We still see projects around False Creek where the geotechnical report relies solely on SPT data, only to hit unexpected soft clay lenses at 12 meters during excavation. In Vancouver, that delay costs more than the CPT itself. Glacial and post-glacial deposits here—from till over bedrock on the North Shore to thick silts in Richmond—demand a continuous stratigraphic profile that only cone penetration provides. Our SPT drilling crews often flag zones where CPT would have caught the transition earlier, especially near the Fraser River delta where interbedded sands and silts shift within a meter. We run the CPT rig, interpret the friction ratio and pore pressure in real time, and deliver a log that actually matches what the contractor finds on site.
In Vancouver's glacial and post-glacial soils, a 2 cm reading interval reveals thin drainage layers that a standard SPT split spoon misses entirely.
