Residential Soil Testing
SERVICES
GTS undertakes residential site classifications for regional Victoria and southern New South Wales, including but not limited to: Bendigo, Echuca, Wallan and surrounds.
What is residential soil testing?
A “soil test” or “site classification” is used to categorise the soil and geological conditions to determine site reactivity and founding conditions so that the most appropriate type of footing may be designed for the proposed development.
The site classification is based on the Australian Standard AS 2870-2011 – “Residential slabs and footings.”
Results from a site classification may be as follows:
- Class A – Most sand and rock sites with little or no ground movement from moisture changes.
- Class S – Slightly reactive clay sites, which may experience only slight ground movement from moisture changes.
- Class M – Moderately reactive clay or silt sites, which may experience moderate ground movement from moisture changes.
- Class H1 – Highly reactive clay sites, which may experience high ground movement from moisture changes.
- Class H2 – Highly reactive clay sites, which may experience very high ground movement from moisture changes.
- Class E – Extremely reactive sites, which may experience extreme ground movement from moisture changes.
- Class P – Class P sites may include include soft or unstable foundations such as soft clay or silt or loose sands, landslip, mine subsidence, collapsing soils and soils subject to erosion, uncontrolled fill deposits, reactive sites subject to abnormal moisture conditions, possibly from trees or removed structures.


Residential Footings Investigation
Investigations for new or existing dwellings
Meeting Australian Standards
Classification to AS 2870-2011 (Residential slabs & footings)
Footing Design Standards
To ensure the footings are designed for the conditions of the site.
NATA accredited laboratory
High-quality results meeting Australian Standards
Do I need to get a residential site classification or will my builder do it?
Councils require all residential building projects to have a site classification. This may be organised by the property owner or their engineer/building designer.
An overview of the site classification process:
- Before building, the home owner engages a Geotechnical Engineer to conduct a site investigation. Be aware that the geotechnical conditions of your site can affect your budget, design and timeline of your residential construction project.
- The geotechnical engineer will visit your property, collect soil samples, assess the local geology, and if necessary, perform tests to determine the soil’s characteristics and behaviour.
- Based on this information, the geotechnical engineer will provide a site classification and other geotechnical recommendations in a geotechnical report. These are important for the building foundation and footing requirements.
- Once you have the geotechnical report, you can share it with your builder, architect and/or structural engineer. At GTS, we are happy to discuss the geotechnical report with any of your engaged building professionals, especially if your site classification is not straight-forward.
- The builder will use the geotechnical report to design the appropriate foundations and footings for your house. The geotechnical recommendations will guide the construction process, ensuring that the structure is built to withstand the site-specific soil conditions.


Service Area
GTS services the Bendigo, Echuca and Wallan regions, as well as further afield for larger projects.
Contact us about site classifications
Contact us by phone or email to book a site classification and geotechnical report.