Vibracoring
Integral provides specialized vibracore sampling services using custom equipment designed to collect long-core sediment samples in challenging environments, from shallow wetlands to deep ocean waters.
Project Experience
Our experienced personnel have successfully deployed vibracore systems for government and private sector clients across extensive geographic regions, including Alaska, Hawaii, California’s Northern and Southern coastlines, San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento and San Joaquin River Deltas, numerous California lakes and rivers, plus locations in Texas, Ohio, Minnesota, and Louisiana.
Sampling Capabilities
Our vibracore systems excel at collecting continuous soil and sediment cores up to 40 feet in length from unconsolidated soils and marine sediments. This versatile technique serves both geotechnical analysis and environmental sampling needs across diverse project requirements.
Deployment Platforms
We support vibracore operations across multiple environments using specialized platforms:
- Shallow-draft pontoon vessels and barges for protected waters
- Partnerships with open-water research vessels for offshore work
- Whalers and skiffs for nearshore access
- Customized trucks for terrestrial and wetland sampling
- Cranes, fork lifts, loaders, and other heavy equipment
We support vibracore operations across multiple environments and difficult to access locations using specialized platforms.
Integral’s proprietary vibracore systems feature precision-engineered components for reliable performance:
Motor System: Two counter-rotating three-phase, 220 volt electric motors housed in watertight aluminum casing, powered by portable generator with variable speed control (20-60 Hz frequency range)
Core Assembly: 4-inch diameter aluminum tubing with unique clamping system, equipped with specialized check valve or piston for enhanced core recovery and retention
Sample Protection: New food-grade polyethylene liner creates clean barrier between equipment and sample material, ensuring sample integrity
Cutting System: Attached stainless-steel core cutter and finger trap attachment for efficient sediment penetration
Stabilization Options: Compatible with stand, cage, or float packages to maintain system stability in challenging conditions including wave action and strong currents
Operating Range: Our vibracore systems demonstrate exceptional versatility, operating successfully in moist terrestrial soils and underwater environments up to 1,000 feet deep.
Ready to Start Your Vibracoring Project?
Kenneth Kronschnabl Principal, Practice Director - Sediment and Water Investigation and Monitoring
Whether you need sediment sampling for environmental assessment, geotechnical analysis, or research applications, our experienced team is ready to deploy the right vibracore solution for your project requirements.
FAQs
Yes, we have modular barges that can be trucked to any location and assembled and launched on site either from a bank or by using a crane.
Yes, we use dynamic positioning equipment in conjunction with stands, cages, or float packages to obtain successful cores.
Our vibracore systems are entirely efficient at collecting sandy cores through the use of specialized check valves and core catchers.
For remedial investigations where depth accuracy is critical, we use Integral’s Vibracore Recovery Monitoring System (VRMS), which simultaneously tracks penetration depth and the true rise of sediment inside the core to detect any loss or gain in real time. By comparing these measurements during collection, we ensure that each core accurately represents the correct sediment layers, even in challenging contaminated environments.
We will typically reposition and take another core at a location in close proximity to the initial location. If refusal is encountered again, we will use the longest of the two cores and note the reason for rejection if possible (i.e., consolidated material recovered in the core cutter)
Yes, we have modified core cutter and catcher assemblies that will accommodate 3.75-inch diameter tubing.