Earth Mechanics

What Earth Mechanics does

Earth Mechanics, Inc. (EMI) is a California-based geotechnical and earthquake engineering consulting firm founded in February 1989 by Lino Cheang and a co-founder who transitioned their practice from offshore oil-and-gas foundation design into California transportation infrastructure following the mid-1980s oil downturn. The firm operates from four California offices (Fountain Valley headquarters, plus Corona, Hayward, and San Marcos) and is led by five working principals and a senior consultant, supported by senior and principal engineers and licensed geologists.

EMI delivers an integrated 12-service portfolio spanning the full infrastructure project lifecycle: foundational capabilities (geomechanical and seismology consulting, site investigation including on-land and over-water borings and cone penetrometer testing), certified in-house soil and rock laboratory testing (Caltrans-certified for CTM 105, 125, 201, 202, 204, 205, 216, 217, 226, and 231, plus Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety approval), analytical services (ground motion and seismic hazard evaluation, soil-structure interaction analysis informed by principal authorship of government-sponsored SSI guidelines, and finite-element numerical modeling), design services (foundation design for bridges, freeways, ports, piers, and retaining walls; pavement design per Caltrans HDM, AASHTO, CalME, and Greenbook; site grading and ground improvement specifications), and project-cycle services (expert technical review and construction support including pile driving monitoring and CIDH pile pours). A Caltrans-certified soil and rock laboratory supports testing turnaround.

The business model is professional-services project delivery on a single-country (US) basis. Revenue is generated through direct contracts with government transportation agencies (primarily Caltrans, the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and California cities and counties) and through subcontracting positions to prime engineering firms (TYLin, Moffatt & Nichol, Michael Baker International, Dokken Engineering). Pricing is project-specific and not publicly disclosed. Marketing relies on technical publications (100+), industry conferences (ASCE COPRI, Geotechnical Frontiers, IFCEE), and direct relationships rather than broad digital channels. EMI holds the documented record for geotechnical and foundation design services on seismic retrofitting of over 1,000 California bridges, including seven of the nine state-owned toll bridges.

Name

Earth Mechanics

Legal name

Earth Mechanics, Inc.

Website

https://earthmech.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Earth Mechanics, Inc. (EMI) is a California-based geotechnical and earthquake engineering consulting firm, founded 1989, providing site investigation, seismic hazard evaluation, foundation design, soil-structure interaction analysis, and construction support for bridges, highways, tunnels, and port infrastructure to Caltrans, port authorities, municipalities, and prime engineering firms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geotechnical Engineering Consulting

NAICS

Engineering Services (54133), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD)

Keywords

• Geotechnical engineering consulting
• Earthquake engineering services
• Foundation design services
• Seismic hazard evaluation
• Transportation infrastructure engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Fountain Valley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Geotechnical Engineering Consulting Services: EMI generates revenue through providing geotechnical engineering consulting services, including site investigations, foundation design, seismic analysis, and construction support for transportation infrastructure projects. Services are delivered to government agencies and engineering firms on a project basis.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Earth Mechanics, Inc. (EMI) provides geotechnical and earthquake engineering consulting services specialized for transportation infrastructure, including site investigations, foundation design for bridges, tunnels, ports, and roadways, seismic hazard evaluation, ground motion development, soil-structure interaction analysis, and construction support. The firm operates an in-house Caltrans-certified laboratory for soils and rock testing and serves California government agencies (notably Caltrans, Port of Los Angeles, and Port of Long Beach) as both a direct consultant and a subcontractor to major engineering firms such as TYLin, Moffatt & Nichol, and Michael Baker International.

Product overview

Earth Mechanics Inc. (EMI) is a geotechnical and earthquake engineering consulting firm offering a unified portfolio of 12 specialized service offerings spanning the entire project lifecycle. The core services include foundational capabilities (Geomechanical & Seismology, Geotechnical Site Investigation), analytical services (Numerical Modeling, Soil-Structure Interaction, Ground Motion & Seismic Hazard Evaluation), laboratory and testing services (Soils & Rock Laboratory Testing, Soil Infiltration Testing & Groundwater Monitoring), design services (Geotechnical Analysis & Foundation Design, Pavement Design, Site Grading/Ground Improvement/Pile Foundation Specifications), and project support services (Technical Review, Construction Support). All services are delivered by experienced geotechnical engineers and geologists, with the firm specializing in transportation infrastructure including bridges, highways, rail/transit, ports, and tunnels. The firm operates an in-house Caltrans-certified laboratory to support testing requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Geomechanical & Seismology Soil and rock mechanics, earthquake engineering, and geotechnical design consulting grounded in government-sponsored reports, design guidelines, and technical papers; for transportation and waterfront infrastructure owners and engineering firms.
• Geotechnical Site Investigation Geotechnical soil and rock investigations including on-land and over-water borings, cone penetrometer testing, trenching, infiltration testing, pressuremeter testing, DCP testing, and aerially deposited lead testing; for government agencies and engineering firms.
• Soil Infiltration Testing & Groundwater Monitoring Better Management Practice (BMP) studies for stormwater management including soil borings, groundwater monitoring, geotechnical testing, and BMP design services for Caltrans, ports, and municipalities.
• Soils & Rock Laboratory Testing In-house Caltrans-certified soils and rock mechanics laboratory testing services covering CTM 105, 125, 201, 202, 204, 205, 216, 217, 226, and 231, plus testing approved by the City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety.
• Ground Motion & Seismic Hazard Evaluation Design ground motion development for major infrastructure projects following state-of-the-art seismic procedures, plus seismic hazard evaluations including fault rupture studies, liquefaction potential assessments, liquefaction-induced settlement estimates, and lateral spreading analyses.
• Geotechnical Analysis & Foundation Design Geotechnical analyses and foundation design for transportation and waterfront infrastructure including bridges, freeways, roadways, rail facilities, container wharves, piers, dry docks, retaining walls, and sound walls; covering shallow and deep foundation systems and ground improvement techniques.
• Soil-Structure Interaction Soil-structure interaction (SSI) analysis for complex structures including long-span bridges, port facilities, and tunnels, with EMI principals contributing to government-sponsored SSI guidelines.
• Numerical Modeling Numerical analyses using finite element analysis and advanced modeling for geotechnical and soil-structure interaction recommendations across bridges, tunnels, wharves, dry docks, and earth-retaining systems.
• Pavement Design Field investigations for soil properties and tailored recommendations for rigid and flexible pavement sections, plus rehabilitation designs per Caltrans HDM, AASHTO, CalME, and Greenbook specifications.
• Technical Review Expert technical review services for major public works projects ensuring compliance with industry standards, safety regulations, and applicable guidelines for transportation, port infrastructure, and urban development sectors.
• Construction Support Expert construction support including pile driving monitoring, CIDH pile concrete pours, ground improvement installations, pile load testing, and groundwater level monitoring.
• Site Grading, Ground Improvement, and Pile Foundation Specifications Expert grading, ground improvement, and pile foundation specifications following Caltrans and Port Standard Specifications and the Greenbook, tailored for roadways, bridges, ports, and transportation infrastructure.

