All site investigations require a field investigation program comprising of borehole drilling or test pitting and installation of standpipe piezometers or groundwater monitoring wells. Soil and bedrock samples will then be tested at a laboratory for their physical properties, including moisture content, particle size, and plasticity (Atterberg limits). Specialty testing such as soils permeability, unconfined compressive strength, direct shear testing, or consolidation testing may also be required. Based on the results of field and laboratory testing, geotechnical design and construction recommendations are developed through engineering analyses.