P.

JOHN VICTOR
RESEARCH OFFICER
A.P. Engineering Research Laboratories,
Himayatsagar, Hyderabad 500 030.
 NEED OF SOIL TESTING

Earth work (SOILS) plays a major role in almost all

Civil Engineering projects such as:

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
FORMATION OF EARTHEN EMBANKMENTS
ROAD FORMATIONS
FILTER DESIGNS
CUTOFF TRENCHES
CNS LAYERS, ....

Therefore, the Soil Investigations are a must to select the type of soils
to be used for different types of structures / purposes.

Present wrong practices.

 EARTHEN EMBANKMENTS

MAIN ZONES (FOR SOIL TESTING):

HEARTING
CASING
COT
FILTERS
 TESTS ON SOILS FOR
IRRIGATION PROJECTS

Pre Construction
During Construction
Post Construction
 TESTS FOR SPILLWAY
CONSTRUCTION
INSITU PERMEABILITY TESTS
SINGLE PACKER METHOD
DOUBLE PACKER METHOD
(TO DECIDE ABOUT THE GROUTING)
FIELD ROCK SHEAR TEST
(TO ASCERTAIN THE BOND BETWEEN
THE NATURAL ROCK AND CONCRETE)
GEOLOGISTS REPORT
TESTS FOR CM & CD WORKS
COLLECTION OF UNDISTURBED SOILS
(TO COMPUTE THE SAFE BEARING
CAPACITY)
DIFFERENTIAL FREE SWELL
PLATE LOAD TEST
 TESTS ON CNS SOILS
MECHANICAL ANALYSIS
SIEVE ANALYSIS
HYDROMETER ANALYSIS
ATTERBERG LIMITS
LIQUID LIMIT
PLASTIC LIMIT
SWELL PRESSURE TEST
 REQUIREMENTS TO USE AS
CNS SOIL
GRAVEL ( > 2 MM ) 0 10%
SAND ( 2 - 0.06 MM ) 30 40%
SILT ( 0.06 0.002 MM ) 30 40%
CLAY ( < 0.002 MM ) 15 20%
LIQUID LIMIT 30 50%
PLASTIC LIMIT 20 25%
SWELL PRESSURE < 0.10 Kg/Sq.Cm.

IS 9451-1994
 TESTS FOR FILTERS
MECHANICAL ANALYSIS
SIEVE ANALYSIS
HYDROMETER ANALYSIS
GRADATION CURVE
 FILTERS
(IS 9429 1980)
Need of Filters:
Transition filters are required between
impervious zones of fine grained soils, and
pervious zones or drains of coarse material to
prevent migration of soil grains from the former
to the latter. As the direction of seepage is
towards the upstream face at the time of
drawdown, such filters are needed both on the
Upstream and downstream side of the core.
 FILTERS
Requirement of a Filter:
a) Its voids should not permit the
migration of the particles from the
protected zone.
b) It should be sufficiently more
pervious than the protected zone to
induce a sharp reduction in
hydraulic gradient.
Contd...
 Requirement of a Filter:

D15 of filter
<5
D85 of protected soil
D15 of filter
> 4 & < 20
D15 of protected soil
D50 of filter
< 20
D50 of protected soil
 FILTERS
Thickness of Filter:
a) Horizontal Filter 15 to 30 Cm.
b) Vertical Filter 1.00 to 1.50 m.
 INSITU
TESTING PROCEDURES
& THEIR IMPORTANCE
 TYPES OF INSITU
PERMEABILITY TESTS
IN ROCKY STRATA :
SINGLE PACKER METHOD
DOUBLE PACKER METHOD

IN SOILS :
JAPANESE METHOD
PUMPING IN TEST
PUMPING OUT TEST
 IMPORTANCE OF PERMEABILITY DATA

CORE LOGGING OF A BORE HOLE

PROVIDES INFORMATION ON THE PHYISCAL
CONDITION OF THE ROCK MASS
WATER PERCOLATION TESTS
PERMEABILITY RESULTS OF A STRATA
SUPPLEMENTS INFORMATION ON THE
DRILL HOLE DATA
WHAT CAN BE THE LOSS DUE TO FEATURES
SUCH AS THESE IF STORAGE STRUCTURES
CONTEMPLATED?
 PERMEABILITY

