DPT Investigation — Naval Station Norfolk, VA

Project Overview

IET provided Direct Push Technology (DPT) rig services and environmental sampling at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia — one of the largest naval installations in the world — for Jacobs Engineering (Englewood, CO), working on behalf of the US Navy. The program involved 9.5 days of DPT sampling with daily consumables and steam cleaning decontamination between boring locations.

The project required strict federal environmental protocols, including proper waste management with 8 new DOT 55-gallon drums for investigation-derived waste (IDW). Steam decontamination of DPT tooling between boreholes ensured no cross-contamination between sampling locations per federal site investigation standards.

IET's ability to operate on active federal military installations — requiring security clearances, coordination with base security, and compliance with DoD environmental investigation protocols — demonstrates IET's qualifications for federal government environmental work.

Scope of Work

• DPT rig mobilization to Naval Station Norfolk, VA
• 9.5 days of DPT sampling with daily consumables
• Steam cleaning decontamination between all boring locations
• 8 new DOT 55-gallon drums for IDW management
• Per diem and lodging for 20-day project period (Norfolk, VA rates)
• Federal environmental investigation protocols — Jacobs/US Navy

Project Details

Technical Approach & Methodology

Direct Push Technology (DPT) sampling on federal military installations requires strict adherence to Department of Defense (DoD) environmental investigation protocols, which exceed standard commercial site assessment requirements. IET's DPT program at Naval Station Norfolk involved 9.5 days of continuous sampling operations with daily consumables, steam cleaning decontamination between boring locations, and comprehensive investigation-derived waste (IDW) management.

Steam cleaning decontamination of DPT tooling between borings is a critical protocol on federal sites — it prevents cross-contamination between sampling locations, ensuring that analytical results represent actual subsurface conditions rather than carryover from previous borings. IET's field crews follow a standardized decontamination sequence: removal of gross contamination, steam cleaning with potable water, solvent rinse (where required), and final potable water rinse, with all decontamination fluids containerized as IDW.

IDW management on this project included 8 new DOT-approved 55-gallon drums for containerization of soil cuttings, decontamination fluids, and personal protective equipment (PPE). Proper labeling, storage, and profiling of IDW is essential for federal site compliance — drums must be labeled with accumulation start dates, contents, and generator information per RCRA requirements. IET's experience with federal IDW protocols ensures seamless integration with the prime contractor's (Jacobs) waste management plan and the Navy's base environmental office requirements.

Site Context & Federal Installation Requirements

Naval Station Norfolk is the world's largest naval installation, located on the Chesapeake Bay in southeastern Virginia. The base encompasses over 3,400 acres and supports more than 75 ships and 130 aircraft. Environmental investigations on active military installations require security clearances, base access coordination, and compliance with DoD environmental restoration program (DERP) protocols — including the Installation Restoration Program (IRP) and the Munitions Response Program (MRP).

The shallow geology at Naval Station Norfolk consists of Quaternary-age deposits of the Chesapeake Bay region — predominantly fine-grained sands, silts, and clays of the Yorktown Formation overlying the Calvert Formation. The water table is shallow (typically 3–10 feet bgs) and tidally influenced due to the base's proximity to the Chesapeake Bay and Elizabeth River. These conditions make DPT an ideal investigation method — the soft, unconsolidated sediments are easily penetrated by direct push tooling, and the shallow water table enables rapid groundwater sampling without deep well installation. IET's 20-day project period (including per diem and lodging at Norfolk, VA rates) reflects the full mobilization, field execution, and demobilization cycle for a federal environmental investigation of this scope.