Geotechnical Engineering: Testing Manuals

By Hamed S. Saeedy

The primary intention of preparing this manual is to apprise the field staff engaged in this job on the objective of laboratory soil testing, which is required for the soil investigation work in civil engineering, or for building purposes and then to train them on practical soil testing in the laboratory.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 26, 2018
• ISBN: 9781524527549

Hamed S. Saeedy

Prof. Hamed Saeedy completed his first engineering qualification (civil) at Kingston College, Surrey, England, in 1962. He obtained his MSc from the Colorado State University in1968 and his PhD in geotechnical engineering from Oklahoma State University, USA, in 1971.

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Copyright © 2018 by Hamed S. Saeedy.

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Rev. date: 07/24/2018

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Contents

Part I

PREFACE

1. INTRODUCTION

2. SOIL CLASSIFICATION TESTS

2.1 Determination of Moisture Content of Soil Sample

2.2 Determination of Liquid Limit of Soils

2.3 Determination of Plastic Limit of Soils

2.4 Determination of Linear Shrinkage of Soils

2.5 Determination of Particle Size Distribution of Soils

2.5.1. Sieve Analysis Method for Coarse Grained Soils

2.5.2. Sieve and Hydrometer Analyses for Fine and Very Fine Grained Soils

2.6 Determination of Specific Gravity of Soil Solids

3. SOIL STRENGTH TESTS

3.1 Determination of Unconfined Compressive Strength of Soils

3.2 Determination of Strength Parameters of Soil In Triaxial Compression

3.3 Determination of Strength Parameters of Soil In Direct Shear

4. SOIL COMPRESSIBILITY TEST

4.1 Determination of One Dimensional Consolidation Properties of Soil

5. SOIL PERMEABILITY TEST

5.1 Determination of Co-Efficient of Permeability of a Soil by the Falling Head Method

6. SOIL CHEMICAL TESTS

6.1 Determination of Sulphate Content of Soils

6.2 Determination of Chloride Content of Soil

6.3 Determination of Carbonate Content of Soil

BIBLIOGRAPHY

List of Tables

Table 1. Engineering Properties of Different types of soil (Saeedy, 1980)

Table 2. Major Soil Groups (after ASTM, 1982, part 19, pp. 118 & 367-388)

Table 3. Values of Effective Depth Based on Hydrometer and Sedimentation Cylinder of Specified Sizes (ASTM 1982, Part 2)

Table 4. Values of K for Use in Equation for Computing Diameter of Particles in Hydrometer Analysis (after ASTM D422, Part 19, 1982, p. 120)

Table 5. Values of Correction Factor, a, for Different Specific Gravities of Soil Particles" (after ASTM D422, 1982 part 19, p. 112)

Table 6. Calibrated Values for Composite Correction (Hydrometer: 152H)

Table 7. Typical values of specific Gravity of Soil Solids (after Bowles 1970, p.56)

Table 8. Relative Density of Water and Conversion Factor K For Various Temperatures (after ASTM, 1982, part 19, p.214)

Table 9. Classification of Soil According to Permeability.

Table 10. Viscosity Corrections for ηT /η20

Table 11. Data for Collins Calcimeter Test (after Head, 1980)

List of Figures

Figure 1. Riffle Box

Figure 2. Quartering on a Hard Clean Level Surface

Figure 3. Phases of soil with respect to Liquid and Plastic Limits

Figure 4. A Liquid Limit Device and Tools

Figure 5. Determination of Plastic Limit

Figure 6. Typical Grain Size Distribution Curves

Figure 7. Sieves for Grain Size Analysis

Figure 8. Soil hydrometer

Figure 9. Diagrammatic layout of the triaxial test

Figure 10. State of stress during Trixial Testing

Figure 11. Typical stress-strain curves

Figure 12. Construction for Mohr’s Circle of Stress

Figure 13. Construction of the CU strength envelope

Figure 14. Schematic diagram of direct shear box

Figure 15. Topical stress-deformation curves

Figure 16. Construction of strength envelope

Figure 17. Schematic diagram of the consolidation test

Figure 18. Graphical construction for determining DR0 and DR90.

Figure 19. Graphical construction for determining former maximum pressure P, from the e-log curve

Figure 20. Schematic of the falling-head permeability setup

Figure 21 Permeability and drainage characteristics of main soil types

Figure 22. Diagrammatic arrangement of Collins Calcimeter

Figure 23. Two-way tap on Collins Calcimeter

Contents

Part II

PREFACE

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Responsibilities and duties of Geotechnical field staff.