THE STATE OF WATER MOVEMENT BELOW THE

SURFACE THROUGH A MEDIUM IS CALLED
PERCOLATION AND THE MEASUE OF MOVEMENT
CALLED PERMEABILITY
 DARCYS LAW

THE FLOW RATE IS PROPORTIONAL TO THE CROSS

SECTIONAL AREA OF A MEDIUM THROUGH WHICH THE
WATER FLOWS
FOR UNIT CONDITIONS THE EQUATION CAN BE WRITTEN AS
Q= KA h/l where
K= Co-efficient of permeability
Q= quantity of water discharge per unit area of time
A= cross sectional area through which it flows
h= hydraulic head variation
l= the distance in which the head is lost
The Eqn can be re-written as K= Q/A . L/h
Temp and viscosity although affect they are not considered because
the effect on flow of water is insignificant
 WHAT IS LUGEON VALUE?
THE UNITS ARE NORMALLY EXPRESSED IN
feet/year; cm/sec; m/sec; feet/day etc.
Another unit commonly used is Lugeon named after a
French Engineer M.Lugeon who conceived carrying out
water pressure tests
One lugeon is defined as the quantity of water lost in
litres/min per metre cross sectional area of bore hole at a
pressure of 10 bars
Because of adoptability water tests in river valley
projects use this unit which is equivalent to 10 feet/year
or 10-5 cm/sec or 10-7 metre/sec
 PACKER TESTS OR PUMP IN METHOD

SINGLE PACKER METHOD AS THE

BORE HOLE PROGRESSES OR
BY DOUBLE PACKER METHOD AFTER
COMPLETION OF BOREHOLES
EQUIPMENT REQUIRED ARE DRILLING
EQUIPMENT, PRESSURE GAUGE,
PUMP, WATER FEEDER LINES, DRILL
ROD, PERFORATED ROD AND OTHER
FITTINGS, WATER METER ETC
 METHODOLOGY

A MEASURED QUANTITY OF WATER IS PUMPED

INTO THE BOREHOLE UNDER KNOWN PRESSURE
FOR A UNIT LENGTH OF SECTION
WATER LOST OBSERVED FOR 3 CONTINUOUS
READINGS FOR SPECIFIC TIME DURATION.
LUGEONS CALCULATED
 PRECAUTIONS

SATURATION OF THE TEST SECTIONS FOR A

SPECIFIED PERIOD
CALIBRATION OF PRESSURE GAUGES, WATER
METRES ETC
USE OF CLEAN WATER TO PREVENT CLOGGING OF
THE FEATURES - USE OF SETTLING TANKS
OTHERWISE PERMEABILITY CALCULATIONS CAN
BE GROSSLY MISLEADING
 PROCEDURES

TESTS TO BE PERFORMED UNDER UNCASED

SECTIONS AND UNGROUTED SECTIONS AND
WHERE DRILLING MUD USED TO BE AVOIDED
PRELIMINARY DRILLING DATA SUCH AS CORE
LOSS, COLLAPSED SECTIONS, CHANGE IN
LITHOLOGY THEREFORE CHANGE IN
PERMEABILITY CHRACTERISTICS, POSSIBILITY OF
PACKER GETTING STRUCK OR WIDER SECTIONS
WHERE PACKER WILL NOT BE SEATED PROPERLY
TO BE GATHERED
 SINGLE PACKER TEST CAN BE PERFORMED IN
HOLES CASING NOT REQUIRED EVEN FOR SOFT
SANDSTONE ETC OR WHERE HIGHLY
FRACTURED/SHEARED SECTION OF BORE HOLE
IN DOUBLE PACKERS, (THOUGH EFFICIENT) LEAK
THROUGH THE LOWER PACKER CAN GO
UNNOTICED LEADING TO ERRONEOUS RESULTS
 TEST SECTIONS IN ANY CASE SHOULD NOT BE
LESS THAN FIVE TIMES THE DIAMETER OF THE
BOREHOLES
CYCLIC TESTS ARE PERFORMED TO DETERMINE
WASHABILITY AND GROUTABILITY OF JOINTS
PRESSURES TO BE APPLIED IS EITHER GOVERNED
BY THE COVER OF ROCK
OR THE FOUNDATION THAT CAN WITHSTAND
WITHOUT HEAVING SUBJECT TO MAXIMUM HEAD
OF THE RESERVOIR TO BE IMPOUNDED
 GROUTABILITY VS PERMEABILITY

MEDIA INDICATING LESS THAN ONE LUGEON

NORMALLY COULD NOT BE GROUTED
BETWEEN ONE TO FIVE LUGEONS USE OF
APPROPRIATE PRESSURES AND DETERMINATION
OF POST GROUT PERMEABILITY TESTS REQUIRED
FOR CROSS CHECKING
PLATE LOAD TEST
INSITU ROCK SHEAR TEST
 LABORATORY

TESTING PROCEDURES
SOIL CHARACTERISATION
IDENTIFICATION
MECHANICAL ANALYSIS
SIEVE ANALYSIS
HYDROMETER ANALYSIS
ATTERBERGS LIMITS
LIQUID LIMIT
PLASTIC LIMIT
SHRINKAGE LIMIT
CLASSIFICATION
NOTATIONS: G S M C W P H I L O Pt
GC GW CH ML .......
SCSM; GCSC
 SIEVE ANALYSIS
Why? To know the grain size distribution of
coarse grained soils (gravel & sand)
For gravel For Sands

