METHANE TESTING DTLA

Methane Testing Success on Building Renovation to Help House Homeless in DTLA

Terra-Petra provided methane testing services for an existing 3-story, slab-on-grade building located at 601 East 5th Street in Los Angeles, CA. The 16,500 SF 1922 building is being renovated as a homeless shelter. 

The building site is located within a City of Los Angeles Methane Buffer Zone. The methane soil gas investigation complied with LADBS Information Bulletin Ref. No. 91.7104.1, P/BC 2002-101, was performed under Terra-Petra’s LADBS Methane Testing Lab License #10224.

METHANE TESTING DTLA

Overcoming Methane Testing Difficulties

Terra-Petra has encountered a few difficulties performing work within existing buildings. One such difficulty is limited accessibility.Standard truck-mounted drill rigs can’t access the inside of a building if there’s not enough head clearance (ceilings lower than the top of the drill) or a limit on door opening size. 

Drilling equipment must fit through the front door, be lower than the ceiling, and be light enough to be handled by personnel or pushed on a hand cart.

Once inside the building, underground utilities may be challenging to locate, as DigAlert only identifies exterior utility lines. As-built plans are always essential when working indoors. If these plans aren’t available, utility clearance equipment may be employed.

About Core Cutting

Another difficulty is the existing concrete slab. Most direct push equipment can punch through existing concrete slabs, but leaves a less-than-optimal hole that needs to be repaired after use. Core cutting through the slab is another option that allows a clean cut through the slab and is easy to repair. 

Core cutting also adds time and costs to the project. But, if a slab is post-tensioned, it is imperative that the cables are located prior to entering the slab, since hitting a cable could damage the structural integrity of the slab.  

Methane Testing Downtown Los Angeles

These are just some issues associated with completing a methane investigation inside an existing building. Terra-Petra is, however, always well-equipped to get the job done, no matter the situation. And the success of the 601 East 5th Street building inspection has proved that to be true. We are proud to contribute to the Los Angeles City Center Redevelopment Plan.

Learn more about Terra-Petra’s methane testing and inspection services.

Methane Soil Gas Investigation In Los Angeles

Terra-Petra has submitted a bid to Data Specialties to conduct a methane soil gas investigation on a LADBS Methane Buffer Zone Property on in Los Angeles, CA.  The proposed project will consist of an electrical upgrade, with no new building construction.

The scope of work includes shallow and deep boring at the site, and monitoring methane gas concentrations and pressure on consecutive days in order to prepare an LADBS Certificate of Compliance for Methane Test Data.

Terra-Petra Partners with Law Firm Wactor & Wick in Downtown Los Angeles

With an increase in the amount of expert environmental work requested by law firms throughout California in recent months, Oakland, California environmental law attorneys, Wactor & Wick LLP recently hired Terra-Petra to perform a methane soil gas investigation for a Methane Buffer Zone site in downtown Los Angeles.Terra-Petra was selected based on its expertise and knowledge in the field of methane soil gas and upon its prior work on numerous projects throughout the Los Angeles Basin over the last 25 plus years.. 

CEM 75 Drill Rig in action at the project site in Los Angeles, CaliforniaWactor & Wick LLP was founded in 2002 by two former EPA enforcement attorneys. The firm provides cost-effective solutions to reduce environmental risks to clients such as property owners, developers, manufacturers, retailers, lending institutions, mining companies, attorneys and consultants. Wactor & Wick is rated as a Pre-Eminent law firm and both partners have earned the Highest (AV) Rating from Martindale-Hubbell for Legal Ability and Ethical Standards, the Super Lawyer rating (top 5% of all lawyers), the Superb rating from Avvo and have been named in The International Who’s Who of Environmental Lawyers.

According to Vice President and GM, Justin Conaway, Terra-Petra determined that the use of a CME 75 Drill Rig was imperative in reaching our designed depth of 50 feet below surface grade in the gravel like soils at this specific site (based on the Wactor & Wick's due diligence on the project), Terra-Petra also determined that typical direct push probe drilling equipment would not have been able to reach a depth of even 15 feet given the specific conditions of the site.

"We had a great experience collaborating with Wactor & Wick and are looking for more opportunities to work with other such accomplished law firms in this industry," said Conaway, "Wactor & Wick is extremely knowledgeable about environmental regulations; they are very diligent in their effort to coordinate this investigation. We really appreciate working with a law firm that is dedicated to getting the job done right."