Quantifiable outcome

• Seismic retrofitting of over 1,000 bridges in California including seven of nine state-owned toll bridges
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TYLincoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEMI serves as geotechnical subcontractor to TYLin on major transportation projects including the Mid County Parkway Construction Contract 1 - Interstate 215/Placentia Avenue Interchange Project and I-5 HOV Lanes Improvement, Santa Ana. EMI provides specialized geotechnical engineering services supporting TYLin's engineering design work.
• Moffatt & NicholcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEMI works as geotechnical subcontractor to Moffatt & Nichol on port and bridge projects including the POLA Everport Project (Berth 226-236) and Gilman Road Bridge in La Jolla. EMI provides foundation design and geotechnical analysis services.
• Michael Baker InternationalcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEMI serves as geotechnical subcontractor to Michael Baker International on multiple projects including the Venta Spur/SR-133 Bicycle-Pedestrian Bridge, Date Palm Bridge over Whitewater River, I-10/Jefferson Street Interchange, and E-Street Corridor sbX Bus Rapid Transit Project.
• Dokken EngineeringminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEMI provides geotechnical services as subcontractor to Dokken Engineering on the Superior Avenue Pedestrian-Bicycle Bridge & Parking Lot project for the City of Newport Beach.
• CaltranscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMI has a long-standing relationship with Caltrans providing geotechnical and foundation design services for seismic retrofitting of over 1,000 bridges, including seven of nine state-owned toll bridges. EMI contributes to Caltrans-sponsored research, design guidelines, and standards development.
• Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long BeachcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMI has provided geotechnical services for Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach for over two decades, including port-wide ground motion studies, container wharf design, seismic analyses, and ground improvement. EMI has been selected for three consecutive five-year contracts for the San Pedro Bay port complex.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Terracon Consultants: Large national geotechnical, environmental, and construction materials engineering firm with significant California and transportation infrastructure work. Comparable on geotechnical site investigation, in-house soils labs, and DOT-related practice areas.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting giant with full geotechnical, seismic, and transportation practices. Competes with EMI for California transportation work and primes major design-build projects EMI typically supports as a subconsultant.
• Jacobs Engineering: Global engineering and program management firm with extensive California transportation, water, and geotechnical capabilities. Competes for the same Caltrans, port, and rail design-build opportunities EMI services.
• WSP Global: Major international engineering firm (including Earth & Environment and Transportation practices) with deep California presence. Competes directly for Caltrans, port, and bridge design-build projects EMI supports as specialty subcontractor.
• Stantec: Global multi-discipline engineering consultancy with a sizable geotechnical, transportation, and water/port practice. Competes for the same California transportation prime contracts where EMI serves as subcontractor.

Direct peers

• Geotechnical Professionals Inc. (GPI): California geotechnical engineering consultancy serving transportation, municipal, and port clients. Similar size, scope, and reliance on Caltrans/port work; direct competitor for the same government contracts and subcontractor roles.
• Leighton Group (Leighton & Associates): California- and Southwest-based specialty geotechnical engineering firm focused on transportation, ports, and public infrastructure. Closely comparable in service mix, regulatory familiarity, and Caltrans-oriented practice.
• Earth Systems Pacific: California-based geotechnical and earth science consulting firm focused on transportation, public works, and ports. Directly comparable service mix: site investigation, seismic analysis, foundation design, and Caltrans engagement.
• Kleinfelder: One of the largest U.S. specialty geotechnical and engineering consulting firms with deep California transportation, port, and infrastructure practices. Directly comparable on geotechnical investigation, seismic analysis, foundation design, and Caltrans-related work.
• GeoDesign / GeoEngineers: Geotechnical and earth-systems engineering consultancy serving transportation, ports, and public infrastructure. Closely comparable on soil-structure interaction, seismic hazard analysis, and foundation design for bridges and waterfront structures.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/earth-mechanics-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Earth Mechanics