40 mm 2.000 mm

25 mm 0.600 mm

0.425 mm
12.5 mm

0.250 mm
4.75 mm

0.150 mm

0.075 mm

ADD DISPERSIVE AGENT

 SIEVE SETS

SIEVE SHAKER
 HYDROMETER ANALYSIS

Why? To know the grain size distribution of

fine grained soils (silt & clay)
 Grain Size Distribution
Clay Silt Sand Gravel Cobbles Boulders
Particle 0.002 0.075 4.75 75 300
size in
mm
GRAVEL
4.75 20 75
FINE COARSE

SAND
0.075 0.425 2.00 4.75

FINE MEDIUM COARSE

ATTERBERGS LIMITS

Vol.
Cu.Cm.

Solid Semi- Plastic Liquid

Solid

SL PL LL
Moisture content (%)
CASAGRANDES LIQUID LIMIT DEVICE
 Specific Gravity

It is the ratio of the mass of a given volume of solids to the mass of

an equal volume of water at 4 o C.
DIFFERENTIAL FREE SWELL TEST
Free Swell Index
test
IS: 2720 part 40 expansiveness
FSI in %
Graduated glass cylinders100ml
sample passing 425 micron sieve < 20 low
10mg in each cylinder 20-35 moderate
kerosene in one and 35-50 high
distilled water in another > 50 very high

Free Swell Index: It indicates the Expansive

qualities of soil. It gives the amount of
volume increase of soil on coming in contact
with water
 PROCTORS COMPACTION TEST

Why? To find out the Maximum Dry Density

(MDD) and Optimum Moisture Content (OMC)
of a soil under a particular compactive effort.

Heavy compaction
Dry Density (5, 25, 45, 4.9)
(gm/cc)
Light compaction
(3, 25, 31, 2.6)

MOISTURE CONTENT (%)

PROCTORS COMPACTION
APPARATUS
Permeability
Chemical Analysis
DIRECT SHEAR TEST
SET UP FOR
TRIAXIAL
COMPRESSION TEST

1.5 DIA.
3.0 HEIGHT
() 4.75 mm SOIL
1.25 mm/min
 Quality Control
Distance of borrow from Dam
> 75 mm size particles are to be rejected

Embankment is to be checked whether

same borrow soils are used or not.

Minimum 98% MDD must be achieved

OMC is to be checked.
Dry of OMC leads to cracks
Wet of OMC leads to Pore Pressures
Permeability Characteristics are to be
checked
(more about) Proctors Compaction
Compaction is the most important property.

Because It increases Density;

It increases Shear Strength;
It decreases Permeability;
It decreases Compressibility.

Stones > 75 mm should be avoided.

(more about) Proctors Compaction

Tested, Designated Soil must be used for various zones.

Why? If different type of Soil is used, same MDD

can be achieved with coarser borrow but
classification varies. Result is Seepage will
be affected.

Method of Compaction affects the results.

Slopes: 60 Cm extra for later trimming.

 WHY FDD > 100% MDD?

EXCESS COMPACTION

DESIGNATED SOIL NOT USED

DEFECTIVE UD SAMPLE COLLECTION

Frequency Of Testing
Test Frequency IS code
Mechanical One test per day for 2720 P IV
Analysis every 3000 Cu.M.
Atterbergs One test per day 2720 P V
Limits
FDD FMC One test for every 1500 2720 P XXVIII
Cu.M. and atleast one 2720 P XXIX
test in each layer laid 2720 P XXXIII
on embankment
Specific One test per day 2720 P III
Gravity
Insitu One test in every 3m of 2720 P XVII
Permeability embankment or for
20000 Cu.M.
Frequency Of Testing
Test Frequency IS code
Triaxial Shear One test in 1 week or 2720 P XII
every 3 m of embankment
or for 20000 Cu.M.
Consolidation One set of 3 samples in 2720 P XV
every 6 m height of
embankment or for 30000
Cu.M. or once in ten days
Proctors One test per day for 2720 P VII
Compaction individual borrow area
 Frequency Of Testing
(Filters)
Test Frequency IS code
Mechanical One test for every 200 2385 P I
Analysis Cu.M. of Filter (Sand).
One test for every 200
Cu.M. of Filter (Aggregate)

Clay lumps One test for every 200 2386 P II

and Organic Cu.M. of Filter (Sand).
impurities One test for every 200
Cu.M. of Filter (Aggregate)

Note: The actual frequencies shall be determined by the

Engineer In charge to suit the nature of work.