Geotechnical pits are made during the reconstruction of a building or structure when loads on an existing foundation have increased, foundation reinforcement or erection of an annex to an existing structure.
The pits can be made in an automated way or, when using mechanisms is impossible, manually. Inside any structures, the pits are always dug manually.
To carry on examination, it is necessary to fully open a foundation and investigate the base. To determine strength and deformation characteristics of soils under a foundation, drilling with a motor-driven auger and 60-mm screws as well as dynamic penetration testing with a hand probe are used.
Also, non-destroyed structure samples are taken from beneath the foundation base for laboratory tests.