Ninyo & Moore Geotechnical & Environmental Sciences Consultants

Introduction

Ninyo & Moore Geotechnical & Environmental Sciences Consultants works in a part of construction that often receives little public attention but can determine whether a project succeeds: what lies beneath, within, and around a proposed development.

Before foundations are designed, engineers need to understand soil, rock, groundwater, seismic conditions, and potential geological hazards. Existing properties may also require environmental investigation for contaminated soil, groundwater, asbestos, lead, or other hazardous materials. During construction, materials and workmanship must then be tested against project specifications and applicable standards.

Ninyo & Moore provides services across these stages. Established in San Diego in 1986, the company has developed into a multidisciplinary engineering and environmental consulting operation serving public and private-sector projects. In January 2025, it was acquired by SOCOTEC, expanding the international engineering group’s presence across the western United States.

Quick Facts

Fact	Details
Company	Ninyo & Moore Geotechnical & Environmental Sciences Consultants
Established	1986
Original base	San Diego, California
Industry	Engineering and environmental consulting
Current status	A SOCOTEC company
Acquisition	SOCOTEC acquired Ninyo & Moore in January 2025
Main specialties	Geotechnical engineering, environmental consulting, materials testing and inspection
Other services	Geophysics, engineering geology, forensic engineering, industrial hygiene, occupational safety, GIS
Geographic presence	Multiple offices across the western United States
Website	ninyoandmoore.com

Sources: Ninyo & Moore and SOCOTEC.

What Is Ninyo & Moore?

Ninyo & Moore is a professional engineering and environmental sciences consulting firm.

Its work sits between several disciplines. A single assignment might involve geotechnical engineers studying foundation conditions, geologists assessing fault or landslide risks, environmental specialists investigating contamination, laboratory personnel testing soil or concrete, and inspectors monitoring construction.

According to the company, its services can extend from the planning stage through design and construction.

That broad scope is significant because engineering problems rarely stay inside one technical category. Groundwater can affect excavation. Poor soil conditions can alter foundation design. Previous industrial use may create environmental concerns. Construction materials may then need independent testing to verify that design requirements are being met.

Having several related specialties within one organization allows a consultancy to address those overlapping issues.

The History of Ninyo & Moore

Ninyo & Moore was established in San Diego in 1986.

Its corporate profile describes the business as an engineering firm specializing in geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering, materials testing, and inspection. The company has also been recognized as an Engineering News-Record Top 500 Design Firm.

Four decades later, the Ninyo & Moore name remains active.

The company’s website is marking its 40th anniversary in 2026, including anniversary events during the year.

Its ownership, however, changed shortly before that milestone.

SOCOTEC’s Acquisition of Ninyo & Moore

SOCOTEC announced its acquisition of Ninyo & Moore on January 7, 2025.

The transaction substantially expanded SOCOTEC’s presence in the United States, particularly in western states where Ninyo & Moore had already established offices and technical operations.

SOCOTEC’s U.S. announcement described Ninyo & Moore as a roughly $120 million company with approximately 600 professionals and 16 offices at the time of acquisition. It said the deal brought geotechnical and environmental capabilities into SOCOTEC USA while increasing the combined U.S. workforce to more than 1,300 professionals.

Ninyo & Moore founder Avram Ninyo joined SOCOTEC as a Senior Principal as part of the transaction.

Today, the company publicly identifies itself as Ninyo & Moore, A SOCOTEC Company.

The acquisition matters because Ninyo & Moore is now connected to a larger engineering, testing, inspection, and technical-consulting network while retaining the technical service areas associated with its original business.

Geotechnical Engineering Services

Geotechnical engineering remains one of Ninyo & Moore’s core areas.

Geotechnical engineers study how structures interact with soil, rock, groundwater, and geological conditions.

Before a building, roadway, airport facility, pipeline, retaining wall, or other structure is constructed, an investigation may be needed to determine whether the site can safely support it.

Ninyo & Moore lists geotechnical capabilities involving:

• Foundation design
• Liquefaction evaluation
• Slope stability analysis
• Pavement design
• Retaining and buried structures
• Earthquake and fault studies
• Seismic design
• Ground-motion analysis
• Landslide evaluations
• Hydrogeologic evaluations
• Soil modification studies
• Field instrumentation and monitoring
• Construction-phase geotechnical services

A typical geotechnical investigation may begin with existing reports and site information. Field studies can then examine subsurface soil and groundwater conditions. Samples may be tested in a laboratory before engineers perform calculations covering settlement, liquefaction, slope stability, foundation alternatives, pavement requirements, or other design concerns.

