Soil Mechanics Laboratory

Civil Engineering Department Faculty of Engineering

Universitas Indonesia
SOIL MECHANICS REPORT
PRACTICANT NAME

I.

: Fajar Surya Muhammad

1306437170

Fikri Dwisatrio

1306437132

Raihan Alisha Nabila

1306437126

GROUP

: PI4

DATE OF PRACTICUM

: March 4th, 2015

TITLE OF THE PRACTICUM

: Hand Boring & Sampling

ASSISTANT

: Reza Riil Akbar P

SIGNATURE AND SCORE

PREFACE
A. Standardization and References
ASTM D 1452 Standard Practice for Soil Investigation and Sampling
by Auger Borings
ASTM D 1587 Standard Practice for Thin-Walled Tube Sampling of
Soils for Geotechnical Puposes
Bhudu, Muni. Soil Mechanics and Foundations. John Wiley & Sons.
New York. 2010
Soil Mechanics Module. Buku Panduan Praktikum Mekanika Tanah.
Laboratory of Soil Mechanics, Universitas Indonesia. Depok. 2015
B. Objective
This experimental work is intended to check the soil characteristics
visually about the color, the grain size, and the type of the soil. The
experimental work is also conducted to take an undisturbed soil sample
that will be used in the next practicum.
C. Tools and Equipment
Auger Iwan
Two rods and one spin head
Holder rod
Wrench
Socket
Two tubes
Hammer
Plastics
1

Hand Boring & Sampling

Soil Mechanics Laboratory

Civil Engineering Department Faculty of Engineering
Universitas Indonesia

Wax
Oil

D. Basic Theory and Formulas

In this practicum disturbed soil sample and undisturbed soil sample
is taken. Disturbed sample is the soil sample taken without working to
protect the original structure of the soil. Undisturbed sample is the soil
sample that still shows the original characteristics of the soil.
Undisturbed sample is ideally doesnt experience the change in the
structure, water content, and chemical composition. The actual
undisturbed soil is impossibly taken, but for the good practice then the
damage can be minimalized.
Auger Boring
Auger boring is one of the simple methods in doing the soil
investigation and sampling. The boring activity can be done in the
certain depths, according to the condition of water soil surface, soil
characteristics, then the equipment used.

Auger boring can be done manually by humans hands (hand-operated

auger) and can be done mechanically by machine (machine-operated
auger). In this practicum, the boring can be done manually using Auger
Iwan which consists of two segments of steel plate (tube) with two
blades in both edges.

Picture 1. Auger type for Boring

Hand Boring & Sampling

Soil Mechanics Laboratory

Civil Engineering Department Faculty of Engineering
Universitas Indonesia
Undisturbed Soil Sample
Undisturbed soil sample can be taken by using thin steel tube (ASTM D
1587). There is a thin steel tube requirement to fulfill the inside
clearance ratio requirement. Picture two shows the type of a tube that is
used in taking the undisturbed soil sample.
DiDe
X 100 1
De

Picture 2. Tube is used for taking the undisturbed sample

Boring Log
Boring log is a result boring note that is used as the identification of the
soil layer type. In the boring log contain some information, such as:
The depth of the soil layer
Point surface elevation, soil layer elevation, and water soil surface
elevation
Graphically soil type symbol
Soil description: type of soil, color, consistency/density
Position and the depth of the samples in undisturbed and disturbed
condition
General information about the name of the project, location, date, and the
person responsible of boring work
Table 1. The symbols of several soil type for boring log

Hand Boring & Sampling

Soil Mechanics Laboratory

Civil Engineering Department Faculty of Engineering
Universitas Indonesia

II.

PRACTICUM
A. Practicum Preparation
1. Preparing the practicum tools and equipment
2. Choosing the boring point and cleaning the soil surface from grass
and stones
3. Giving oil to the edges of the steel rod
B. Procedure
1. Placing the Auger Iwan on the Boring rod and in the boring point
2. Spinning the boring in clockwise and giving it some loads. The
boring rod has to be perpendicular
3. Inserting the Auger Iwan into the soil until it reaches 30 cm depth,
then taking the disturbed soil sample and placing it in the plastic
4. In the 1 meter depth, changing the Auger Iwan with socket and tube,
then placing the hammer load onto the steel rod for sinking the tube
to the soil and taking the undisturbed soil
5. After the tube is full of soil, lifting the tube, getting it off from the
socket, and then closing both of the edges of the tube using wax. The
sample taken is the undisturbed soil sample

Hand Boring & Sampling

Soil Mechanics Laboratory

Civil Engineering Department Faculty of Engineering
Universitas Indonesia

III.

DATA RESULT AND CALCULATION

A. Practicum Result
From the soil sample taken, we can make a boring log that consists of
soil type, color and other description visually.

SYMBOL

SAMPLE

Silty Clay

0.0 0.3 m

Disturbed

VISUAL
CLASSIFICATION

Clay

0.3 0.8 m

Undisturbed

LEVELWATER

DEPTH ( m )

Table 2. Boring Log

DESCRIPTION
CONSISTENCY

COLOR

Dark
Brown

Stiff

Reddish
Brown

Stiffer, soft

B. Calculation
DiDe
X 100 1
De

Hand Boring & Sampling

Soil Mechanics Laboratory

Civil Engineering Department Faculty of Engineering
Universitas Indonesia
The formula below is the requirement for the tubes diameter for taking
the undisturbed soil sample.

IV.

