Mountain Research has been in the drilling business for over 20 years and offers the latest technology in environmental and geotechnical drilling services for site investigation, remediation, foundation design, construction and mineral exploration.

Mountain Research’s holds a PA driller’s license. The experienced drilling team meet the requirements set forth by OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120 and have completed the required 40 hour and refresher OSHA health and safety courses.

  • Track Mount – Remote Control – Rubber Tracks;
  • Auger / Sampling / Direct Push & Coring Capabilities to 800’ +
  • 48 inch width capacity;
  • Horizontal / Angle Drilling Capabilities
  • Mast extension removal enabling eight foot clearance;
  • Installation of two or four inch diameter monitoring wells;
  • Rock core capable (NQ2) with HQ potential;
  • Continuous soil sampling for site characterization activities; and
  • Geotechnical soil sampling using the Standard Penetration Test (ASTM D-1586) via hollow stem auger or split-spoon sampler

  • Continuous soil sampling for site characterization activities;
  • Installation of 1 or 2 inch diameter monitoring wells;
  • Installation of soil vapor monitoring points, air sparging and vapor extraction points, and injection wells;
  • Geotechnical soil sampling using the Standard Penetration Test (ASTM D-1586) split-spoon sampler with a Geoprobe® DH100 automatic drop hammer; and
  • Limited continuous diamond rock core drilling (NX)

  • Auger / Sampling and rock coring capabilities to 500’ +
  • Air rotary (4” to 6”)
  • Versatile drill suited for difficult locations

Utility Locating Services

The majority of environmental investigations occur either at active or inactive commercial and industrial sites where numerous underground utilities may be present.  During subsurface drilling at these types of sites for soil sampling and/or monitoring well installation, there is always a risk that subsurface utilities will be damaged.  When utilities are damaged, there could possibly be loss of services to the site building, equipment damage, or personal injury, including, loss of life to the equipment operator and by-standers.

Mountain Research’s Utilivac® VE75 air knife is highly portable and operates in combination with an air compressor capable of producing at least 185 cubic feet a minute (cfm) to form a vacuum (22” Hg).  Mountain Research provides the only “dry” air knife utility locating services throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.  The advantages of utilizing “dry” vacuum extraction are:

  • Using only compressed air and vacuum to safely expose utilities;
  • Dry soil can be put back in the excavation;
  • Equipment can be operated in cold climates; and
  • No containment is necessary during air knifing operations

Mountain Research’s Vacmaster 4000™ truck is capable of producing a vacuum of 1,220 cfm, 16” Hg max vacuum with a 4” diameter hose.  A compressor provides 300 cfm @ 220 psi for the air lance and other pneumatic tools.  If jetting is needed for utility line clean-out, the unit is capable of providing 0-3,000 psi @ 4 gpm.

If drilling is occurring inside a structure or at a location the Vacmaster can’t mobilize to, Mountain Research’s Utilivac® VE75 air knife is compact, highly portable and operates in combination with an air compressor capable of producing at least 185 cubic feet a minute (cfm) to form a vacuum (22” Hg).

In addition to performing utility locating services, the air knife is also utilized for the following services:

  • Carbon changes on remediation systems;
  • Stormwater catch-basin and culvert pipe clean-out
  • Monitoring well development; and
  • Vacuuming liquids and slurries from small excavations and drums