Introduction

Gorian and Associates, Inc. is a geotechnical firm providing professional consulting services in the areas of soil mechanics, foundation engineering, geology, engineering geology, seismicity and earthquake engineering.  We also provide geotechnical consultation, observation, and testing services during construction.  We place special emphasis on determining practical solutions to the challenges of each project.

The complex nature of the geologic environment and formations within Southern California often produce significant development constraints.  Common geotechnical constraints include steep natural slopes, landslides, active faults, hard rock, moisture sensitive soils, expansive soils, compressible soils and soils subject to liquefaction.

Evaluating a site’s geologic environment is imperative to provide input for designing compatible development plans.  This is only possible in an atmosphere of close cooperation and effective communication between geotechnical engineer, the engineering geologist and other members of the team.  The importance of this high level of teamwork is emphasized and Gorian and Associates, Inc.

Our firm, located in Thousand Oaks, was founded in 1973 and since then has provided geotechnical services for a wide variety of projects and clients.  We have worked on over 1800 projects in the Southern California area.

Our staff experience includes practically all facets of soil engineering and engineering geology ranging from complex soil mechanics problems to practical applications in field construction.  Each project is directed by a principal of the firm or senior level professional staff member whose experience most closely matches the project requirements.  Project experience of our senior staff and principals includes storage facilities, pipeline projects, flood control projects, high-rise buildings, hospitals, mass graded residential hillside developments, retail and commercial developments and a variety of public works projects.

Although having worked on projects from San Luis Obispo to San Diego, our firm generally concentrates on projects in Ventura County and Western Los Angeles County including the Palmdale/Lancaster area.

Our firm has served as the geotechnical consultant to Prudential Development Group for the various stages of the development of their master planned North Ranch project, and has also provided geotechnical services for other major hillside grading projects Griffin Homes, Glenfed, Sanport Development, Shapell Industries, Crescent Bay Co., Braemar Homes, R.B. McComic, J.M. Peters, The Lusk Company, Raznick and Sons, Lincoln Property Company and Magic Mountain.  Major industrial/commercial office projects include the Westlake Business Park, North Ranch Corporate Center, Ward Avenue Industrial Park, Meadowgate Business Park, Koll-Leonard Camarillo Center, Canyon Square Plaza Shopping Center and portions of Warner Center.  We have also provided geotechnical services to the cities of Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills, Simi Valley, and Camarillo, as well as to Ventura County Public Works and Ventura County Flood Control.

In this brochure we present a summary of the scope of our services, and a partial listing of representative projects.  We are available to answer any further questions you may have, and look forward to working with you.

Soil and Foundation Engineering

Our staff is experience in providing soil and foundation engineering services for industrial, commercial and residential construction.  Structures very from residential and light industrial to high rise, towers, tanks, bridges, public works projects, roadways and other special structures.  Our services include subsurface exploration, laboratory testing, and engineering analyses.  We then evaluate the most suitable, economical means of foundation support and develop foundation design data and recommendations.  Depending of the project, this might include design data and recommendations for: bearing capacities, pile capacities, excavation and shoring, retaining wall parameters, slab support, resistance to lateral and uplift loads, and design and construction consultation.  We also perform analyses to develop site preparation and grading recommendations which include analyses of static and seismic slope stability.

Engineering Geology

Our geologists provide engineering geology services related to all geotechnical aspects of site development.  These include preliminary site evaluations, surface geologic mapping, aerial photograph analysis and interpretation, subsurface exploration, fault trenching, rock hardness evaluation, slope stability and evaluation of landslides.  The information obtained during a geologic investigation is used in detailed analyses of development design and for evaluation of slope stability in bedrock and existing landslides.

Seismicity

Our staff is experienced in evaluation of potential fault activity as well as assessing ground accelerations and other characteristics of earthquake ground motion, including liquefaction, which may affect a given site.  Where detailed seismic studies are required, such as for high-rise construction, our services include evaluating the site coefficient (S) and providing ground motion response spectra.

Geophysical Applications

We also have the capability of evaluating rock hardness from an excavation standpoint using shallow seismic refraction techniques.

Construction Consultation and Monitoring

An important aspect of our service involves consultation during construction to assure design concepts are implemented and to develop practical solutions for geotechnical construction problems.  We monitor and test all phases of earthwork including stripping, removals, subdrain installations, placement of fill, backfill and rock disposal, fill slope keys, buttresses, and geologic mapping of cut slopes, buttress backcuts, and landslide removals.  Other specialized monitoring services include inspection of footings, driven and drilled pile installation, moisture penetration for slab support, post tension inspection and shoring installation.

Environmental Impact Reports

We provide the geotechnical earth science related input to Environmental Impact Reports including sections pertaining to soil engineering, engineering geology, and seismology.  This typically involves detailed evaluations of liquefaction potential, fault activity, and slope and landslide stability.

Environmental Site Assessments

With developing governmental regulations and growing private sector liability concerns, our environmental services include: preliminary site assessments, environmental audits, property transfer studies and soil and groundwater contamination studies.

Street Design

We can furnish asphalt and concrete structural sections for street design based on CBR and “R” Value methods.  We also analyze difficult paving situations requiring special applications such as lime-treated subgrade soils and cement-treated aggregate base materials.

Concrete Inspection and Testing Services

We have licensed deputy concrete inspectors for all phases of concrete construction including an approved laboratory facility for concrete testing.

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