CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

POLYTECHNIC TUANKU SULTANAH BAHIYAH

DCC 30112 – GEOTECHNICAL AND HIGHWAY LABORATORY
LABORATORY REPORT

TITLE MACKINTOSH PROBE TEST

DATE 03/10/2021

CLASS DKA 4A

SESSION SESSION 1 2021/2022

GROUP
NUMBER GROUP 4

STUDENT
NAME MONEESHA SRI A/P GOBINATHAN

REGISTRATIO
N NUMBER 16DKA19F2042

REGISTRATI
NAME ON
GROUP NUMBER
MEMBERS ASFARINA BINTI AZIZAN 16DKA19F2036
UTHAYA SHANKARI A/P N RAJALINGAM 16DKA19F2044
MUHAMMAD RAFI'UDDIN FAKHRULLAH BIN RIDHUAN 16DKA19F2036

LECTURER’S PUAN NURHUDA BINTI ISMAIL

NAME

MARKING CRITERIA GROUP MARKS

Report Format & Teamwork (5%)
Introduction/Theory/Background (5%)
Label/list Apparatus & Procedure (5%)
LECTURER’S
COMMENT Results & Calculation (5%)
Analysis/Question/Discussion (5%)
Conclusion (5%)

TOTAL LAB REPORT MARKS (30%)

Table of Contents
NUM CONTENT PAGE

1 INTRODUCTION 1

2 OBJECTIVE 1

3 THEORY 2

4 APPARATUS 3

5 PROCEDURE 4

6 DATA 5

7 RESULT 6

8 DISCUSSION 7

9 CONCLUSION 8

1O REFERENCES 9
 PROBE MACKINTOSH TEST

1.0 INTRODUCTION
The site investigation is the one thing that must be done before starting the
construction of the building. This is because the soil condition at the site need to be
identifies to determine the suitable foundation use for the building and soil play a
main role to support the load that come from the building and the building need a

suitable foundation to transfer the load to the ground. Therefore, the investigation of
soil need to be done to identify the type of soil to ensure the soil can carry the load.

• Mackintosh/JKR probe test

This is a dynamic penetrometer test used to check the consistency of the subsoil.
Mackintosh probe which has 30° cone penetrometer while JKR probes has 60° cone
penetrometer. This is a light dynamic test and the cone is driven directly into the soil
by driving a hammer 5 kg. Weight dropping through a free height of 280mm. The

probe is unable to penetrate into medium strength soil and gravelly ground.

2.0 OBJECTIVE
•Collecting a disturbed soil sample for grain-size analysis and soil classification
•Determine sub-surface stratigraphy and identity materials present
•Evaluate soil density and in-situ stress conditions
•Estimate geotechnical parameters

MONEESHA SRI GOBINATHAN 1

3.0 THEORY
The main purpose of the test is to provide an indication of the relative density of
granular deposit, such as sands and gravels from which it is virtually impossible to
obtain undisturbed samples. The great merit of the test and the main reason for its
widespread use is that it is simple and inexpensive. The soi strength parameters which
can be inferred are approximate, but may give a useful guide in ground conditions
where it may not be possible to obtain borehole samples of adequate quality like
gravels, sands, silts, clay containing sand or gravel and weak rock.
The Mackintosh prospecting tool consists of rods which can be threaded together with
barrel connectors and which are normally fitted with a driving point at their base, and a
light hand-operated driving hammer at their top. The tool provides a very economical
method of determining the thickness of soft deposits such as peat.
The driving point is streamlined in longitudinal section with diameter of 25mm. The
drive hammer has a total weight of about 4.5kg. The rods are 1.2m long and 13mm dia.
The device is often used to provide a depth profile by driving the point and rods into the
ground with equal blows of the full drop height available from the hammer the number
of blows for each 0.3m of penetration is recorded. When small pockets of stiff clay are
to be penetrated, an auger or core tube can be substituted for the driving point. The
rods can be rotated clockwise at ground level by using a box spanner. Tools can be
pushed into or pulled out of the soil using a lifting/driving tool. Because of the light
hammer weight the Mackintosh probe is limited in the depths and materials it can
penetrate.
The usefulness of SPT results depends on the soil type, with fine-grained sands giving
the most useful results, with coarser sands and silty sands giving reasonably useful
results, and clay and gravelly soils yielding results which may be very poorly
representative of the true soil conditions.
This test method provides a disturbed soil sample for moisture content determination,
for identification and classification purposes, and for laboratory tests appropriate for
soil obtained from a sampler that will produce a large shear strain disturbance in the
sample. Soil deposits contained gravels, cobbles or boulders typically result in
penetration refusal and damage to equipment.
This test method is used extensively in a great variety of geotechnical exploration
projects. Many local correlations and widely published correlation which relate blow
count, or N-value, and the engineering behavior of earthworks and foundations are
available.

