B-6 13

Wo. B-6 AM IiiPROVED TYPti OF SOIL SAMPLER FOR EXPLORATIONS OF SOIL CONDITIONS AND SA'i.iPLING OPERATIONS
Thos, E. Stanton, Jr.
Materials and Research Engineer, California Division of Highways

Summary. The soil sampler described herein was developed over a period of six years, starting in 1930,
by engineers of the Materials and Research Department of the California Division of Highways. It was de­
signed to avoid the delay and expense incidental to driving and cleaning out a well casing before taking
samples, and has been successfully used in its present form for obtaining undisturbed soil samples to
depths of over 250 feet under a wide range of conditions. 232 holes aggregating over 13,000 lineal feet
of cores have been cut with the 2 " sampler since 1933 connection with foundation investigations for
the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and other highway, bridge, and grade separation projects.
The equipment was developed not only to reduce the cost of deep sampling, but also to obtain samples
in an undisturbed state so as to accurately determine foundation conditions, including moisture content,
density, and consolidation. In clay and cemented material samples have been taken to depths of approxi­
mately 15 0 ' below the bottom of a cased or open hole, thereby greatly reducing the total drilling expense.
Practically continuous 2" diameter core samples have frequently been taken to depths of 100 to 200 feet
at a total cost of less than $1.00 per foot, including rental of equipment and all operating expenses.
All grades of foundation material have been sampled, the equipment being suitable for use in forma­
tions of hardness ranging up to "soft" rock. The sampler unit has been driven as much as two or three
feet into bedrock where the material consisted of partially disintegrated sandstone or shale.

Conventional Samplers. Soil samplers used on the preliminary investigation of the San Francisco-Oakland
Bridge foundation material (E.N.R., June 23 , 1932, P. 89I) required oasing to just above the elevation
at whioh a sample was desired. After cleaning the casing, samples were obtained to a depth of 13 inches
below the bottom of the oased hole. The casing was then driven to the next depth to be sampled, the hole
again cleaned, and samples taken as before. Great oare and slow methods were required in driving and
oleaning the casing so as not to disturb the material immediately below the bottom of the hole.
Conventional equipment (A.S.C.E. Proceedings, May, 1933» S04) usually included a vont hole with
either a flap or ball valve action at the top of the sampler sections. Sand and silt particles frequent­
ly lodgod in the valve preventing a satisfactory seal against suction, thus resulting in the loss of the
sample.

New Sampler. Prior to and during the period the original borings for the Bay Bridge were under way.
The Materials and Research Department was working on the devolopment of a sampler designed to eliminate
unsatisfactory and expensive operation features of the conventional type of equipment. The new sampling
device developed as a result of these studies (Figs. I and II) is a decided improvement over the old type.
A clean open hole is not required and the use of casing is not essential for holes up to 100 feet unless
free flowing sand or gravel is encountered. Casing is required only when skin friotion becomes too great
to permit ready driving and pulling of the sampler. On the foundation study recently completed for the
proposed San Francisco Interurban Bay Bridge Terminal and Viaduct construction, 70' to 90' of oasing was
used to seal off an overlying strata of free flowing eolian and marine sands. Boring and sampling opera­
tions were then satisfactorily oontinued through marine clay and clayey sand to bedrock at depths up to
220 ' without further casing, at a saving of one-third to one-half the oost under previous methods.

Description of Sampler. The sanpler unit (Figs. I and II) consists of a cutting point, sampler sections,
couplings,- 2 '' brass' tube sample retainers, and a plug, screw, and nut assembly. The outting point is con­
structed of tool steel and its outer shape oonforns in general with that found by Veihmeyer and Beckett
(Soil Scionce, Vol. 25, 1928, P.147, and Voi.27, 1929j P«381) to be suitable for securing undisturbed
samples of agricultural soils.
The sampler sections, couplings, and the cutting point are bored on the inside to reoeive the brass
tube sample retainers. These brass tube retainers permit ready removal of the cores from the sampler
and prevent disturbance of the speoiraens. This part of the outfit is conventional.
The important element of the new sampler is the plug assembly. First, it plugs the sampler until
the depth is reached at which samples are desired; and second, it provides a seal against suction immedi­
ately above the top of the sample.
The sorew shaft and nut section are provided with a fast pitch, left hand thread, the former being
connected to the plug in a manner to permit swivel aotion.
Extension rods and all sampler sections are provided with suitable size R. H. square threads. In
the couplings the ends are butted against a square shoulder in order to prevent excessive thread stress
during driving.

