It all started in 1954, when Louis Ménard, a young French mechanical engineering student from Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, invented the device that was to revolutionize geotechnical investigations: the pressuremeter.
Until the 1950s, there was no practical way to determine the geotechnical parameters required for the design of foundations using in-situ methods.
Louis Ménard set a goal of devising a single in-situ test to measure the ultimate pressure of the soil and its deformation modulus in order to calculate bearing capacity and settlement. He developed and filed a patent for the device that was to revolutionize geotechnical investigations: the pressuremeter.

In 1957, Louis Menard set up a company called “Les Pressiomètres Menard” (Menard Pressuremeters). Success was quick to follow and he soon had four licensees using his devices. The French Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chaussées (Central Civil Engineering Laboratory) also began to use his equipment.

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Residential resort in Mandelieu-la-Napoule, France. In the 1970s, Menard performed a number of dynamic compaction projects in the USA.
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Development of dynamic replacement for fine-grained soils

Deepest dynamic compaction application (27 m, 4,000 tm energy) at the Nice Airport, France. Read the full case study here:  Nice airport, France project

DGI is formed in Pittsburgh, PA.

The year 1987 marked a further turning point in the history of the company when it was sold by its shareholder and taken over by two company managers, Jean-Marie Cognon and Pierre-Marie Bic. The name “Menard Soltraitement” was adopted.

Development of Menard Vacuum™ (atmospheric consolidation system) in France

Development of Controlled Modulus Column (CMC)®

 rigid inclusions

Improvement of 1,600,000 m² of reclaimed platform on the Airbus A380 assembly factory in Hamburg, Germany.

Largest vibrocompaction project for the Palm Jebel Ali in Dubai (UAE)

Working off of barges, US Wick Drain, Inc. performs the largest and deepest barge wick drain project ever completed. Read the full case study here: Craney Island Terminal

Deepest vibrocompaction for the largest onshore wind turbine in Lautsitz Ring, Germany

Menard USA sets a record of 135 feet for the deepest CMCs ever installed on a project at that time. Menard USA has since surpassed this depth on numerous projects.

BMCs were first installed in the US

Menard USA installs 22 million linear feet of wick drains at the Port of Charleston, making it the largest wick drain project in the USA. Read the full case study here: Port of Charleston Case Study

Menard USA installs its largest earthquake drain project. Read the full case study here: Port Access Road

Menard USA installs CMCs to a depth of 172 feet for this iconic project in New Jersey to support a warehouse.  These are the deepest CMCs installed to date, making this a world record.  Read the full case study here: Lincoln Gateway Project

Menard acquires leading West Coast ground improvement specialty contractor, Farrell Design-Build, Inc.  To learn more about Farrell and the expertise that they offer in the western United States, please visit FarrellInc.com.

Discover Dunton Envrionmental, specialized in developing and implementing ground and water remediation solutions to restore our planets natural environment.

Menard acquires leading Florida-based ground improvement specialty contractor, Earth Tech, LLC.  To learn more about Earth Tech and the expertise that they offer throughout the Southeast region, please visit EarthTech.com