The result is usually not simply a description of the soil. It is engineering information used by designers and contractors to make decisions about how a project should be built.

Environmental Consulting Services

Ninyo & Moore’s second major area is environmental consulting.

Property development can uncover problems left by previous land uses. Industrial activity, leaking storage tanks, waste disposal, chemicals, or hazardous building materials can create legal, financial, health, and construction concerns.

The company’s environmental services include areas such as:

• Phase I and Phase II environmental assessments
• Brownfields redevelopment
• Soil and groundwater contamination investigation
• Site remediation
• Groundwater resources
• Environmental compliance
• Waste management
• Methane assessment and mitigation
• Regulatory coordination
• Hazardous materials work
• NEPA and CEQA technical studies
• Remedial action planning
• Construction monitoring and environmental oversight

Environmental due diligence can be particularly important before a property transaction or redevelopment.

For example, a Phase I environmental site assessment typically investigates historical and current land uses for possible environmental concerns. Where further investigation is justified, physical sampling may become part of subsequent assessment work.

For developers and property owners, identifying these conditions early can help prevent an environmental problem from appearing unexpectedly after acquisition or construction has started.

Construction Materials Testing and Special Inspection

Engineering design alone does not guarantee that construction will perform as intended.

Materials must also meet specifications.

Ninyo & Moore provides construction inspection and testing covering materials such as:

• Soil
• Concrete
• Asphalt
• Masonry
• Structural steel

Its services include geotechnical observation, compaction testing, concrete testing, welding and structural steel inspection, masonry inspection, fireproofing inspection, non-destructive testing, pile-driving observation, and other construction-phase activities.

The company states that its concrete technicians may hold American Concrete Institute certifications, while inspectors work across certification areas involving organizations such as the International Code Council and American Welding Society.

This part of the business provides quality-assurance and quality-control information while construction is underway.

Laboratory Testing

Laboratory work supports both geotechnical investigations and construction quality control.

Ninyo & Moore operates laboratories capable of testing soils and various construction materials.

Its published laboratory information lists testing of:

• Soils
• Aggregates
• Asphalt and bituminous materials
• Masonry
• Portland cement concrete
• Reinforced concrete

The laboratories operate under the supervision of licensed professional engineers, according to company materials.

Ninyo & Moore also states that laboratory equipment is calibrated using equipment traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology and that its facilities participate in outside proficiency and reference-sample programs.

For project owners, reliable laboratory results provide measurable information rather than depending entirely on visual observations in the field.

Engineering Geology and Geophysics

Some underground conditions cannot be understood through conventional drilling alone.

That is where engineering geology and geophysics can become important.

Ninyo & Moore lists geophysical methods including:

• Ground-penetrating radar
• Electrical resistivity
• Electromagnetic techniques
• Seismic surveys
• Magnetics
• Vibration monitoring
• Crosshole sonic logging

These methods can help investigate underground features without relying exclusively on excavation.

Engineering geology also addresses geological processes that affect structures, including faults, landslides, unstable slopes, erosion, and other ground hazards.

Forensic Engineering and Expert-Witness Work

Not every engineering assignment begins before construction.

Sometimes engineers are called after a problem appears.

Ninyo & Moore provides forensic engineering services for law firms, insurers, public agencies, businesses, homeowners, and other property owners.

Investigations can involve:

• Foundation or slab cracking
• Soil settlement
• Landslides
• Retaining-wall problems
• Erosion
• Pavement distress
• Construction claims
• Construction defects
• Environmental conditions
• Hazardous materials
• Expert-witness services

The purpose is generally to determine what caused a failure or distress condition and identify possible corrective actions.

That may require combining structural observations with geotechnical, geological, environmental, or materials-testing information.

Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Safety

The company’s work also extends into conditions that can affect people inside workplaces and buildings.

Ninyo & Moore lists industrial hygiene and occupational safety among its professional services.

Related work may intersect with hazardous building materials, indoor environmental conditions, air contaminants, asbestos, lead, mold, and construction safety evaluations.

These services are especially relevant when older properties are renovated, damaged structures are repaired, or potentially hazardous materials must be identified before demolition.

GIS Services

Geographic Information Systems, or GIS, add another layer to Ninyo & Moore’s work.

