IN-SITU TESTS

A standard penetration test is an in-situ dynamic penetration test designed to

provide information on the properties of soil, while also collecting a disturbed soil
sample for grain-size analysis and soil classification.
A dynamic cone penetrometer test is an in situ test in which a weight is manually
lifted and dropped on a cone which penetrates the ground. the number of mm per
hit are recorded and this is used to estimate certain soil properties. This is a simple
test method and usually needs backing up with lab data to get a good correlation.
A cone penetration test is performed using an instrumented probe with a conical
tip, pushed into the soil hydraulically at a constant rate. A basic CPT instrument
reports tip resistance and shear resistance along the cylindrical barrel. CPT data
has been correlated to soil properties. Sometimes instruments other than the basic
CPT probe are used, including:
A piezocone penetrometer probe is advanced using the same equipment as a
regular CPT probe, but the probe has an additional instrument which measures
the groundwater pressure as the probe is advanced.
A seismic piezocone penetrometer probe is advanced using the same equipment
as a CPT or CPTu probe, but the probe is also equipped with either geophones or
accelerometers to detect shear waves and/or pressure waves produced by a
source at the surface.
Full flow penetrometers (T-bar, ball, and plate) probes are used in extremely soft
clay soils (such as sea-floor deposits) and are advanced in the same manner as
the CPT. As their names imply, the T-bar is a cylindrical bar attached at right angles
to the drill string forming what look like a T, the ball is a large sphere, and the plate
is flat circular plate. In soft clays, soil flows around the probe like a viscous fluid.
The pressure due to overburden stress and pore water pressure is equal on all
sides of the probes (unlike with CPT's), so no correction is necessary, reducing a
source of error and increasing accuracy. Especially desired in soft soils due to the
very low loads on the measuring sensors. Full flow probes can also be cycled up
and down to measure remolded soil resistance. Ultimately the geotechnical
professional can use the measured penetration resistance to estimate undrained
and remolded shear strengths.
Helical probe test soil exploration and compaction testing by the helical probe test
(HPT) has become popular for providing a quick and accurate method of
determining soil properties at relatively shallow depths. The HPT test is attractive
for in-situ footing inspections because it is lightweight and can be conducted
quickly by one person. During testing, the probe is driven to the desired depth and
the torque required to turn the probe is used as a measure to determine the soil's
characteristics. Preliminary ASTM testing has determined that the HPT method
correlates well to standard penetration testing (SPT) and cone penetration testing
(CPT) with empirical calibration.
 A flat plate dilatometer test (DMT) is a flat plate probe often advanced using CPT
rigs, but can also be advanced from conventional drill rigs. A diaphragm on the
plate applies a lateral force to the soil materials and measures the strain induced
for various levels of applied stress at the desired depth interval.

In-situ gas tests can be carried out in the boreholes on completion and in probe holes
made in the sides of the trial pits as part of the site investigation. Testing is normally with
a portable meter, which measures the methane content as its percentage volume in air.
The corresponding oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations are also measured. A more
accurate method used to monitor over the longer term, consists of gas monitoring
standpipes should be installed in boreholes. These typically comprise slotted uPVC
pipework surrounded by single sized gravel. The top 0.5 m to 1.0 m of pipework is usually
not slotted and is surrounded by bentonite pellets to seal the borehole. Valves are fitted
and the installations protected by lockable stopcock covers normally fitted flush with the
ground. Monitoring is again with a portable meter and is usually done on a fortnightly or
monthly basis.

LABORATORY TESTS

A wide variety of laboratory tests can be performed on soils to measure a wide variety of
soil properties. Some soil properties are intrinsic to the composition of the soil matrix and
are not affected by sample disturbance, while other properties depend on the structure of
the soil as well as its composition, and can only be effectively tested on relatively
undisturbed samples. Some soil tests measure direct properties of the soil, while others
measure "index properties" which provide useful information about the soil without directly
measuring the property desired.

1. Atterberg limits
The Atterberg limits define the boundaries of several states of consistency for plastic soils.
The boundaries are defined by the amount of water a soil needs to be at one of those
boundaries. The boundaries are called the plastic limit and the liquid limit, and the
difference between them is called the plasticity index. The shrinkage limit is also a part of
the Atterberg limits. The results of this test can be used to help predict other engineering
properties.

2. California bearing ratio

ASTM D 1883. A test to determine the aptitude of a soil or aggregate sample as a road
subgrade. A plunger is pushed into a compacted sample, and its resistance is measured.
This test was developed by Caltrans, but it is no longer used in the Caltrans pavement
design method. It is still used as a cheap method to estimate the resilient modulus.
 3. Direct shear test
ASTM D3080. The direct shear test determines the consolidated, drained strength
properties of a sample. A constant strain rate is applied to a single shear plane under a
normal load, and the load response is measured. If this test is performed with different
normal loads, the common shear strength parameters can be determined.

4. Expansion Index test

This test uses a remolded soil sample to determine the Expansion Index (EI), an empirical
value required by building design codes, at a water content of 50% for expansive soils,
like expansive clays.

5. Hydraulic conductivity tests

There are several tests available to determine a soil's hydraulic conductivity. They include
the constant head, falling head, and constant flow methods. The soil samples tested can
be any type include remolded, undisturbed, and compacted samples.

6. Oedometer test
This can be used to determine consolidation (ASTM D2435) and swelling (ASTM D4546)
parameters.

7. Particle-size analysis
This is done to determine the soil gradation. Coarser particles are separated in the sieve
analysis portion, and the finer particles are analyzed with a hydrometer. The distinction
between coarse and fine particles is usually made at 75 m. The sieve analysis shakes
the sample through progressively smaller meshes to determine its gradation. The
hydrometer analysis uses the rate of sedimentation to determine particle gradation.

8. R-Value test
California Test 301 This test measures the lateral response of a compacted sample of
soil or aggregate to a vertically applied pressure under specific conditions. This test is
used by Caltrans for pavement design, replacing the California bearing ratio test.

9. Soil compaction tests

Standard Proctor (ASTM D698), Modified Proctor (ASTM D1557), and California Test
216. These tests are used to determine the maximum unit weight and optimal water
content a soil can achieve for a given compaction effort.

10. Soil suction tests

ASTM D5298.
 11. Triaxial shear tests
This is a type of test that is used to determine the shear strength properties of a soil. It
can simulate the confining pressure a soil would see deep into the ground. It can also
simulate drained and undrained conditions.

12. Unconfined compression test

ASTM D2166. This test compresses a soil sample to measure its strength. The modifier
"unconfined" contrasts this test to the triaxial shear test.

13. Water content

This test provides the water content of the soil, normally expressed as a percentage of
the weight of water to the dry weight of the soil.