Operation. Samples are taken by (l) driving the sampler as. a plugged tube to the desired depth; (2) re­
tracting the plug and forcing the open sampler into undisturbed material; (3) retracting the plug further
to effect an air tight seal above the sample; (4) withdrawing the entire sampler unit to the surfaoe.
A 3 1 to 4' length of soil core is normally obtained in one sampling operations. On important work
one three to four foot sample is usually taken for each five feet of depth0 In many oases, however, the
driving record for the plugged sampler furnishes sufficient information regarding the uniformity of the
material. In suoh oases the drilling operations are expedited by taking samples at less frequent inter­
vals. Two samplers oomplete with plug, screw, and nut assembly are usually kept on rush jobs so that
drill operations will not be shut down while samples are being removed and prepared for shipment to the
Laboratory.
14 B -6

Samples. Tho string of 2" long brass tube retainers, with

contained sample, are pushed out of the sampler sections
immediately following removal from the hole, out into 2 "
long seotions at the joints between retainers with a fine
piano wire saw, oapped and weighed. The weight of the 2"
long cores, together with examination of the cut surfaoe,
immediately furnishes an index to the uniformity and char­
acter of the material. Specimens retained for shipment to
the Laboratory are at onoe taped, marked, and sealed with
paraffin in order to prevent any change in the original con­
dition.
To determine the extent of disturbance, if any, during
sampling, a large speoimen of Class A-i| soil having a mois­
ture content of approximately Y]f° was mixed with lofo flowers
of sulphur and consolidated at the Laboratory in alternate
layers of light and dark material, 5$ by weight of preoipi-
tated magnetic oxide being used for ooloring. Cores were
out so as to expose any deformation of the strata. As will
be noted, there was no apparent disturbance of the material
in the core, whereas there is a very marked disturbance in
the portion of the original sample outside of the oore and
adjacent to the sampling tube. The unit weight and mois­
ture oontent of the 2 " x 2 " oored speoimens checked within
one-half of one per cent of the unit weight and moisture of
the larger prepared speoimen from which the core was cut.
Claee A-4 soil was selected because it was the most
plastic soil available whioh could be used without exoessive
shrinkage and oraoking under the heating required to harden
before outting to expose the oondition of the soil strata.

Size of Sampler. Two sizes of the type of sampler described herein are now being used by the California
Materials and Researoh Department. One size, of light weight design for hand power and air hammer opera­
tion, cuts cores of approximately 1 " diameter and is used extensively for preliminary borings ranging up
to 50 feet in depth.
The sampler successfully used on deep borings for the last three years cuts a 2" diameter core. The
design 'is suitable, however, for larger diameter samples if desired. The 2" samples are satisfactory for
testing and this size sampler is operated with power equipment at a somewhat lower cost than heavier e-
quipment.
When the site of drilling operations is accessible to truck equipment, a churn drill is usually used,
with the spudder or walking beam actuating the drop hammer. Any other standard type of power drilling e-
quipment may be used. Borings over the bay and overflow marsh land were made from a barge equipped with
a derrick, winch, and jetting facilities. In deep borings the pulling oapacity from the barge was some­
times insufficient and jetting was necessary to reduce the skin friction and free the sampler.
Little difficulty has been enoounterad in freeing the sampler unit with a jet, consisting of lengths
of the inside drill rod tubing, washed down along the outside of the sampler unit without a guide. The
ground disturbed in driving the sampler is more easily jetted them the undisturbed material away from the
hole, and therefore the jet usually follows down directly adjacent to the sampler. In some oases a ring
is slipped over the top of the sampler unit and attached near the bottom of the jet to serve as a guide.

Extent Applied in Practioe. The 1" hand operated sampler designed in 1930 was perfected and used until
I933" i"01* obtaining samples in penetrable ground to depths of 60 feet. The 2" size sampler was built and
put into use during the first half of 193 3» sinoe which time approximately 13,000 lin. ft. of 2 " borings
have been made on major projects. In addition, several thousand feet of hand borings 30 to 50 feet in
depth have been made for miscellaneous minor highway and bridge construction projects throughout the State,
On the San Francisoo Bay Bridge Terminal Foundation investigation, twenty-one holes were bored from
50' to 220' in depth. During the first part of the work the outfit maa not equipped with casing or jetting
equipment. An effort was made to drive through the sand strata without casing and jetting, with resul­
tant time loss and increased cost. As soon as the first procedure was abandoned, however, and casing and
jetting through an average of 80 ft. of sand strata resorted to, the boring operations speeded up and the
cost correspondingly fell off.
The sampler described herein was originally devised by 0. J, Porter, Associate Physical Testing En­
gineer, in charge of aggregate and soil tests and investigational work. J. L. Beatty, Junior Testing En­
gineer, suggested valuable improvements and George Pomeroy, Chief Maohinist of the Department, assisted
Porter and Beatty in mechanically perfecting the design.
 B -6 15
STATE OF C A L IF O R N IA
D IV IS IO N O F H IG H W A YS
M A T E R IA L S 4- R E S E A R C H D EPA RT M EN T

