Site Investigation and Field Tests

Site investigation (SI) methods

1. Surface Grab Sampling

2. Boreholes (and sampling by SPT and tube)
3. Excavation and auger
4. Piezocone Penetration (CPTU)
5. Macintosh Probing
6. Field Density Test
7. Rock and Fracture Mapping
8. Geophysical Methods
9. Others?
Why Do We Carry Out Site Investigation
1. General Assessment and Design
2. Geotechnical Assessment of an EIA
3. Slope Stability Design
4. Foundation Design
5. Fill Assessment and Design
6. Embankment Design
7. Damn Design
8. Rock Slope Design
9. Rock Tunnel Design
10. Landfill Assessment and Design
11. Other reason?
 In Situ Soil Testing Methods,
by popularity in Malaysia

i. SPT in Boreholes
ii. Macintosh Probing
iii. Piezocone Penetration (CPTU)
iv. Field Vane Shear
v. Field Density Test
vi. And many more

Can you tell the difference between SI and In-Situ Test?

 1. SI by Surface Grab Sampling
Advantage
- Easy (and cheap)
Disadvantage
- Not representing sub-surface soils
Why?
- For quick and preliminary information
- To verify certain probing results
 2. SI by Bore Hole
(and sampling by SPT and tube)
Advantage
- Able to retrieve representative samples and
test soils at greater depths, directly
Disadvantage
- Cost and disturbance caused by washing
Why?
- To have a continuous description of soil with
depth, to retrieve samples via SPT and sampling
tube, and to carry out SPT and vane shear tests
 Disturbance caused by washing
of a bore hole

• Reportedly more than 12 inches (30 cm) in

sands but only 3 inches (7.5 cm in clays)
• Despite of the above, the practice only
disregards 6 inches (15 cm) of SPT results in
sands and in clays
 Bore Hole Drilling Equipment:
TOHO type for soil and rock drilling

• Rotary type but can be converted to

percussion type any time
• Drilling: BS5030(1981)
• Get soil samples via split spoon sampler
• SPT(N) Test: BS1337(1975)
• Normally, can also get 54 mm rock core (NX)
Soil Description vs. Soil Classification

The description of soils as drilling progresses is not a soil

classification work (such as USCS) but mere layman’s description of
the soils such as: Sand, Yellow Sand, Clay, Clay and Sand, Yellow
Clay, Dense Sand, Loose Sand, Stiff Clay, etc.

The real soil classification is done when a sample has been subjected
to lab tests and the results produced. Examples of classification
names are MH, SM, etc., such as used in the USCS method.

A piezocone test also describes soils and appoint names but with
another and different procedure than used in the USCS method.
 SPT in a Borehole
Names of Test: Standard Penetration Test, SPT

Data: Standard Penetration Test Number, SPT(N), Standard Penetration

Resistance

Hammer Weight: 63.5 kg (140 lb)

Hammer Lift: 760 mm (30 in)

Dimensions of Sampling Tube: 35 mm inside diameter, 50 mm outside diameter,

650 mm length

Procedure: Number of blows per 75 mm advance is recorded for 6 consecutive

advances starting at the bottom of a borehole. Numbers of blows of the last 4
advances (300 mm, 12 in, foot) are summed and is called SPT(N). Numbers of
blows of the first two advances are discarded due to disturbance of the soil layer
by washing and boring. Maximum number of blows per foot to record is 50.
 How to get SPT(N) number

• 5.4 of MS1056
• N30 is blows/30 cm
• N60 is blows/30 cm assuming 60% hammer
efficiency
• Some demand blows/7.5 cm
• Discard the blows of the first 15 cm (2x7.5)
• Read blows for every 7.5 cm
• So readings of 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 19, 20 will give
N30 = 42
• Normally taken for every 1.5 m interval
 SPT(N) versus φ SPT(N) versus φ
correlation for cohesion- correlation for cohesion-
less soils (Coyle and less soils (Old JKR
Castello, 1981)
Document)
 SPT(N) versus φ correlation for
cohesion-less soils (McCarty, David
F, 1998)

SPT(N) φ

10 30
20 32
30 35
40 38
50 40
60 42
SPT(N) c, kPa
0 0
2 14
4 25
8 50
15 100
30 200
SPT in Sand Angle of Friction Description
0–4 0 – 28 degree Very Loose
4 – 10 20 – 30 Loose
10 – 30 30 – 36 Medium
30 – 50 36 – 41 Dense
> 50 > 41 Very Dense
SPT in Clay Cohesion (c), kPa Description
<2 0 – 14 Very Soft
2–4 14 – 25 Soft
4–8 25 – 50 Medium
8 – 15 50 – 100 Stiff
15 – 30 100 – 200 Very Stiff
> 30 > 200 Hard
N60 Equation (The corrected N due to depth)

Where:
N = Measured penetration number
A = Hammer Efficiency (Actual, in %)
B = Correction for BH diameter
C = Sampler Correction
D = Correction for Rod Length

Tables of correction factors available in book

(e.g., Das B M, Fundamentals of Geotechnical
Eng)

Why ? Because of 60% efficiency

 Field Vane Shear
Names of Test: Field Vane Shear Apparatus to measure
in-situ un-drained shear strength

