Site Investigation Manual - 2002

Chapter 1 Introduction




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This manual provides technical information necessary to carry out geotechnical investigations to determine surface and subsurface conditions for a highway project. This manual stipulates procedures and methods to obtain samples, to perform engineering tests, and to identify and classify suitable soils and material sources.  6FRSH

This manual gives standard guidelines for various stages of road study and design. It describes field sampling, types of tests to perform, and recording and evaluation of test results. This manual also contains a section on the preparation of a Soils and Materials Report for any individual project.  $SSOLFDWLRQ

Along with traffic and economic criteria, the design of a road, and of a roads pavement in particular, is based on the surface and subsoils conditions, and the characteristics and quality of construction materials used. The methods and procedures described in this manual can be used to determine these characteristics, which are required to comply with the standards of material quality considered in pavement design and in selecting the pavement layers. This manual is also useful in other aspects of road design, such as the determination of bearing capacity of subgrade soils for road pavement support, and in initiating the foundation design of structures.  2UJDQL]DWLRQ

Road study and design may be divided into three stages, namely feasibility study, preliminary design and final design. These stages of development of the study and design are usually specified in the terms of reference of the consultancy services specific to the road project under consideration and should be verified prior to initiating the work, and particularly the fieldwork. During the feasibility study, the road alignment is approximately defined on existing aerial photographs or existing maps. The preliminary design includes a definition of the typical sections and longitudinal profiles, preliminary mass diagrams, pavement design, and cost estimates. During the final design, all the elements of the design are improved and refined, checked and quantified, and construction contract documents are finalized. Occasionally, certain elements of the various phases overlap, and the distinction between phases is somewhat blurred. It should also be noted that the design of the bridge structures may follow a different schedule than that of the rest of the road design. Nevertheless, described hereunder are the programs of sampling and testing considered appropriate for each stage of the study and design.
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Chapter 1 Introduction

Site Investigation Manual - 2002

The organization of this manual is given in Figure 1-1. Chapter 2 of this manual describes the feasibility study in terms of goals, scope and recommended methods of field and office investigations. Chapters 3 and 4 describe the recommended investigations for the preliminary and final phases of design, respectively including required laboratory testing. Chapter 5 lists special investigations that may be required. These can include investigation in deep cuts, in embankments over soft and compressible soils, natural slopes, and expansive soils. Chapter 6 outlines the investigations necessary to estimate bridge scour, and Chapter 7 lists special geophysical investigations using seismic methods and electrical resistivity. Finally Chapter 8 gives a recommended outline for a Soils and Materials Report which should summarize the results of the investigations. Figure 1-2 serves as a supplement to the Organization of the Manual, by giving a flow chart for the site investigation process.  /LPLWDWLRQV

This manual is a manual about investigations. It is not a pavement design manual (for this topic, the reader should refer to the ERAs 3DYHPHQW 'HVLJQ 0DQXDOV (Volume 1 Ref. 1, Volume 2 Ref. 2). It is not a geotechnical design manual either: this is why, for instance, while recommendations are given regarding investigations of soft deposits for embankment stability, design methods for embankments on such soils are not developed at length herein. It is also important to note that emphasis is not placed on investigations of existing roads in view of their rehabilitation. This is because pavement rehabilitation makes use of special methods and techniques, which are covered elsewhere. For this reason, detailed descriptions of deflection surveys are not given herein (e.g. using Benkleman Beams or Falling Weight Deflectometers). Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP) tests are mentioned to the extent that such measurements under existing road pavements and their correlation to CBR are directly relevant to the assessment of subgrade strength for new road projects or for significant upgrading of existing roads requiring new pavements. It should also be stressed that this manual is about investigations for design, not about construction control. It is the role of specifications, and the Resident Engineer in charge of their enforcement, to ensure that proper control is exercised during construction.

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Site Investigation Manual - 2002

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Chapter 1 Introduction

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Introduction

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Investigations for Feasibility Studies Existing Documents Field Reconnaissance Limited Tests/Probes Inventory of Minor Structures Preliminary Studies Geophysical Tests Site Reconnaissance

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Investigations for Design

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Soil Problems Rock Problems Subsurface Exploration Program Laboratory Testing Scour

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Existing Pavement Material Soil and Gravel Borrow Pits Quarry Materials Water Experience

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Soils and Gravels Stones, Aggregates and Sand Cement/Lime Treated Matls DCP Boring Logs

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Frequency of Sampling Laboratory Testing Subgrade Classification DCP Tests

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Office Review Inspection Computations

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Bridge Inspection

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Engineering Geophysics Use of Data Scheduling Seismic Methods Electrical Resistivity methods

Special Investigations

Deep Cuts Embankments Natural Slopes Expansive Soils

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Soils and Materials Report

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Chapter 1 Introduction Site

Investigation

Manual

2002

Conduct Feasibility Study &KDSWHU 

Obtain Geology, Soils, Topo, Vegetation, Climatic, and Land Region Data

Study Minor Drainage Structures

Site Investigations Conducted in one Operation?

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Yes

Perform Preliminary Design Investigations &KDSWHU  Perform Special Design Investigations &KDSWHU   

Perform Final Design Investigations &KDSWHU 

Submit Preliminary Design

Perform Final Design Investigations &KDSWHU 

Soils and Material Report &KDSWHU 

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