This development across three key laboratories - Wallingford, Houston and Brussels - will significantly reduce the turnaround time of test geo-data and ensure a rapid response to the growing demands of the energy and infrastructure sectors.

All laboratories feature newly customised equipment that has been designed in collaboration with suppliers, allowing Fugro to offer project-specific and research-level testing on a commercial scale.

The total expansion includes over 100 cyclic and static simple shear and triaxial testing devices to ensure representative results across all soil types, including stiff clays, sand and soft rocks. A third of these devices are capable of measuring soil small strain stiffness parameters, which are critical for offshore wind farm foundation design. 

Amin Rismanchian, Fugro's global director of Geotechnical Laboratory Services, said: "Our laboratories provide unprecedented capability for advanced geotechnical testing worldwide, answering the call from clients for increased testing capacity. We're not just receiving and analysing samples; with this investment in people, equipment and technology, we're providing an all-in-one solution for clients that delivers high-quality testing results on time and within budget to reduce project risks."

The laboratories have similar scopes of accreditation, quality management systems and procedures, guaranteeing harmonised and reproducible results throughout the regions.