Ground investigation in Bognor Regis must account for the distinct geological transition between the South Downs Chalk to the north and the Quaternary coastal plain deposits that underlie much of the town. Our laboratory testing services provide the precise soil characterisation needed to navigate this variability, from the soft cohesive alluvium of the Aldingbourne Rife corridor to the granular marine and raised beach deposits prevalent across the coastal strip. All testing is conducted in strict accordance with UK standards, including BS 1377 and BS EN ISO 17892, ensuring that classification and strength parameters are fully compliant with the requirements of Arun District Council and the NHBC for residential and commercial developments.
Our methodology follows a rigorous chain of custody from site to laboratory, beginning with accredited sampling procedures aligned with BS EN ISO 22475-1. The core of our index testing suite comprises grain size analysis by wet sieving and sedimentation hydrometer, which quantifies the silt and clay fractions critical for assessing frost susceptibility and drainage potential in the local Brickearth deposits. We complement this with Atterberg limits testing to determine the liquid and plastic limits, providing direct input for volume change potential classification according to NHBC Chapter 4.2 and BRE Digest 240. For shear strength profiling, particularly in the overconsolidated clays found at depth, our triaxial and direct shear box tests deliver drained and undrained parameters to BS EN ISO 17892-8 and 17892-10.
Projects across Bognor Regis and the surrounding areas of Felpham, Pagham, and Bersted routinely require advanced laboratory characterisation due to challenging ground conditions. Coastal defence and flood alleviation schemes demand accurate effective stress parameters from consolidated undrained triaxial tests to model the stability of earth embankments on the soft estuarine silts. Residential developments on greenfield sites underlain by the Lambeth Group often require swelling and consolidation testing to design foundations that mitigate the risk of clay heave. Our laboratory is also integral to verifying Improvement, where we perform compaction-related tests on chalk fill to ensure compliance with the Specification for Highway Works (Series 600), reducing the risk of collapse compression beneath access roads and car parks.
Clients receive a comprehensive factual and interpretive report that transforms raw data into a robust geotechnical model. Each deliverable includes tabulated results with test standards referenced, particle size distribution curves, plasticity charts, and interpreted design profiles for undrained shear strength and compressibility. By integrating our laboratory data with field observations from CPT and field density testing, we provide a complete ground characterisation that directly informs foundation type selection and earthworks specification. This integrated approach reduces uncertainty in the heterogeneous soils of Bognor Regis, allowing engineers to optimise designs and avoid costly over-conservatism or unforeseen ground-related delays during construction.