Terratest
Privately held Madrid-headquartered international geotechnical construction group specializing in special foundations, soil improvement, microtunneling, and environmental works, serving real estate developers, infrastructure contractors, energy companies, and port operators across 30+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1959
- HeadquartersSpain, Spain
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Terratest does
Terratest is a privately held international construction group headquartered in Madrid, Spain, specializing in geotechnical engineering and special foundations. Founded in 1959 as CRAELIUS DIABOR, S.A., the group has grown through a combination of organic expansion and acquisitions — most notably incorporating Cimyson and ICOS (1985), ASAP Group in North America (2015), and Rodio's DACH operations — to operate in more than 30 countries across Europe, Africa, the Americas, and the Middle East. The company employs approximately 462 people and is led by CEO Jose Montero Ruiz de Molina with Enrique Torres García-Lomas as Chairman.
The company's core technical capabilities span the full range of geotechnical works: precast and prestressed concrete piles (manufactured in owned factories in Cartagena and Seville), bored piles, continuous flight auger (CFA) piles, micropiles, diaphragm walls executed by trench cutter/Hydrofraise, jet grouting, soil nailing, ground anchors, sheet piles, stone columns, wick drains, ground freezing, microtunneling with TBMs, and environmental containment works. Terratest also licenses the GEOPIER ground improvement system (GP3, Impact, GCC) and operates its own engineering, design, and auscultation/monitoring services, positioning it as a single-source provider for complex foundation projects.
Terratest monetizes through project-based B2B contracting. Revenue is generated by executing large-scale geotechnical scopes — diaphragm walls, deep foundations, ground improvement, microtunneling, and soil remediation — under contracts awarded by general contractors, real estate developers, infrastructure concessionaires, energy companies, port operators, and government entities. Projects are won through competitive bidding and direct negotiations; pricing is custom per project rather than list-based. Marquee reference projects include Grand Paris Express Line 16, Metro de Quito, the Talara Refinery modernization in Peru, the Danube Suspension Bridge in Romania, the Aqaba New Port Phase II in Jordan, and the Greater Tortu LNG project in Senegal-Mauritania. The company is ISO 9000-2000 certified for precast pile manufacturing and ISO 45001 certified by AENOR for occupational health and safety.
Terratest firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Terratest
- Legal name
- CRAELIUS DIABOR, S.A.
- Website
- https://terratest.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1959
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Privately held Madrid-headquartered international geotechnical construction group specializing in special foundations, soil improvement, microtunneling, and environmental works, serving real estate developers, infrastructure contractors, energy companies, and port operators across 30+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Terratest industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Geotechnical Construction and Special Foundations
- NAICS
- Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Earth Retention & Excavation Support (Sheet/Soldier Piles, Diaphragm Walls, Bracing) (IMAFAOAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Piling & Deep Foundations (Driven, Bored, CFA, Micropiles) (IMAFAOAA), Tunneling & Underground Geotechnics (Ground Treatment, Support, NATM/SEM Interfaces) (IMAFAOAJ), Geotechnical Design, Engineering & Consulting (Analysis, Design, Peer Review) (IMAFAOAK), Slope Stabilization & Landslide Mitigation (Soil Nailing, Shotcrete, Reinforced Slopes) (IMAFAOAI), Geotechnical Instrumentation & Monitoring (Settlement, Inclinometers, Piezometers) (IMAFAOAH)
Keywords
Where Terratest is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Spain
- HQ country
- Spain
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices17 records
Markets served
Terratest business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Geotechnical Construction Services: Project-based contracting for specialized foundation and soil improvement works. Revenue generated through execution of large-scale infrastructure and construction projects including diaphragm walls, bored piles, micropiles, jet grouting, and ground freezing. Services provided to general contractors, project developers, and government entities.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Terratest product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Terratest is an international construction group that executes specialized geotechnical engineering and foundation works, including precast and bored piles, diaphragm walls, CFA piles, micropiles, jet grouting, ground freezing, microtunneling, and ground improvement systems such as GEOPIER®. The company also operates its own precast concrete pile manufacturing facilities and provides in-house geotechnical design, engineering, and auscultation/monitoring services to general contractors, real estate developers, energy companies, port operators, and government entities.
Product overview
Terratest is an international construction group offering a comprehensive portfolio of geotechnical engineering products and services. The company provides both specialized equipment/machinery for foundation and ground improvement works, and professional engineering services. The product portfolio includes core foundation products (Precast Piles, Bored Piles, CFA, Micropiles, Diaphragm Walls), ground improvement solutions (GEOPIER® Systems, Jet Grouting, Stone Columns, Wick Drains, Compaction Grouting), excavation support systems (Sheetpiles, Ground Anchors, Soil Nailing, Metallic Bracing), and specialized services (Ground Freezing, Environmental Works, Microtunneling, Engineering, Auscultation). Terratest operates its own pile factories and deploys specialized equipment including Hydrofraise/Trench Cutters, piling rigs, and ground freezing systems. The company serves construction projects across multiple countries with a focus on special foundations, soil improvement, microtunneling, and environmental sector applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- TERRA Piles: Precast and prestressed piles manufactured in Terratest's own permanent factories in Cartagena and Seville.
- GEOPIER
- Terratest Geotehnic
Products and services
- Precast Piles
Quantifiable outcome
- Talara Refinery project completed with 8,424 units of Terra Prefab Pilotes in 15 months
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Terratest
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Terratest technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Terratest partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- NEPI ROCKCASTLEcoreProject developer for Promenada Mall extension in Bucharest. Terratest Geotehnic entrusted to build deepest underground parking garage in Romania.
