. Before we mobilise the rig, we often pair it with a georradar survey to map buried services and with MASW measurements to correlate vs30/" data-interlink="1">shear wave velocities at depth. The whole operation is quick — typically 30 metres in one shift — and delivers real-time data.
Continuous CPT profiling in Cardiff's alluvium reveals strength variations that discrete sampling would miss. It is the fastest way to zone the site for foundation design.