MONEESHA SRI GOBINATHAN 2

4.0 APPARATUS
i. Boring Rods.
ii. Rod Couplings
iii. Lifting tools
iv. Penetration Cone
v. Hammer
vi. Wrench
vii. Ruler
viii. Marking tools

MONEESHA SRI GOBINATHAN 3

5.0 PROCEDURE
1. Connect steel cone to the bottom of a steel rod and hammer set to the top.
2. Straighten the steel rod perpendicular to the ground surface on the point to be
tested.
3. Measure every 0.3m length of the steel rod and mark it with a chalk.
4. Lift the hammer to the maximum position and then release.
5. Count the number of blows than causes the rod to penetrate 0.3m.
6. Record the data for the number of blows for every 0.3m penetration into the
Mackintosh Probe test form.
7. Remove the hammer set, and connect a new steel rod on top of the original rod
in the final 0.3m.
8. Mark again the rod for every 0.3m interval. Continue with the hammer blows
and repeat the same work process.
9. The blows should be stopped when Number of blow reach 400 times for a 0.3m
penetration because the soil has high bearing capacity, or the depth of
penetration reaches 15m. Detailed site investigation is required by using boring
test.
10. Clean the steel rods steel cone and connectors after they have been used.

MONEESHA SRI GOBINATHAN 4

6.0 DATA ANALYSIS

MONEESHA SRI GOBINATHAN 5

7.0 RESULT

MONEESHA SRI GOBINATHAN 6

8.0 DISCUSSION
One of the major problems associated with the foundation construction phase is rock
excavation. In general, rock excavation is much more expensive than soil excavation.
Excavation of rock by blasting is not only expensive but may not be accepted if it is likely to
induce adverse effect on nearby structures or general environmental conditions such as
water supply, noise, etc. Field investigation for detecting the presence of rock in
project site is necessary because of the following possible reasons:

1. That the foundation rests directly on rock

2. Excavation of the rock is necessary during construction (i.e. the cost for rock
excavation may be many times that for ordinary soil)
3. The rock formation may be subject to weathering effects (e.g. disintegration,
expansion) during construction
4. Variations in the rock stratum (e.g. flaws or fractures, variation in characteristics
and formations, elevation

MONEESHA SRI GOBINATHAN 7

9.0 CONCLUSION
JKR Probe Mackintosh is can be used to determine the thickness of unsuitable
material to be removed and also for preliminary design of embankments, limited about
15m and must be record no. of blows/ft. then correlates to established chart to
determine bearing capacity of soil. Mackintosh probe which has 30°cone
penetrometer while JKR Probes has 60° cone penetrometer. This is a light dynamic
test and the cone is driven directly into the soil by driving a hammer 5kg. Weight dropping
through a free height of 280mm. the probe I unable to penetrate into medium strength soil
and gravelly ground

MONEESHA SRI GOBINATHAN 8

10.0 REFERENCES
https://pdfcoffee.com/conclusion-amp-discussion-probe-mackintosh-pdf-free.html
https://www.google.com/search?q=mackintosh+probe+test+report&rlz=1C1UEAD_enMY97
1MY971&sxsrf=AOaemvIqJ_IMn3YhqVQgMzWSNBUj2O6V1g%3A1633788922824&ei=-
qNhYZXuMfSD4-EPic-
0uA0&oq=mackintosh+probe+test+report&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAEYADIECCMQJzIECCMQ
JzIKCAAQgAQQhwIQFDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIAB
CABDIFCAAQgAQ6BggAEAcQHjoECAAQHjoGCAAQFhAeSgQIQRgAUJhyWPmJAWC0lQFoAHA
CeACAAa0CiAHID5IBBzAuMy41LjGYAQCgAQHAAQE&sclient=gws-wiz

https://pdfcookie.com/documents/probe-mackintosh-test-o2npn7jzoxv4
https://www.google.com/search?q=mackintosh+probe+test+equipment+list&rlz=1C1UEAD
_enMY971MY971&biw=1280&bih=520&sxsrf=AOaemvLNi2yBbCmCQ0yJP9KX2AzWcNGAUQ
%3A1633790016504&ei=QKhhYbSjHpye4-
EPyYaBmAQ&oq=mackintosh+probe+test+equipment+list&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAEYADIF
CCEQoAEyBQghEKABOgYIABAWEB46CAghEBYQHRAeSgQIQRgAUKINWLgQYMIhaABwAngAg
AHvAogB3AWSAQcwLjIuMC4xmAEAoAEBwAEB&sclient=gws-wiz

MONEESHA SRI GOBINATHAN 9