- BTD CONSTRUCTcoreGeneral constructor for Promenada Mall extension project. Terratest provides specialized foundation works within the project team.
- GestilarmajorProject manager for Mahou-Calderón Area development in Madrid, overseeing plots RC7 and RC8 where Terratest executes retaining walls and excavation works.
- Técnicas ReunidascoreSpanish engineering company for whom Terratest executes foundation works on Talara Refinery (Peru) and Thermocandelaria Thermal Power Plant (Colombia) projects.
- EiffagemajorPartner for Greater Tortu LNG extraction project in Senegal-Mauritania. Terratest executing secant pile retaining wall at Port of Dakar for Onshore facilities.
- Willemen GroupmajorBelgian construction group for whom Terratest Maroc executes piling works at Port of Tangier APM Terminal.
- Domingues da Silva Teixeira SAmajorPortuguese construction company for whom Terratest Portugal executes diaphragm wall works in Lisbon city projects.
- CFAOminorClient for Carrefour supermarket foundation works in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
- ASAP GroupcoreNorth American company headquartered in Miramar, Florida, acquired by Terratest. Leader in earth retention and sheet piling technologies, strengthening Terratest's US market presence in 12 states.
- AETESSmajorSpanish Association of Soil and Subsoil Technology Companies. Terratest participates as member and presenter at conferences.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Terratest competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bauer AG: German-based global specialist foundation contractor offering piling, diaphragm walls, ground improvement, and trenchless technology. Direct competitor to Terratest, particularly through Rodio overlap in Germany/Switzerland and on international infrastructure tenders.
- Trevi Group: Italian-headquartered international foundation engineering group providing piling, ground improvement, and underground works. Comparable to Terratest in service breadth and Mediterranean/international project profile, including energy and infrastructure.
- Keller Group: UK-listed specialist ground engineering contractor providing piling, ground improvement, and geotechnical services worldwide. Directly comparable to Terratest in product mix (bored piles, CFA, ground improvement) and customer segments (infrastructure, real estate, industrial).
- Hayward Baker (Keller): North American specialty geotechnical contractor focused on ground modification, underpinning, and earth retention. Comparable to Terratest's ASAP Group operations in the US and competes for the same urban infrastructure and real estate foundation projects.
- Franki Foundations (Besix Group): Belgian-headquartered international piling and ground improvement contractor serving infrastructure, energy, and building markets in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Directly comparable project footprint and product overlap with Terratest, particularly in Benelux and Africa.
- Soletanche Bachy (Vinci Construction): Global leader in geotechnical and foundation engineering, part of Vinci. Offers diaphragm walls, piling, ground improvement, and underground works — directly comparable to Terratest's full-portfolio foundation and soil improvement services across infrastructure and energy projects.
- Menard (Bachy Soletanche / Vinci): Specialist in ground improvement and soil reinforcement including stone columns, rigid inclusions, and Controlled Modulus Columns (CMC). Direct competitor to Terratest in the GEOPIER/stone-column ground improvement segment globally.
- Züblin Spezialtiefbau (Strabag): German specialty foundation division of Strabag offering piling, diaphragm walls, anchors, and ground improvement. Direct competitor to Terratest's Rodio operations and on European infrastructure tenders, including Grand Paris Express.
Emerging players
- Malcolm Drilling: US-based specialty foundation contractor offering deep foundations, earth retention, and ground improvement, particularly on complex urban and infrastructure projects. Comparable to ASAP Group/Terratest US operations in product mix, though with a more US-centric footprint.
- Geostructures (now part of Terratest): US-based specialty geotechnical contractor using GEOPIER Impact and GP3 systems, integrated into Terratest following the ASAP Group acquisition. Comparable product set to Terratest's ground improvement portfolio, serving US infrastructure and commercial real estate.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Terratest social profiles
Digital presenceTerratest compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Terratest financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Terratest leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Terratest subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries14 records
Terratest funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Terratest M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Terratest
What does Terratest do?
Terratest is an international construction group that executes specialized geotechnical engineering and foundation works, including precast and bored piles, diaphragm walls, CFA piles, micropiles, jet grouting, ground freezing, microtunneling, and ground improvement systems such as GEOPIER®. The company also operates its own precast concrete pile manufacturing facilities and provides in-house geotechnical design, engineering, and auscultation/monitoring services to general contractors, real estate developers, energy companies, port operators, and government entities.
Is Terratest a public or private company?
Terratest is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Terratest founded?
Terratest was founded in 1959. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Terratest based?
Terratest is headquartered in Spain, Spain, in the Europe region.
How does Terratest make money?
One revenue line is on record: geotechnical Construction Services.
Who are Terratest's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bauer AG, Trevi Group, Keller Group, Hayward Baker (Keller), Franki Foundations (Besix Group), Soletanche Bachy (Vinci Construction), Menard (Bachy Soletanche / Vinci) and Züblin Spezialtiefbau (Strabag). Emerging players are Malcolm Drilling and Geostructures (now part of Terratest).
Does Terratest have an API?
No public API is recorded for Terratest.
What industry is Terratest in?
Terratest's product category is Geotechnical Construction and Special Foundations. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAFAOAD, Earth Retention & Excavation Support (Sheet/Soldier Piles, Diaphragm Walls, Bracing), with a secondary code of IMAFAOAA, Piling & Deep Foundations (Driven, Bored, CFA, Micropiles). Its NAICS code is 54138.