Loadtest® foundation testing
Loadtest® deliver high-precision, safe, and efficient foundation testing services and monitoring solutions for new construction and remediation projects. A well-designed foundation ensures stability and longevity, preventing issues such as settlement, cracking, or catastrophic failure. Our services provide robust Geo-data and proven engineering methods to optimise design, reduce risk, and deliver confidence in foundation performance worldwide.
What is Loadtest®?
Fugro Loadtest® is our global, leading service in deep foundation testing, monitoring, and consultancy. For over 30 years we’ve advanced bi-directional static load testing and pioneered technologies that redefine foundation verification. Beyond testing, we provide short and long term geotechnical and structural monitoring systems, inspection services, on-site engineering supervision, and consultancy services.
These solutions guarantee quality control and verify critical installation parameters, giving our clients confidence in every stage of their project.
Our services include:
Full-scale static load testing (O‑Cell® and traditional top-down)
SONICaliper® shaft profiling
Pile dynamic testing
Acoustic and thermal integrity testing
Lateral load testing
Integrated monitoring systems for structural health and geotechnical stability
With teams across the UK, Europe, Middle East, Asia, and North America, we’ve supported projects in over 68 countries, including record-breaking tests of 322 MN in a pile and 363 MN in a barrette.
Features
Foundation load testing
O‑Cell® bi-directional load tests and traditional static tests
Excavation profiling
SONICaliper® sonar profiling of excavations both onshore and offshore
Integrity testing
Thermal integrity profiling (TIP), acoustic tests, and cross-hole sonic logging
Monitoring systems
Structural, geotechnical, environmental, and hydrological monitoring, from single sensors to automated remote systems
Foundation consultancy
Expert advice backed by the world’s largest database of bi-directional load test results and experience on 1,500+ projects
Specialised equipment
Reaction systems, hydraulic jacks, pumps, and advanced instrumentation for hire or purchase
Why do you need foundation testing for your project?
Deep foundations face rigorous demands: heavier loads, complex soils, and strict safety standards. Fugro Loadtest provides the solutions you need to:
Verify foundation capacity with precision
Optimise design and reduce over-conservatism
Reduce unnecessary CO2 emissions
Ensure compliance with international standards
Improve safety and quality assurance
Accelerate decision-making with real-time monitoring
Reduce risk and avoid costly delays
Our automated static load testing systems enhance safety and accuracy by controlling applied loads, recording settlement and load at high resolution, and performing safety checks every 2.5 seconds. Combined with proprietary analysis software (Cemset®, Cemsolve®, Timeset®), we model displacement/time behaviour, settlement, skin friction, and end bearing capacity, turning data into actionable insights.
Ready to optimise your foundation design?
Contact us at loadtest@fugro.com
Benefits
Optimised design and cost savings
Accurate capacity verification reduces overdesign and material waste.
Enhanced reliability and safety
Proven technologies minimise uncertainty from soil variability and construction defects.
Engineering support and quality control
On-site supervision and real-time data acquisition ensure integrity and compliance.
Integrated monitoring solutions
Short and long term structural monitoring for ongoing performance assurance.
Global expertise
Local delivery backed by the world’s largest international load test database.
When should you look to bring us into your project?
Engage with us early, during feasibility or concept design phases, to shape testing strategies and optimise specifications. We also add value prior to piling package award and throughout construction for quality assurance and performance verification.
Our key services: O‑cell®, SONICaliper®, TIP
O‑cell® bi-directional load testing
At the heart of our innovation is the O-Cell®, the premier method for bi-directional load testing of bored piles and other deep foundation elements. This technology enables safer, more efficient testing by isolating sections of a pile or assessing multiple levels within the same element. With capacities ranging from 100 kN to over 300 MN, O-Cells ® can be installed in drilled shafts, barrettes, CFA piles, and driven piles.