2. STANDARD PENETRATION TEST

2.1 Standard Penetration Test (SPT)

2.2 Definition

2.3 Equipment

2.4 Borehole Diameter

2.5 Frequency of Testing

2.6 Procedure (ASTM D1586-67, Reapproved 1974)

2.7 Possible Sources of Error in SPT Soundings

2.7.1 Drilling:

2.7.2. Drive Assembly:

2.7.3 Sampler: Rusted or damaged split spoon tip

2.7.4 Recording:

2.7.5 Human Error:

3. SAMPLING

3.1 Collection of Disturbed Soil Samples

3.2 Equipment

3.3 Sampling Interval

3.4 Procedure

3.5 Collection of Undisturbed Soil Samples

3.6 Sampling Frequency

3.7 Sampler Description

3.7.1 Thin-wall Tube Sampler

3.7.2 Denison Corebarrel

3.7.3 Pitcher Sampler

4. PRESERVATION AND TRANSPORTATION OF SAMPLES

4.1 Split-Spoon Samples/Drill Cuttings

4.2 Undisturbed Samples

4.3 Sample Labels.

4.3.1 Disturbed Samples

4.3.2 Undisturbed Samples

4.3.3. Transportation Boxes

5. FIELD IDENTIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION OF SOIL SAMPLES

5.1 Textural guide

5.2 Identification

5.2.1 Gravel vs. Sand:

5.2.2 Sand vs. Silt:

5.2.3 Silt vs. Clay:

5.3 Description

5.4 Color Description

5.5 Moisture Content

5.6 Relative Density of Coarse Grained Soil

5.7 Consistency of Fine Grained Soil

5.8 Shape of Coarse Soil Particles

5.9 Size Distribution of Coarse Material

5.10 Secondary Inclusion

5.11 Stratified Soils

6. FIELD RECORDS

6.1 General

6.2 Standard Penetration Test

6.3 Soil Sampling

6.4 Core Sampling

6.5 Drilling Mud

6.6 Drilling Water

6.7 Depth of Bedrock

6.8 Abandoned Boreholes

6.9 Miscellaneous

7. PREPARATION OF THE GEOTECHNICAL LOG

7.1 Field Record

7.2 Sample Record

7.3 Penetration Record

8. FIELD STAFF CHECKLIST

8.1 General

8.2 Drilling/Sampling/Field Testing Technique

8.3 Depth

8.4 SPT Soundings

8.5 Sampler

8.6 Sample Storage and Transportation

8.7 Drilling Record

9. STANDPIPE PIEZOMETER

9.1 Equipment

9.2 Installation Procedure

9.3 Groundwater monitoring

10. IN-SITU PERMEABILITY TEST

10.1. Variable Head method

10.1.1 Falling Head method

10.1.2 Rising Head method

10.1.3 Data Reduction

10.2 Double Packer method

10.2.1 Data reduction

11. PRESSUREMETER TESTS

11.1 Purpose of Test

11.2 The probe

11.3 Self Boring Pressuremeter (SBP)

11.4 Calibration

11.5 Procedure

11.6 Data Reduction

APPENDIX ‘A’

BIBLIOGRAPHY

List of Tables

Table 1. Values of Cp. (After Earth Manual, 1974)

List of Figures

Figure 1. Equipment required for the standard penetration test.

Figure 2. Split spoon sampler.

Figure 3. Sampling with thin wall table sampler.

Figure 4. Denison Sampler

Figure 5. Pitcher sampler.

Figure 6. Grain shapes of sand and gravel.

Figure 7. Blank drilling log form.

Figure 8. Completed sample drilling log.

Figure 9. Symbols for soil and rock.

Figure 10. Typical construction of piezometers

Figure 11. Piezometer installation log

Figure 12. Groundwater monitoring data sheet.

Figure 13a. Variable head test in observation well

Figure 13b. Variable head test in observation well

Figure 14. Shape factor coefficient

Figure 15. Falling head test

Figure 16. Rising head test.

Figure 17. Variable head test in piezometer.

Figure 18. Field permeability test (data sheet).

Figure 18a. Field permeability test (data sheet).

Figure 19.