Geotechnical Investigations
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
GEOTECHNICAL INVESTIGATIONS GUIDELINES VERSION 1.2 3 UNOPS Geotechnical Investigations Version 1.2 - 2018 Version for digital distribution. If printed, spiral binding is recommended. © UNOPS 2018 Published and maintained by the Infrastructure and Project Management Group All rights reserved. The reproduction of any materials from this publication must be accompanied by a reference to the title and a website location of this publication. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNOPS concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. All reasonable precautions have been taken by UNOPS to verify the information contained in this publication. However, the published material is being distributed without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. The responsibility for the interpretation and use of the material lies with the reader. In no event shall UNOPS be liable for damages arising from its use. This publication may be reproduced for personal use but may not otherwise be reproduced or, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of UNOPS. Trademarks ISO® is a registered trademark of the International Organization for Standardization. Credits: Cover page photo: © Lesterman / Shutterstock.com Contact For more information or for providing feedback, contact: [email protected] UNOPS | Geotechnical Investigations Version 1.2 | December 2018 4 Acknowledgments PROJECT TEAM REVIEWERS AND CONTRIBUTORS The UNOPS Geotechnical The project team wishes to thank, on behalf of UNOPS, the following people who Investigations Guidelines is a provided valuable feedback during the different stages of development of this product of collective hard work and publication in its current revision. dedication. The following people were part of the project team that developed ‘Version 1.1’ of this Zarwu ZAIZAY publication: Million Ali ABATE Nuria BARTUAL Tom COLLINS Carlos Iván HENRÍQUEZ Richard MATCHETT Gordon NUTTALL Suneeram Brenda ROSE Revisions From Version 1.0: Grammatical errors have been addressed and major changes have been incorporated in: • Figure 4 • Figure 5 • Figure 6 • Figure 7 • Figure 8 Contact [email protected] UNOPS | Geotechnical Investigations Version 1.2 | December 2018 5 Contents 1. Introduction 9 1.1 Soil in infrastructure engineering ...................................................................9 1.2 Soil investigation in project lifespan ...............................................................9 1.3 Geotechnical reports ......................................................................................12 2. Basic geological concepts 15 2.1 Formation of rocks and soils .........................................................................15 2.1.1 Igneous rocks ............................................................................................... 15 2.1.2 Sedimentary rocks....................................................................................... 15 2.1.3 Metamorphic rocks ..................................................................................... 17 3. Soil types 19 3.1 Visual identification of soil types ..................................................................19 3.2 Classification of soil types ..............................................................................20 4. Site investigation 21 4.1 Collate background information ..................................................................21 4.2 Site inspection and reconnaissance .............................................................22 4.3 Site investigation .............................................................................................22 4.4 Supplementary investigation and construction control ............................23 4.5 Reporting .........................................................................................................23 4.5.1 Reporting stages .......................................................................................... 24 4.5.2 Sequence of report ..................................................................................... 24 5. Methods and extent of soil exploration 29 5.1 Methods of soil exploration .........................................................................29 5.1.1 Test pits .......................................................................................................... 29 5.1.2 Geophysical exploration methods .......................................................... 29 5.1.3 Boreholes ...................................................................................................... 30 5.1.4 Probing and sounding methods .............................................................. 31 5.2 Extent and depth of soil investigations ........................................................33 5.3 Supplementary investigation and construction control ............................39 5.4 Sampling for laboratory testing ....................................................................39 5.4.1 Handling, storage and transportation of samples .............................. 40 5.5 Field (in situ) testing........................................................................................41 5.5.1 Field classification tests .............................................................................. 41 5.5.2 Field shear testing ...................................................................................... 42 5.6 Laboratory testing ..........................................................................................44 5.6.1 Soil description and classification tests ................................................. 44 5.6.2 Tests for mechanical properties .............................................................. 46 6. Geotechnical problems and solutions 51 6.1 Expansive soils ................................................................................................51 6.2 Collapsible soils ...............................................................................................51 6.3 Compressible soils (soft clays) ......................................................................52 6.4 Acidic soils........................................................................................................52 6.5 Dispersive soils................................................................................................52 6.6 Soils at risk of liquefaction ............................................................................53 Bibliographic references 55 UNOPS | Geotechnical Investigations Version 1.2 | December 2018 6 List of Figures Figure 1: Project lifespan and investigation phases .....................................................11 Figure 2: The rock cycle ....................................................................................................16 Figure 3: Site investigation process ................................................................................21 Figure 4: Typical test pit profile .......................................................................................27 Figure 5: Typical borehole profile ...................................................................................28 Figure 6: Dynamic penetration typical apparatus .........................................................31 Figure 7: Cone Penetrometer Test (CPT) apparatus .....................................................32 Figure 8: Standard Penetration Test (SPT) .....................................................................33 Figure 9: Field tests ...........................................................................................................41 Figure 10: Flowchart to identify a soil type by feel/touch ............................................42 Figure 11: CBR determined in-situ by DCP for roadworks project .............................43 List of Tables Table 1: Rock classification ..............................................................................................17 Table 2: Recommended usage of common rock types ................................................18 Table 3: Broad definition of soil ......................................................................................19 Table 4: Unified Soils Classification System summary ................................................20 Table 5: Scope of site explorations for different infrastructure types. ......................35 Table 6: Scope of site explorations based on type of structure ..................................37 Table 7: Scope of site explorations for different material and material sites ...........38 Table 8: Summary of minimum sample sizes according to BS1377 ...........................40 List of Abbreviations CPT Cone Penetrometer Test SPT Standard Penetration Test DCP Dynamic Cone Penetrometer USCS Unified Soil Classification System CBR California Bearing Ratio BS British Standards ASTM American Society for Testing Materials UNOPS | Geotechnical Investigations Version 1.2 | December 2018 7 How to use this guidance This publication forms a part of the UNOPS Infrastructure and Project Management Group (IPMG) Standards Management Framework (SMF) and should not be applied in isolation, but with consideration for related normative