D IA G R A M M A T IC SKETCH OF

PORTER TYPE ¿OIL ¿AMPLER

F i'5 . H
Th r ea d ed End of
Dr i v i n g As s e m b l y
At t a c h e d He r e
No t e : A f t e r R a i s i n g P l u g
C a b l e S l i n g Fo r In s id e R o d T u b i n g
To p S e c t i o n o f In s i d e Ro d
R a i s i n g Ha m m e r . Ac t u a t in g S c r e w ( D
Is R e m o v e d
(5 f t . e x t e n s i o n s )

It
Ha m m e r . G u id e

I <--- -OOl u t s id e D r i l l Ro d —
T u b in g
(5 i IO FT. EXTENSIONS)

DROP HAMMER. ^Su

C a s in g s Ext en d B elo w

S t r ik in g H e _a d S u r f a c e a s Ne c e s s a r y ^ —

- O u t s id e D r i l l Ro d T u b i n g
(5 4- io f t . e x t e n s i o n s )

Hut S e c t io n (§ )

S g r .e w (§ )—

S c re w ©-

Nu t S e c t i o n ®

Ven t

PLUG IN SAM PLIN G

Th r e a d e d E n d A t t a c h e d t o _
P O S IT IO N ©
C O U PL IN C a AT TOP O F
1Z in c h l o n g
D r il l Rods
- S a m p l e S e c t io n s
CUSUALLY F IV E )
DRIVING A55E.MBLY
— B r a s s Tu b e S a m p l e
Co n t a i n e r s .
(EACH TWO INCHES LONoj)
M eth o d of O p e r a t io n
1 Sa m pler w it h p l u g in d r iv in g p o s it io n ® is d r i v e n b y m e a n s o f
d r o p h a m m e r d r iv in g a s s e m b l y t o d e p t h a t w h ic h sa m ples are
d e s ir e d . d u r in g d r i v in g a d d it io n a l INSIDE * OUTSIDE RODS a r e
a t ta c h ed a s r e q u ir e d .
--- C u t t i n g R d in t
1
2 Upon reachin g depth tpom w hic h s a m p l e i s d e s ir e d th e d r iv in g a s s e m b l y
IS REMOVED « INSIDE ROD IS TURNED IN CLOCKWISE DIRECTION ACTUATING — PLUG IN DRIVING \Z i n c h l o n g
LErT HAND SCREW ( f ) WHICH RAISES PlUG TO P03ITI0N © POSITION ® -S a m p le S e c t io n s
C lea ra n c e is m a in ta in ed in position ® to a llo w a i r o p w a t e r to esc a pe ( USUALLY F IV E )
THROUGH VENT HOLES DURING SAMPLING. TOP SECTION OF INSIDE ROD 15 RIMCWtD.

5. Driv in g a s s e m b l y is attach ! d a t t o p and s a m p l i c o re o bta in ! d h-r

DRIVING SAMPLER INTO SOIL THEREBY FILLING BRASS TUBE SAMPl I. CONTAINERS. DRIVING POSITION
Driv in g a s s e m b l y i s t h e n d em o i /!I> a n d in s id e rod t u r n e d r a isin g p i u g
TO CONTACT NUT SECTION (N) FORMlNLi A SEAl. AC.A1NST SUCTION.

5 S a m p l e r i s t h en p u l l e d u p , s e c t io n s o j in sid e < o u t s id e rods

BEIN G DISCONNECTED A S IT IS Q A lS E D .
C u t t i n g IY j i n t

Fig-1
6 S a m p l e s e c t i o n s a r e d i s m a n t l ' d a n d .sn.ciM i n s in ih e s a m p i e
CONTAINERS ARE REM O VFD , WEIGHED, CAPPED, 4 S L A IID .

SAMPLING POSITION

Fig. Ill showing caps, empty sample container, typical

soil specimen after removal from the container, and a
typical two inoh container and sample sealed and pre­
pared for shipment to the Laboratory.

Fig. IV showing condition of 2" cores cut with a Cal­

ifornia Type Soil Sampler from a prepared block of
Class A-b soil containing \7/° moisture.
The white space between the core and the main
block shows the area through which the sampler passed.
No disturbance of the soil particles on the periphery
of the cores can be noted, whereas there is a very
marked disturbance outside of the sampler.
The sampler was driven 12 inches below the bottom
of the cores shown; therefore, these cores were forced
through from 1 2 " to IS" of the sectional brass tube lining.