ANALYSIS
A. Practicum Analysis
This experimental work is intended to check the soil characteristics
visually about the color, the grain size, and the type of the soil. The
experimental work is also conducted to take an undisturbed soil sample
that will be used in the next practicum.
Before we started the hand boring and sampling practicum, we
needed to prepare the tools and equipment such as the Auger Iwan, two
steel rods and its spinner, holder rod, wrench, three tubes for three
groups, socket, hammer load, plastics and oil. There was one tool that
was not used in the actual practicum, the wax.
Auger Iwan is used to take the disturbed soil sample at the depth of
more less 0.3 m. First we had to choose the point where we will conduct
the practicum, when we found the point, we cleaned the grass just above
the soil, and we took auger iwan and two steel rods and its spinner to put
the auger iwan into the soil so the soil will be taken to the auger iwans
tube. We spun the Auger Iwan with the help of two steel rods connected
to the Auger Iwan and to fasten it went inside the soil, one of the
students could sit above the steel rods and being spun by the other
students.
After we saw the auger iwan was full of soil, we took it out again
using rods and wrench, it was hard to pull it off because of the rain. The
soil sample taken by the auger iwan was the disturbed one. Before we
placed the disturbed sample in a plastic, we could classify what type of
soil by observing the texture, color and size then wrote it down on the
boring log. After Using Auger Iwan, we used another steel rods, thin

Hand Boring & Sampling

Soil Mechanics Laboratory

Civil Engineering Department Faculty of Engineering
Universitas Indonesia
steel tube and the hammer load to take the disturbed sample, before
connecting each steel rods and steel tube, we put some oil on the edge of
each rod so it would lock all the rods and the soil would not spill when
we took the tube out from the soil.
By using the hammer load, the tube could went through inside the
deeper soil until it reached at about 0.8 m. After that we had to pull the
tube out from the soil, we used the teeter board method. We used a
wrench to be locked on the boring rod and placed it above a steel rod
that was placed above a concrete to lift the wrench. The tube is lifted by
giving pressure with the load of student on the other side of the steel rod.
It was really hard getting the tube out of the soil because it was raining.
After the tube was successfully out of the soil, we opened the
connection between the tube and the socket, then we could classify the
type of the soil visually. To protect the undisturbed soil we covered the
tube by plastic and tied it with rubbers.
B. Data and Result Analysis

0.3 0.8 m

SYMBOL

SAMPLE

DESCRIPTION
CONSISTENCY

COLOR

Disturbed

0.0 0.3 m

VISUAL
CLASSIFICATION
Silty Clay

Dark
Brown

Stiff

Undisturbed

LEVELWATER

DEPTH ( m )

Table 3. Boring Log

Clay

Reddish
Brown

Stiffer, soft

Hand Boring & Sampling

Soil Mechanics Laboratory

Civil Engineering Department Faculty of Engineering
Universitas Indonesia
This hand boring practicum produced two soil samples, disturbed
and undisturbed soil sample. The disturbed soil was taken by the depth
of 0 m to 0.3 m. By visually observing the first soil taken, it was
classified as the silty clay soil, it had dark brown color and stiff. The
condition and the color of the disturbed soil can be influenced by the
rain. The second sample soil was the undisturbed one, it was reddish
brown and stiffer than the disturbed soil. We took the undisturbed soil
when the tube reached the depth of 0.3 to 0.8 m.
DiDe
X 100 1
De
The formula above is the requirement for the tubes diameter based
on ASTM that is used to take the undisturbed soil sample and it is not
calculated during the practicum because we have to cover the tube
immediately after taking it off from soil, using plastic to avoid the air
comes inside the soil.
C. Error Analysis
In every practicum some errors can be occurred. The errors can
cause the level of accuracy of the result. An error during the process of
going through the soil by using Auger Iwan might occur when we spun
the steel rod , it might not that perpendicular so it could break the the
surrounding area of the soil and made the tube hard to take it out from
the soil. The force energy we released to make the tube went into the
soil might be bigger than we expected and could cause the damage of
the bolt inside the steel rod and the steel tube.
V.

CONCLUSION
Hand Boring can be done to determine the characteristic of soil
visually by observing the color, texture, and size
The two samples that were taken by doing this practicum is
classified as the silty clay and clay soil
As we went deeper of the soil layer , it also has more water content

Hand Boring & Sampling

Soil Mechanics Laboratory

Civil Engineering Department Faculty of Engineering
Universitas Indonesia
In real life the hand boring and sampling is done to classify the soil
for many reasons on a construction project. Primarily geotechnical
engineer classifies the soil in order to design the foundation system
Soil is often the hardest to predict and most difficult to work with
material on a construction project
We have to know and classify the soil before construction because
the type of soil greatly affects the degree of danger for trench caveins, the on-site subgrade dewatering system is dependent on the type
of soil, the compactions requirements and methods for backfill and
embankments change for different types of soil, and the best method
for dealing with wet, muddy conditions or dry, dusty conditions on a
project depends on the type of soil involved
The errors can also occur because of the condition of the
surrounding area of the soil and the weather at certain moment

VI.

APPENDIX

Hand Boring & Sampling

Soil Mechanics Laboratory

Civil Engineering Department Faculty of Engineering
Universitas Indonesia

Picture 3. Auger Iwan

Picture 4. Auger Iwan being loaded

Picture 6. Pulling the tube

Picture 7. Giving load to steel rod

Picture 5. Hammer Load

10

Hand Boring & Sampling