Praad Geotechnical provides expert geotechnical consultation services to attorneys, judges, arbitrators, insurance companies, and others in the evaluation and remediation of soil related distress to structures, earth movement, seismicity, and other matters related to adverse soil, geologic, or hydrologic conditions. Our areas of expertise include the investigation of structural distress related to adverse soil and/or geologic conditions including:

Landslide in Laguna Niguel

• Landslides

• Mudflows

• Slope Failures

• Geologic Hazards

• Soil Creep

• Soil Settlement

• Soil Expansion

• Earthquakes

• Water Intrusion

• Seepage

• Surface Drainage

• Subsurface Drainage

• Tree Roots

• Vibrations

Pool Settlement

Landslide in Encino

Services offered by Praad Geotechnical relating to forensic engineering include:

• Causation reports for Insurance Companies

• Mediation and expert witness services for plaintiffs and defendants

• Court room appearances as expert witnesses in geotechnical and geological matters

• Earthquake investigations including evaluation of liquefaction potential, seismic settlement, seismic slope stability, and site-specific ground motions

• Review of technical reports and documents

• Subsurface investigations

• Field instrumentation and testing

• Laboratory testing in our in-house certified laboratory

• Repair recommendations

• Construction monitoring

• Foundation and pavement design

• Slope stability analyses and shoring of excavations

• Design of retaining walls, drainage systems, and slope stabilization methods

• Underpinning, grouting, buttress fills, shear pins, and dewatering

• Deep foundation testing and engineering services during pile driving and drilled shaft/caisson installation, such as pile capacity and caisson integrity analysis

• Grading specifications

Effects of soil settlement on buildings and walls

Moisture intrusion into basement and

efflorescence staining

Representative Projects

Landslide Stabilization in Encino, CA

Praad Geotechnical was selected by the judge in a legal proceeding as the Geotechnical Engineering Company of Record. Our office performed geologic mapping, subsurface investigation, installing and monitoring of field instrumentation, geotechnical design of caissons and tiebacks for temporary and permanent lateral support, design of a drainage gallery for subsurface dewatering, design of a permanent soil buttress, and geotechnical and geologic observations during the constructions phase.

Condominium Complex in West Hollywood, CA

Praad Geotechnical performed a forensic investigation of soil-related distress due to removal of lateral support from a neighboring excavation.

Walkway settlement due to adjacent excavation and withdrawal of lateral support (photos taken one month apart)

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