The industry standard for full-scale foundation load testing, O‑Cell® applies load in two directions, upward against side-shear and downward against end-bearing, without the need for costly reaction beams or piles. This means faster testing, smaller site footprint, and reliable results you can act on immediately. With ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, patented instrumented rams, and automated load control, O‑Cell® delivers precision and compliance for high-capacity foundations and complex projects.
SONICaliper® shaft profiling
Our patented SONICaliper® provides real-time, 360° profiling of drilled shaft excavations, measuring shape, alignment, and verticality before reinforcement and concrete placement.
Independent of drilling equipment and adaptable to various fluids, SONICaliper® ensures shafts meet specifications and supports proactive decision-making on site.
Thermal integrity profiling (TIP) verification
TIP is a method that uses the heat generated during the curing of cement to assess the quality of cast-in-place concrete foundations.
This is crucial in construction projects, especially for deep foundations like drilled shafts or bored piles, to verify the integrity of the structure. It helps detect anomalies like necking, bulges, and variations in concrete cover by measuring temperature variations along the foundation's length and cross-section.
Our cloud-enabled data collection provides swift evaluation of results, speeding up project timelines and potentially offering significant cost savings.
Additional capabilities
RIM-cell® verification - RIM-cell® proof-loads production shafts to confirm they meet design expectations, reducing uncertainty from soil variability and construction defects. Lightweight and easy to install, it also functions as a post-construction stressing device, improving shaft stiffness and settlement performance for long-term reliability.
Split lateral modulus testing – Advanced lateral load evaluation using embedded O‑Cells.
High-strain dynamic load testing and pile driving analysis – Onshore and offshore solutions with water evaluation and adaptation planning (WEAP) predictions.
Foundation consultancy – Expert advice for complex deep foundation challenges.
Market sectors we serve
Infrastructure – Bridges, highways, and transportation networks
Energy – Offshore wind farms, power plants, transmission structures
Commercial construction – High-rise buildings and large-scale developments
Industrial projects – Heavy-duty foundations for manufacturing facilities
Defence – underground facilities, training grounds, airfields, communication towers
Marine and offshore – Ports, terminals, and deep-water structures
Academic papers
Bi-Directional Static Load Tests: Criteria and Methods of Analysis in Practice Michael Diez de Aux, & Jason J Crowder GeoMontreal2024, Montréal, QC, Canada, September 2024.
The environmental advantage of bi-directional pile testing related to traditional top-down testing A. Silva, M. England, M. Profittlich, Proceeding of the XVIII ECSMGE Lison, Portugal, August 2024, pp 3325-3328.
Case Study Bi-directional Loadtest Bassin Austerlitz, Paris. M. England, P. Cheesman, M Maron, M. Profittlich Proceedings of the 11th International Stress Wave Conference, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, September 2022.
Bi-directional O-cell testing: to optimise foundation design safely and sustainably, M. England, M. Profittlich GEOTECHNIEK - Stresswave Conference special September 2022.
High capacity O-Cell pile load testing in Coal Measures Mudstone, Northern Spire Bridge, Sunderland U.K. F. Buggy, M. England, S. Fryer, Proceedings of the XVII ECSMGE-2019, Reykjavik.
Unit Side Shear in Rock-Socketed bored piles, Ayithi, A. et al. 2018, Stress Wave Theory and Testing Methods for Deep Foundations: 10th International Conference, ASTM
Recent experiences of full scale static pile load testing in chalk, M. England & P. Cheesman, Engineering in Chalk, BGA conference 2018 London.
Optimum Specification for O-Cell bi-directional static load testing, M. England, P Cheesman, Athens 2011
The standard testing procedures and specifications generally prescribed for traditional top down static load testing can be improved to take into consideration the positioning of the loading...
Review of Methods of Analysis of Test Results from Bi-directional Static Load Tests - M. England 2008
This paper aims to describe and review the merits of some of the direct methods currently employed and some of the analysis methods which can be used...
Reducing ground uncertainty with the
Geo-Risk Management Framework
Our Geo-Risk Management Framework (GRMF) provides you with flexible solutions and value according to your business needs and requirements.