The techniques for the measurement of pore pressure response are covered in

Clause 52.
NOTE 2 Many types of automatic data-logging are available. It is essential that
great care is taken when maintaining and assessing the performance of the
instruments and the quality of the data recorded.
NOTE 3 For the design of an instrumentation programme, see Section 8.

49.3 Trial embankments and excavations

COMMENTARY ON 49.3
The construction of trial embankments can serve a threefold purpose: the quality
and compaction characteristics of available borrow material can be determined on
the field scale and compared with laboratory test results; the characteristics and
performance of placing and compacting equipment can be investigated; and the
strength and settlement characteristics of the ground on which the embankment is
placed can be examined. A trial embankment can be constructed in such a way that,
where failure is of no consequence, it can be induced deliberately, either in the
embankment alone or in the embankment and the foundations. Such failures
sometimes occur in an unexpected manner, and precautions ought to be taken by
the engineer to ensure that no injury to persons or unexpected damage is caused;
even so, some installed instrumentation might be destroyed. The value of such a
failure is that back analysis (see 49.5) can be used to check strength parameters.
Compaction trials can include experiments using differing borrow pit materials,
layer thickness, amounts of watering and amounts of work performed in
compaction. Measurements should be taken of in-situ density and water content
and comparisons made both with laboratory compaction tests to obtain a
specification standard, and with in-situ borrow pit densities, so that the degree
of bulking or volume reduction can be estimated for given quantities
(see BS 6031). Trials of equipment can also be undertaken. Care should be taken
not to vary too many factors at the same time, otherwise the effects of variation
cannot be estimated.
NOTE Trial excavations yield information on the material excavated and the
performance of excavating equipment, and they also permit more detailed
examination of the ground than is possible from borehole samples. Excavations can
sometimes be used to test the short-term stability of excavated slopes. Trial
excavations can be constructed deliberately to fail. However, failure in excavation,
especially if deep, is correspondingly more dangerous than failure of fills, and
increased vigilance is needed. Trial excavations also enable the response of the
ground and groundwater to excavation to be measured.
Adequate instrumentation to trial embankments or excavations should be used,
together with continuous observation (see 33.2), if the maximum information is
to be gained. The scale of trial embankments or excavations should be carefully
evaluated. The more closely the size of the trial approaches that of the actual
works, the more directly applicable are the results obtained from the trial.

49.4 Construction trials

COMMENTARY ON 49.4
In many projects, considerable value can be derived from trials carried out before
the commencement of the permanent works. Such trials permit the evaluation of
the procedures to be adopted and the effectiveness of the various expedients. As
with all large-scale testing, a prior knowledge of the characteristics of the ground is
essential. The results of the trial give an assessment of the properties of the ground
and often enable the results to be correlated with those obtained from routine
ground investigation methods.