Jérémy Bonin, a geotechnician for 15 years, set up his company in May 2021 to carry out soil surveys for the sale of land and the construction of buildings in and around the Sarthe region. He chose to equip himself with Sol Solution’s Grizzly® combination of a penetrometer and a drilling rig, and added automated variable energy as an option.
You’ve been using a combined Grizzly® penetrometer and drill since the end of 2021. What are you using it for?
J.B: I use it to carry out G1 geotechnical surveys for land sales and G2 surveys before building single-family homes.
How often do you use it?
J.B: I use it three or four days a week.
When you bought your penetrometer, why did you want to add automatic variable energy as an option?
J.B: The automated variable energy allows me to obtain greater precision thanks to DPL and DPM threshing.
Did you hesitate with a less expensive machine without this option?
J.B: I had looked at a machine from a competitor but it was much heavier and a salesman from Sol Solution came to my house with a Grizzly® to give me a demonstration. I didn’t hesitate for very long.
What does variable energy bring to your day-to-day business?
J.B: Everything is automated, the computer automatically adapts the threshing energy according to the type of soil encountered and its resistance.
Do you find the operation of this option intuitive?
J.B: It’s very intuitive and easy to use.
Do you regularly use variable energy during your penetrometer tests?
J.B: I only use variable energy. Basically, the Grizzly® handset uses constant energy, but I’ve never used it.
When drilling in soft soils, the lowest energy is automatically used and productivity drops as a result. Isn’t that too disadvantageous for you?
J.B: I don’t think it’s really a disadvantage, as it works relatively quickly in soft soils.
If you had to go back to a more manual variable energy solution, such as changing the weight or drop height yourself by hand during the test and recalculating the resistance at each change, would you do it, with a more attractive machine price associated with it?
J.B: It would be impossible for me to go back. The price justifies the quality of the soundings and the comfort of use. It’s also a piece of equipment that gives off a very professional image when you see it in the field.
Would you recommend this option to your colleagues?
J.B Yes, without any hesitation, especially as Sol Solution helps us to get to grips with and use the hardware and software online.
What other option, if any, would you like to see developed for a heavy dynamic penetrometer?
J.B: The ‘static penetrometer’ option would make Grizzly® the perfect equipment for all types of soil.