GIS allows information to be connected with geographic locations and mapped for analysis.

The company’s published project experience includes GIS applications involving groundwater modeling, brownfields assessments, landslide investigations, environmental site work, transportation infrastructure, renewable-energy projects, pipelines, and geotechnical evaluations.

For engineering and environmental projects covering large areas, mapping technical information can make patterns easier to identify and manage.

Where Does Ninyo & Moore Operate?

Ninyo & Moore’s current published office-location document lists offices across:

• California
• Arizona
• Nevada
• Colorado
• Utah
• Texas

Its corporate office is in San Diego, California. Other listed locations include Los Angeles, Irvine, San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento-area West Sacramento, Alameda, Fontana, Phoenix, Tucson, Prescott Valley, Safford, Las Vegas, the Denver area, North Salt Lake, and Houston.

The SOCOTEC acquisition gives the operation access to a much broader U.S. organization beyond these traditional western markets. SOCOTEC has continued making acquisitions and expanding its infrastructure business since buying Ninyo & Moore.

What Types of Projects Does Ninyo & Moore Work On?

The firm’s published portfolio spans public infrastructure and private development.

Its website includes work associated with airports, universities, transportation systems, pipelines, commercial developments, utilities, industrial facilities, and public works.

Examples include the LAX Terminal 1.5 project, where Ninyo & Moore provided geotechnical engineering and geotechnical observation/testing, and the Davis Aqueduct Reach 1 Parallel Pipeline Project in Utah, where its work included materials testing and special inspection.

The company’s portfolio also includes the Gateway Project at UC Berkeley and a mixed-use development in Denver where it provided geotechnical, environmental, geophysical, hydrogeological, materials-testing, and inspection services.

These examples illustrate why multidisciplinary consulting can be useful: one project may require several technical disciplines rather than a single engineering report.

Why Geotechnical and Environmental Consulting Matters

The visible portion of a building usually receives the most attention.

Many of its largest risks are less obvious.

Poor soil can settle. Slopes can move. Groundwater can complicate excavation. Seismic conditions can affect structural design. Contaminated property can create remediation costs. Concrete or soil that fails specification can cause construction delays.

Technical investigation is meant to identify these issues early enough for engineers, owners, and contractors to respond.

For that reason, companies such as Ninyo & Moore often become involved before major construction begins and remain involved through construction testing and inspection.

The value is not simply producing reports. It is reducing uncertainty around the physical and environmental conditions that influence a project.

Ninyo & Moore Today

Ninyo & Moore enters its fifth decade in a different corporate position from the company founded in San Diego in 1986.

Its technical identity remains centered on geotechnical engineering, environmental consulting, engineering geology, testing, inspection, and related sciences. Its 2025 acquisition by SOCOTEC, however, connects those capabilities with a larger national and international technical-services organization.

The company’s continued use of the Ninyo & Moore name, active project portfolio, 2026 anniversary activities, and updated materials identifying it as a SOCOTEC company show that the brand remains part of the group’s U.S. engineering operations.

For anyone researching Ninyo & Moore Geotechnical & Environmental Sciences Consultants, the clearest description is therefore a multidisciplinary engineering and environmental consultancy with roots in Southern California, a substantial western U.S. footprint, and—since 2025—the backing of SOCOTEC.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Ninyo & Moore do?

Ninyo & Moore provides geotechnical engineering, environmental consulting, construction testing and inspection, engineering geology, geophysics, laboratory testing, forensic engineering, industrial hygiene, occupational safety, and GIS services.

When was Ninyo & Moore founded?

Ninyo & Moore was established in San Diego, California, in 1986.

Who owns Ninyo & Moore?

SOCOTEC acquired Ninyo & Moore in January 2025. The business now identifies itself as Ninyo & Moore, A SOCOTEC Company.

Where is Ninyo & Moore headquartered?

Its corporate office is in San Diego, California.

Does Ninyo & Moore perform environmental site assessments?

Yes. Its published environmental services include property-transfer due diligence and Phase I and Phase II environmental assessment work.

Does Ninyo & Moore test construction materials?

Yes. The firm provides materials testing and inspection involving soil, concrete, asphalt, masonry, structural steel, and related construction materials.

Is Ninyo & Moore still operating after the SOCOTEC acquisition?

Yes. Ninyo & Moore remains an active SOCOTEC company, and its website continues to publish projects, services, office information, and 40th-anniversary activities in 2026.

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