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The soil is the most important yet most neglected in a construction project. All
structures, buildings, roads, bridges, dams and even life itself is based on the
soil.
The soil is the natural foundation that supports all structures and investment.
Most clients see soil investigation as a waste of fund despite being the cheapest
in the construction process, hardly is the cost of soil test up to one percent of
the cost of construction.
A well designed soil investigation can often lead to project cost savings in the
long term by allowing contractors to foresee potential problems.
The cost of soil investigation is 0.1% to 5% of construction cost.
It is specifically related to the subsoil beneath the site under investigation and
could be part of or separate from the site investigation.

Soil investigation also called geotechnical investigation is performed by


geotechnical engineers or engineering geologists to obtain information on
the physical properties of soil and rock around a site to design earthworks
and foundations for proposed structures and for repair of distress to
earthworks and structures caused by subsurface conditions.
Soil mechanics site investigations are conducted to discover the
characteristics of the soil at the particular location. There are different
methods of soil investigation. After the soil samples are analyzed, a report
is prepared recommending the type of foundation to be used.

THE PURPOSES OF BUILDING


FOUNDATIONS:
The foundation is the lowest part of a building. It transmits the load of the
structure to the soil below. The main purposes of a foundation are:
To distribute the load from the building over a large area
To load the substratum evenly so as to prevent unequal settlement
To take the structure sufficiently deep into the ground to prevent overturning
Before a foundation is decided, it is necessary to determine the characteristics
of the soil at the site of construction. This is done by conducting soil
investigations.

SOIL INVESTIGATIONS FOR BUILDING


FOUNDATIONS:
Soil investigations involve the following steps:

Planning the details and sequence of operations

Collection of soil samples from the field

Conducting all field tests for determining the strength and compressibility characteristics of the
soil
Study of ground water level conditions and collection of water samples for chemical analysis

Geophysical exploration if necessary

Testing in the laboratory of all samples of soil, rock, and water

Preparation of drawings and charts

Analysis of the results of the tests

Preparation of report

PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION
Inspection
The first step in this connection is the inspection of the site and its
vicinity to get a preliminary idea of the site conditions.
This includes the study of the existing buildings in the neighborhood and
if possible the type of their foundations.
The subject can be discussed with those persons who were associated in
constructing buildings in the surroundings with regard to their
experiences and difficulties encountered by them.

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PRELIMINARY
INVESTIGATION
Geological and Agricultural Maps

Types of soils or geological formations

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PRELIMINARY
INVESTIGATION
Geological and Agricultural Maps
Aerial Photographs
Drainage patterns and color and tone can
indicate what type of soil

FIGURE 1. Color infrared aerial photography of the


research site showing watershed designations and
boundaries (dotted green lines), soil moisture stations
(blue stars), surface runoff flumes (red diamonds), and
forested riparian wetland into which each watershed
drains. The riparian wetland contains a first-order stream
with five water-flow monitoring stations.

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PRELIMINARY
INVESTIGATION
Geological and Agricultural Maps
Aerial Photographs
Area Reconnaissance
Other structures performance in the area
Wells can indicate groundwater levels

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SUBSURFACE
INVESTIGATION
Geophysical Methods

seismic or electrical-variations in the speed of


sound waves or electrical resistivity of soil
formations

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SUBSURFACE
INVESTIGATION
Geophysical Methods
Test Pits
Test pits are dug by hand or by excavating
machines.
The size of the pit should be such that a person
can easily enter the pit and have a visual
inspection.
Both disturbed and undisturbed soil samples are
collected from the pit for detailed analysis.

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SUBSURFACE
INVESTIGATION
Geophysical Methods
Test Pits
Probing
This will give a rough idea of the underlying
soil.
In this, a steel bar of 25 to 40 mm (1 inch to
1.5 inch) in diameter is driven into the ground
until a hard stratum is met with. The bar is
driven by a hammer. The bar is then drawn
out at intervals and the soil sticking to the bar
is examined to get an idea of the type of the
soil.
An experienced workman can assess the
nature of the soil by observing the way the

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SUBSURFACE
INVESTIGATION
Geophysical Methods
Test Pits
Probing
Boring
In this process, bore holes are made in the ground and the soil samples
collected.
It
inof
obtaining:
helps
Extent
each strata of soil/rock

Nature of each stratum and the engineering properties of the soils

Location of ground water table

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SUBSURFACE
INVESTIGATION
Geophysical Methods
Test Pits
Probing
Boring
The depth and number of boreholes will depend upon the type of the
structure and nature of the soil as obtained from preliminary examination.
The depth of boreholes is governed by the depth of the soil affected by the
loading. As a rough estimate, it is advisable to investigate the subsoil to a
depth of at least twice the width of the anticipated largest size of the
foundation. In case of a pile foundation, the depth of boring should extend
into the bearing stratum.
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Methods of Boring for Soil


Investigations

Auger Boring

The examination of the soil for ordinary buildings can be done by a post
hole auger. The auger is held vertically and is driven into the ground by
rotating its handle. At every 30 cm of depth, the auger is taken out and the
soil samples collected.

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Methods of Boring for Soil


Investigations

Auger Boring
Wash Boring

Wash boring is commonly used for boring in


difficult soil.
The hole is advanced by an auger and then a
casing pipe is pushed to prevent the sides from
caving in. A stream of water under pressure is
forced through the rod into the hole. The
loosened soil in suspension in water is collected
in a tub.
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Methods of Boring for Soil


Investigations

Auger Boring
Wash Boring
Core Drilling

When rocks are to be penetrated for examination,


core drilling is resorted to. In this process, a hole is
made by rotating a hollow steel tube having a
cutting bit at its end.

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Methods of Boring for Soil


Investigations

Auger Boring
Wash Boring
Core Drilling

Percussion Boring
In this method, the substrata is broken by repeated
blows by a bit or chisel. Water is circulated in the
hole and then the slurry is bailed out of the hole.

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BEARING CAPACITY
The bearing capacity of a soil is defined as the capacity of the subsoil to
support the load of the structure without yielding.
The bearing capacity of the soil depends upon the characteristics such as
cohesion, friction, and unit weight. The bearing capacity can be
determined in the field and also from the results of tests conducted in the
laboratory on the soil samples.

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FIELD AND LABORATORY


TESTING
Field Tests
The commonly adopted field tests are:
Standard penetration test
Dynamic cone penetration test
Static cone penetration test
Plate load test
Vane shear test
Pressure meter test

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FIELD AND LABORATORY


TESTING
Laboratory Tests
A set of laboratory tests are required to be done to obtain the soil
parameters for the design of foundation.
Shear strength
Compressibility
Permeability
Chemical and Mineralogical Composition
Soil Classification

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