Data: In-Situ Shear Strength

Maximum Depth: 30 m

Dimension of vane: 77 mm outer diameter

Procedure: Place shear vanes in cleared bore hole. Up

to 30 m deep. Measure up to 100 kPa.
Field Vane Shear Apparatus
 3. Excavation and auger
Advantage
- Able to retrieve representative samples and
directly test soils at depths up to 6 m, cost
effective
Disadvantage
- Depth limited by reach of bucket or length of
auger
Why?
- To gain a quick information of soil to 6 m
depth
Auger
4. Piezocone Penetration (CPTU)
Advantage
- Able to carry out tests at depths and unlike in
boring, on relatively undisturbed soils, cost
effective
Disadvantage
- No samples retrieved, cannot penetrate hard
layer or rock like boring can
Why?
- To gain a relatively quick information of soil
to 30 m depth
Piezocone Machine
 Piezocone Penetration
Names of Test: Piezocone, CPTU, Cone Penetration Test with Pore Water
Acquisition

Data: Tip Resistance, Skin Friction, SPT(N) Equivalence, Soil Type, Pore
Water Pressure, Dissipation of Pore Water Pressure

Advance Rate: 2 cm/second

Maximum Depth: 30 m

Dimension of cone: 35 mm diameter, 10 cm square of cross sectional area

Procedure: Cone advanced via rods to maximum depth of 30 m, data

acquired automatically and continuously via computer
 Piezocone - CPTU

• Observe how soil changes with depth

• Observe how soil resistances (skin and end)
change with depth
• Observe how water pressure changes with
depth
• Cannot get samples
• Cannot do field tests (other than those done
by the cone)
 Specific Cone Results

• Tip Resistance in MPa

• Sleeve (skin) Friction in kPa
• Pore Water Pressure (u) in kPa
• These three values decide soil type according
to table and N60 equivalent
Piezocone Probe
 5. Macintosh Probing
Advantage
- Light, simple, fast, and cost effective
Disadvantage
- Cannot go very deep (10 m limit), less
accurate interpretation
Why?
- To gain a relatively quick information of soil
to 10 m depth, at the same time, cost effective
 Macintosh Probing
Names of Tool: Macintosh Probe, Dynamic Probe, JKR Probe, Portable
Penetrometer

Data: Macintosh Probe Number, JKR Probe Number, Macintosh M-Value

Hammer Weight: 5 kg (11 lb)

Hammer Lift: 300 mm (12 in, foot)

Dimensions of steel driving rod: 16 mm diameter, 120 cm length

Dimension of coupling: 22 mm diameter x 52 mm length

Dimensions of probes: JKR Probe (25.5 mm x 100 mm), Macintosh Probe (27.5 x
152 mm)

Procedure: Number of blows per foot advance is recorded. Maximum blow per foot
to record is 400
Operating Macintosh Probe
• Portable probe
• SI can be carried out manually
• JKR probe versus (old) McIntosh probe
• In Malaysia, we use JKR probe always
• JKR gives same reading as McIntosh
• JP (JKR probe); MP (McIntosh probe)
• JP# =30 is equivalent to SPT(N) = 6 (medium)
in clays
• JP# =30 is equivalent to SPT(N) = 10 (loose-
medium) in sands
 6. Field Density Test
• Sand replacement method
• Main result is % of dry density achieved in the
field as compared to dry density from lab
compaction
 6. Rock and Fracture Mapping
Why?
- To gain information for determining
stability against sliding and toppling for
slopes
- To estimate cost of excavation for tunnels
Rock and Fracture Mapping involves:

1. Scan Line Survey

2. Collection of Joint Data
3. Stereographic Projection Method
 7. Geophysical Investigation
Resistivity, Seismic, and Microgravity
Advantage
- Fast and can cover large areas
Disadvantage
- Less accurate and has to be
supplemented with boreholes
Why?
- To gain a relatively quick but rough
information covering large area of site
A resistivity survey result of an area over old
landfill

Waste refuse + leachate

contamination

Bedrock

A pseudo section of the subsurface imaging

tomography with borehole correlation
 End of Lecture Session
Questions?
 SI OF VARIOUS PURPOSES/PROJECTS
Aim Grab BH with BH with BH with Excavate Auger CPT Mac- Rock
Samplin SPT sampling vane U kintosh Mapping
g tube shear
General x x x x x
Assessment
Geotechnical x x x x
Assessment in
an EIA
Slope Stability x x x x x
Design
Foundation x x x x
Design
Embankment x x x x
Design
Dam Design x x x x

Rock Slope x
Design

Rock Tunnel x
Design
Note: The required SI will depend on the actual project. This table is indication only,
while geophysical methods are not included in the table.
Ready for Quiz?
The three Major Which of the major
Physical Properties physical properties
of a Geotechnical is measured by the
Material required following tests?
for design are:
- SPT in Boreholes
• Compressibility - Macintosh Probing
- CPTU Penetration
• Permeability - Field Vane Shear
• Shear strength - Plate Bearing
- Consolidation test
- Permeability test
If you come across Which soil
any of the
following cases: property would
you be
- Settlement of a concerned with?
raft foundation
- Bearing failure of
a pad foundation compressibility
- Failure of a pile permeability
foundation
shear strength
- Water loss through
a bund
- Failure of a slope
- Soft Ground
 The design of which of the following
structures require shear strength
information?
• Slope
• Shallow foundation
• Pile (deep) foundation
• Embankment foundation
• Ground improvement
• Coast protection
How Deep should an SI (or assessment)
go for the following purposes?
1. Embankment/Road Foundation
2. Pile Foundation
3. Settlement Investigation
4. Slope Assessment /Design
5. Landfill Assessment/Design
6. Rock Slope Assessment/Design
7. EIA/Geotechnical Assessment
EMBANKMENT/ROAD
FOUNDATION
 Stress Bulb
underneath a
road
embankment
Stress reduction with depth
End