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We partner with geotech and engineering firms across the Gulf Coast. Let us hear from you, and one of the Challenge team will be in touch shortly.

Dauphin Island Marine Sediment Sampling for Moffat & Nichol

Marine sediment sampling was required prior to the refurbishment of a longtime NOAA weather tower off Dauphin Island, AL in the summer of 2021. Working for client Moffat & Nichol, our crew gathered Splitspoon samples over several days working on a pontoon work barge with a center drill port. Samples were recorded, documented visually, and sent for laboratory analysis before the final report to the client.

NDT Examinations of Container Cranes at Ports Worldwide

Our NDT crew has worked with commercial port and shipping lines worldwide in the inspection of container crane spreaders and booms. This work represents relationships often spanning 30+ years and projects in Taiwan; Guam; Gibraltar, Spain; Port of Trinidad; Dutch Harbor, Alaska; and Port of Miami, Fla. These structural examinations were typically required prior to maintenance and repair. Following Hurricane Matthew in 2016, Challenge was called to inspect damaged cranes later dismantled at the Freeport Container Port. NDT and NDI at-height techniques include MT and UT flaw detection as well as visual examinations.

Marine Sediment Core Sampling – Mobile Ship Channel

The Port of Mobile’s ship channel is on its way to a massive expansion – deeper and wider and with an improved lower harbor turning basin to accommodate much larger vessels. Challenge performed close to 100 test borings for the Alabama State Port Authority during Phase 1 of this $365 million upgrade. By 2025, the channel’s depth will increase by 5 to 52 feet, with a 100-foot widening to allow two-way vessel traffic. With a backdrop of container ships, our pontoon work barge and drill rig navigated multiple sites and constant port traffic.

Field Exploration at Guajataca Dam following Hurricane Maria – Puerto Rico

Hurricane Maria left Puerto Rico with billions of dollars in damage, some posing life-and-death danger for months following the devastating storm of 2019.  Challenge worked under the US Army Corps of Engineers in a year-long project including Guajataca Dam near San Juan. A breach threatened more than 70,000 residents downstream, when we arrived to perform soil borings and analysis. Our team managed all permitting, hired local subcontractors and engaged needed equipment despite language barriers and iffy communications in a region without reliable power or phone connectivity. Soil borings and sediment samples were obtained, recorded, and sent to a mainland laboratory for analysis in custom boxes we designed and built to ensure sample integrity and safety. A video quadcopter was used to inspect and document work with expansive project aerials.

An additional Corps of Engineers project involved a remote area outside the port city of Arecibo, without vehicle access. We engaged a local crew and equipment to cut brush- often by machete – to reach the required soil boring sites. Location identification relied on precise GPS coordinates, and leading edge gInt Borehole Geotechnical software to ensure accuracy of boring logs for laboratory testing.

Construction Materials Testing

With a variety of in-house and mobile testing methods, our Physical Laboratory evaluates anchor bars, wall bolts, and concrete pilings that make up the bones of any construction.  Proof Load and Pull Testing, Stress/Strain Chart Recordings, and Tensile Testing are common methods used on fabricated components for a wide range of construction clients.

Physical Laboratory Examinations – Aircraft Parts

As one of the Gulf Coast’s few FAA Repair Stations, we have 35 years’ experience with Non-Destructive Inspection of aircraft parts. Clients have included Goodrich, Aero-Mark, Segers Aero Corporation and Continental Aerospace. Challenge is a certified 14 CFR Part 145 Repair Station, and performs Ultrasonic Testing, Magnetic Particle Inspection, Acoustic Emission, Dye Penetrant, Radiography and Eddy Current NDT.