VIBRACORE SEDIMENT SAMPLING

Sediment sampling is a crucial step in coastal and marine engineering projects. Sediment must be physically measured to adequately inform water resources and sediment management decisions. In cold weather climates, the construction season is already short, so having to complete environmental testing in the spring can derail some project schedules.

Using our VibeCore-D equipment, we can collect undisturbed cores of unconsolidated sediments like muck, sand, and soil in saturated or nearly saturated conditions including underwater and in wetlands, even when these environments are frozen.

During coring, vibrations liquify the surrounding sediments which reduce friction, so the core tube penetrates into the sediment layer much easier and with less disturbance to—and compression of—the core sample itself. Compared to traditional coring devices such as box cores, gravity cores, and piston cores, vibracore (a.k.a. vibrating core sampler) has a higher core sample recovery rate. 

AMI follows industry protocols for chain of custody of all samples when sent to the lab.

BENEFITS OF VIBRACORE SEDIMENT SAMPLING

• Accuracy – Minimal core compression compared to other methods for accurate true depth of sample recovery.

• Performance – Out-performs non-vibratory coring devices, such as box cores, gravity cores, and pistons cores.

• Portability– AMI’s equipment can be deployed from even a small boat to access shallow (<1 foot) hard-to-access areas or can be deployed from our larger vessels in open water.

• Accessibility – Operates from two simple, safe low-voltage car batteries and carries enough charge for a full day of operation, no generator or compressor is needed.

COMMON APPLICATIONS OF VIBRACORE SEDIMENT SAMPLING

• Sediment characterization for dredge/disposal projects

• Sediment characterization for remediation

• Characterization of sediment type profiles (i.e., mapping sediment depths of a clay layer, sediment layer of interest, etc.)

AMI can combine sampling results with bathymetry and GPS data to develop 3D Geographic Information System (GIS) or CAD models.

The diverse backgrounds of our engineers, scientists, and divers enable us to provide comprehensive in-house services and an integrated approach to solving environmental challenges—saving clients time, reducing costs, and ensuring high-quality results.