Direct Push Investigation — Hurst, TX

Project Overview

IET completed a one-day direct push technology (DPT) environmental investigation at 301 W Hurst Blvd, Hurst, Texas for Partner Engineering & Science (Proj# ES25-563867). Ten (10) direct push boreholes were advanced to 10 feet depth for subsurface soil and groundwater assessment.

PM Michelle Wang managed the project. This rapid-response single-day program demonstrates IET's Texas operations capability to mobilize quickly and efficiently for Phase II environmental site assessment work across the DFW Metroplex.

Scope of Work

• Ten (10) direct push boreholes advanced to 10 feet depth
• Single-day field program with mobilization and daily rate
• Phase II environmental investigation support
• Project #ES25-563867 for Partner Engineering & Science
• PM: Michelle Wang | IET Sales Rep: Brad Eskue

Project Details

Technical Approach & Methodology

Direct Push Technology (DPT) is a rapid, cost-effective subsurface investigation method that advances a tool string into the ground using a hydraulic hammer system mounted on a track or truck platform. Unlike conventional rotary drilling, DPT does not require drilling fluid or casing — the probe rods are driven directly into the soil, enabling continuous or discrete-depth soil sampling, groundwater screening, and analytical profiling at a fraction of the cost and time of traditional methods.

For this Phase II environmental site assessment at 301 W Hurst Blvd, IET deployed a direct push rig to advance 10 boreholes to 10 feet below ground surface (bgs). At each location, continuous soil cores were collected using a 2-inch diameter macro-core sampler with acetate liners, enabling visual classification of soil stratigraphy and collection of discrete samples for laboratory analysis. The shallow investigation depth (10 feet) was appropriate for the assessment scope, targeting the vadose zone and shallow saturated zone where contaminant migration from a near-surface release would be expected.

DPT is particularly well-suited for urban and suburban sites in the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex where access constraints, overhead utilities, and tight site footprints can limit conventional drill rig mobilization. The method generates minimal cuttings (reducing IDW disposal costs) and allows rapid demobilization — enabling a complete 10-boring program to be executed in a single field day, as demonstrated on this project.

Site Geology & Hydrogeological Context

Hurst, Texas is located in Tarrant County within the Western Gulf Coastal Plain physiographic province. The shallow subsurface in this area typically consists of Quaternary-age alluvial deposits overlying the Cretaceous-age Woodbine Formation. Soils in the Hurst area are predominantly clay-rich vertisols (Houston Black and similar series) formed on calcareous clay shales — characterized by high shrink-swell potential, low permeability, and significant seasonal moisture variation.

The shallow water table in this area typically occurs at 5–15 feet bgs in the more permeable sand and gravel interbeds within the Woodbine Formation. Groundwater flow direction can be variable due to local topographic influences and urban development. For Phase II ESA purposes, the 10-foot boring depth at this site was sufficient to characterize soil conditions through the vadose zone and into the uppermost groundwater-bearing unit, supporting contaminant screening and risk assessment for the property transaction or redevelopment evaluation driving the assessment.