Site investigation

Name: Solav Yaseen Hamid

Group: 3-D
Civil Engineering Department

College of Engineering
Salahaddin University-Erbil
Academic Year 2019-2020

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Abstract
Site investigation may be considered the most important part of any project,
because without it, projects are likely to run into unexpected problems.

Site investigation is an integral part of any construction project, and should be

attributed as much significance as would be ascribed to any other part of the
project. The risk associated with undertaking a project without adequate site
investigation is monumental. It's wiser to be scared and prepared than to be daring
and unprepared.

It has been proven over and over again by over

Confident contractors that undertaking a project without site investigation is not

only risky, it is foolish and dangerous. Risk is something that can be managed or
its consequences minimized, but it cannot be ignored.

Reliable information obtained from a site investigation report is what enables

designers to design strong and lasting civil projects. (Proper planning is essential
for any construction project.

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 Table of contents
Subject page

Abstract…………………………………….. 2

Introduction…………………………………. 4

Background…………………………………. 6

Methods……………………………………… 8

Design…………………………………. 10

Conclusion……………………………. 12

References 13

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Introduction
What is site investigation?
A site investigation simply is the process of the collection of information, the
appraisal of data, assessment, and reporting without which the hazards in the
ground beneath the site cannot be known.

Before the engineer can design a foundation intelligently, he must have a

reasonably accurate conception of the physical properties and arrangement of the
underlying materials. The field and laboratory investigations required to obtain this
essential information are called soil exploration or site

Site investigation is carried out in order to enable a geotechnical and geo

environmental assessment of the ground conditions and analysis of the engineering
and environmental considerations related to the proposed development. Is the
gathering of information about the proposed location of the highway the reason for
this can be two fold Firstly to assist in the location of the highway and secondly to
ascertain ground conditions.

What does site investigation involve?

Site Investigation is the gathering of information about the proposed location of the
project. The process of site investigation can be separated into the following areas:

Objectives of Site Investigation (SI):

1. Desk study

2. Planning

3. Ground investigation (GI)

4. Trial Pits

5. Boreholes

6. Sampling

7. Reporting
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The object of the site investigation is to characterize the ground conditions
sufficiently to allow safe and economic design to be developed and to reduce, as
far as possible, the occurrence and impact of unforeseen conditions. The objective
of a site investigation is to gather the information needed to carry out the risk
assessment, in order to be in a position to assess the presence and significance of
contamination of land.

Site investigations have to be structured to acquire all possible information toward

a thorough understanding of the subsurface condition and probable foundation
behavior.

Site description of the area under investigation is shown in figure below:

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BACKGROUND

All site investigations require a field investigation .Background Information and

analysis before Subsurface Investigation takes place. Before actual field
investigation is started,

The information should, whenever possible, be collected on:

 The type of structure to be built, its intended use;

 Characteristics of the structure;
 Starting date;
 Intended construction method;
 The estimated period of construction;
 The probable soil condition at the site, by geological, geotechnical or aerial
analysis;
 The behavior of existing structures adjacent to the site, as well as other facts
available through local experience

There are two evaluations must perform for any construction site:

1. Surface investigation of the site

2. Subsurface (below –surface )investigation of the site

1. Surface investigation:

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It is a preliminary judgment about the site‘s suitability for the proposed building

First part:

It is the visual assessment of the site‘s:

Topography, vegetation, storm water drainage pattern, foundation systems used in

nearby buildings

Second part:

It is an engineering land survey:

It is provides physical measurement of the site‘s:

Boundaries, topography, drainage pattern, ownership.

Subsurface investigation:

It deals with conditions below the ground surface to determine the requirements for
the foundations and excavations such as:

 Type of soil, whether it is gravel, sand, silt or clay.

 Bearing capacity of soil

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METHODS
This phase consists of making several test borings at the site and collecting
disturbed and undisturbed soil samples from various depths for visual observation
and for laboratory tests. No hard and first rule exists for determining the number of
borings or the depth to which the test boring is to be advanced. For most buildings,
at least one boring at each corner and one at the center should provide a start.
Depending on the uniformity of the subsoil, additional test borings may be made.
The test borings should extend through unsuitable foundation materials to firm soil
layers.

In depth investigation Based on the above study, locations for trial pits and
boreholes can be selected. The selection should be such that a complete geologic
sub-surface perspective can be obtained. At least three points should be selected
with spacing of 10 to 30 meters depending on site conditions and type of project.
Commonly boreholes, probes and trial pits are used to undertake in-depth
investigation.

 Soil samples-these can be obtained as disturbed or as undisturbed samples.

 Disturbed soil samples: these are the soil samples obtained from bore holes and
trial pits.is suitable for visual grading, establishing the moisture content and
some laboratory tests.
 Undisturbed soil samples: these are soil samples obtained using coring tools
which preserve the natural structure and properties of the subsoil.is suitable for
rock and clay subsoil.

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There are three different method of surface exploration:

1. Boring.
2. Test pits.
3. Trenches

Why carry out site investigations?

Site investigations can be required for both geotechnical and geo-environmental

purposes and for many projects it would be advantageous to combine the
investigations with resulting economics in cost, time and site disruption.

The investigations should allow a comprehensive risk assessment of the ground

conditions to be made from which a programme of risk management can be
developed,

The risks which may be defined can be health risks (from previous
contamination of land), engineering risks (posed by difficult ground
conditions), regulatory risks or financial risks, all of which may arise from
unforeseen ground conditions and liabilities.

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Design
The design& purpose of the site evaluation is to obtain:

1. Knowledge of the general topography of the site.

2. The location of buried utilities such as electric power and telephone cables,
water mains, and sewers.

3. The availability and quality of local construction materials such as concrete

aggregates, building and road stone, and water for construction purposes

4. A detailed record of the soil and rock level and groundwater conditions

5. Results of laboratory tests on soil and rock samples appropriate to the

particular foundation design or construction problems

6. Results of the chemical analyses on soil or groundwater to determine possible

deleterious effects of foundation structures

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And you may do a site investigation in a single or a number of phased stages. It
may be simple or detailed, depending on the complexity of your site.

The information you collect must be representative of all relevant aspects of the
site. It must be:

 from the right locations

 at appropriate time periods

Your data collection procedures must meet quality management standards. When
you present data, its origin and meaning must be transparent.

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Conclusion
In conclusion, the site investigation will help the progress of the construction in
future. It is also help as a guideline of the project. All site investigations require
a field investigation, Geotechnical Contractors should obtain information on the
types of structures which are intended to be built and what there uses will be.
This includes key characteristics of the structure, when it is scheduled to be
built. What methods of construction are planned and how long construction is
estimated to take. Site Investigators will access the soil condition of the site
from a geological, geotechnical and aerial perspective. This also takes into
account other facts such as local experience and structures and building close to
the site. Site investigation varies from project to project and needs to be as
comprehensive as possible. Visual inspection and desk studies using maps and
data should not be ignored, because they form the basis for in-depth
investigation. Based on the project type, the most suitable intrusive
investigation should be selected.

Monitoring groundwater by using standpipes and piezometers is also very

important, as they provide crucial data required for design purposes. The tests
mentioned above are not exhaustive, nor are they the only ones available.

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 REFERENCES
Books
{1}Building construction principles, materials, and systems, madam Mehta, Walter
Scarborough, Diane arm priest, 2009 update

{2}Building construction handbook, Roy Chudley, and roger Greeno, 9th edition,
2013

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/land-contamination-how-to-manage-the-
risks/site-investigation

http://www.geoconsiteinvestigations.com/site-investigation-8974.html

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