Services

Seismic studies

• Seismic exploration

  Seismic surveys in cities, at high-rise building sites and at dams to determine the soil profile, shear-wave velocities and ground amplification.

  CitiesHigh-rise buildingsDams and reservoirsConstruction sites

• Seismic hazard and risk assessment

  Site-specific seismic hazard, seismic microzoning and risk estimates for cities and critical facilities.

  CitiesHigh-rise buildingsDams and reservoirsBridges and pipelinesConstruction sites

• Technical condition of buildings and structures

  Instrumental assessment of the technical condition and dynamic properties of buildings, bridges and dams.

  CitiesHigh-rise buildingsDams and reservoirsBridges and pipelines

• Synthetic accelerograms

  Artificial accelerograms compatible with the design spectrum for the dynamic analysis of structures.

  Method: Karapetyan et al., 2025

  High-rise buildingsDams and reservoirsBridges and pipelines

Geophysical surveys

• Magnetic survey

  Mapping of subsurface structures, faults and buried objects from anomalies of the magnetic field.

  CitiesConstruction sites

• Gravity survey

  Density structure of the subsurface, cavities and deep geology from gravity measurements.

  CitiesConstruction sites

• Electrical survey

  Resistivity profiling of soils and rocks, groundwater and seepage beneath dams.

  CitiesDams and reservoirsBridges and pipelinesConstruction sites

Hazards and structures

• Landslide investigation

  Geophysical and seismic surveys of landslide slopes: structure of the sliding mass, depth of the sliding surface, groundwater and monitoring of slope movement.

  Slopes and landslidesCitiesDams and reservoirsBridges and pipelinesConstruction sites

• Behaviour of bridges

  Measurement of natural frequencies, vibrations and response of bridges to traffic and seismic loads, with models for assessing their seismic safety.

  Bridges and pipelines

How we work

Seismic survey of a building

We find out how an existing building will behave in an earthquake without opening walls or stopping its use. A portable seismometer records the building’s own faint vibrations, and the records show how stiff it is, how it matches the ground beneath it and which parts are weakest.

1. 1

   Measure

   A three-component seismometer records ambient vibrations (microtremors) on every floor and in each section of the building, and on the ground nearby. Each record lasts up to 30 minutes, usually at night when the building is quiet.

2. 2

   Analyse

   Spectral and H/V (Nakamura) analysis gives the natural periods of the building and of the soil, and how strongly each floor amplifies shaking.

3. 3

   Assess

   We check the results against the Armenian seismic code and calculate vulnerability indices for every point, producing a map of weak and strong zones floor by floor.

4. 4

   Recommend

   The client receives a report with the measurements, the vulnerability map and recommendations: where detailed inspection is needed and whether the building needs strengthening.

Schools and universitiesHospitalsResidential buildingsOffices and public buildingsBuildings before reconstruction

Equipment

Instruments we take to the field

The institute has its own modern geophysical equipment for seismic, gravity, magnetic, electrical, GPR, GNSS and groundwater surveys. Our specialists carry out the measurements and interpret the results.

• 12instruments
• 6survey methods

AllSeismicGravity and magneticElectricalGPR and GNSSGroundwater

• 

  24-channel exploration seismograph

  16S24-N

  Seismic refraction, reflection and surface-wave (MASW) surveys: soil layers, shear-wave velocities, depth to bedrock.

  Seismic explorationMicrozoning

• 

  Borehole seismic logging

  OYO McSEIS-SW with borehole geophone

  Downhole P- and S-wave measurements (PS logging) for exact velocity profiles at building and dam sites.

  Construction sitesDams

• 

  Gravity meter

  Scintrex CG-6 Autograv

  High-precision relative gravity measurements for density structure, cavities and deep geology.

  Gravity survey

• 

  Portable absolute gravimeter

  A10 (Scintrex / Micro-g LaCoste)

  Absolute gravity measurements directly at outdoor field sites: reference points for gravity networks and monitoring of gravity changes over time.

  Gravity surveyMonitoring

• 

  Magnetometer-gradiometer

  MMPOS-2

  Magnetic field and its gradient for faults, contacts and buried objects.

  Magnetic survey

• 

  Kappameter

  PIMV

  Magnetic susceptibility of rocks, outcrops and core samples in the field.

  Magnetic surveyGeology

• 

  Transient electromagnetic system

  Tsikl

  TEM soundings: resistivity of the section to large depths, water-bearing and weakened zones.

  Electrical surveyLandslides

• 

  Natural-field electrical detector

  PQWT-GT

  Fast multi-channel profiling with 2D/3D sections for groundwater search and seepage.

  GroundwaterDams

• 

  Ground-penetrating radar

  OKO-3 with Triton-M antenna

  Shallow structure, voids, utilities and the sliding surface of landslides.

  Construction sitesLandslides

• 

  Geodetic GNSS receiver

  Trimble with Zephyr antenna

  Precise coordinates of survey points and monitoring of ground and slope displacements.

  MonitoringLandslides

• 

  Automatic borehole level logger

  Water-level monitoring

  Continuous recording of groundwater level in boreholes for long-term hydrogeological monitoring.

  GroundwaterMonitoring

• 

  Electric-contact borehole level meter

  Water-level measurement

  Manual measurement of groundwater level and well depth in boreholes and wells.

  GroundwaterDams

Need a survey with this equipment? Tell us about the object and the task.

Request a survey