MACKINTOSH PROBE TEST

GENERAL
One of the most common types of probing is Mackintosh Probe. The purpose of Mackintosh
Probe is to determine bearing capacity of the soil to withstand the loading. The Mackintosh
prospecting tool consists of rods which can be threaded together with barrel connectors and
which are normally fitted with a driving point at their base, and a light hand-operated driving
hammer at their top. The tool provides a very economical method of determining the thickness of
soft deposits such as peat. The driving point is streamlined in longitudinal section with diameter
of 25mm. The drive hammer has a total weight of about 4.5kg. The rods are 1.2m long and
13mm diameter. The device is often used to provide a depth profile by driving the point and rods
into the ground with equal blows of the full drop height available from the hammer: the number
of blows for each 0.3m of penetration is recorded. When small pockets of stiff clay are to be
penetrated, an auger or a core tube can be substituted for the driving point. The rods can be
rotated clockwise at ground level using a box spanner. Tools can be pushed into or pulled out of
the soil using a lifting/driving tool. Because of the light hammer weight the Mackintosh Probe is
limited in the depths and materials it can penetrate.

OBJECTIVE
Mackintosh Probe test is carried out to determine the bearing capacity of soil. The result obtained
from the test provides a rough estimation of the soil layer at a point.

APPARATUS :

- Extension / Boring rod

- Wrench

- Rod coupling

- Diving Head

- Drop Hammer

- Chalk

WORK PROCEDURE

- Ruler

1) Mark with each of the road with distance of 0.3m.

2) Join driving head at the end of boring rod.

3) Join drop hammer above of boring rod.

4) Place the rod at land and make sure that the rod is straight.

5) Raise and release 5kg drop hammer with specified height.

6) Record the number of blow every penetration of 0.3m. This test will end
as if :
i ) Had achieve its maximum blow
ii) Had achieve penetration of 12m

DATA AND RESULT

Depth(m)

0.0-0.3
0.3-0.6
0.6-0.9
0.9-1.2
1.2-1.5
1.5-1.8
1.8-2.1
2.1-2.4
2.4-2.7
2.7-3.0
3.0-3.3
3.3-3.6
3.6-3.9
3.9-4.2
4.2-4.5
4.5-4.8
4.8-5.1
5.1-5.4
5.4-5.7
5.7-6.0

No. of blow/0.3m

Cumulative no. of
blow
Group 1 Group 2 Group 1 Group 2
82
67
82
67
59
76
141
143
51
68
192
211
65
90
257
301
127
89
384
390
93
155
477
545
136
176
613
721
132
47
745
768
141
65
886
833
82
200
968
1033
63
1031
110
1141
134
1275
62
1337
39
1376
50
1426
60
1486
45
1531
100
1631
30
1661

Discussion:
1. Calculate number of blow/0.3m:
Number of blow= Total of blow from A to B/Total of interval from A to B

For group 1
Number of blow=1661/20
=83.5
For group 2
Number of blow=1033/10
=103.3
2. Determine the value of bearing capacity by referring to the graph of standard
bearing capacity versus number of blow/0.3m (APPENDIX).

CONCLUSION
Mackintosh Probe test is carried out to determine the bearing capacity of soil. The result obtained
from the test provides a rough estimation of the soil layer at a point. As for the test that our did,
there are a part when it has harder soil but the deeper we did the test (hammering the rod) the
result (soil) become smoother. The best of our result (harder soil) is at 1.8m to 2.7m depth.
Referring to the graph, the value of bearing capacity was determined. The main objective of our
test is achieved.