Soil Mechanics - Lecture 2

Prof. Dr. Eng. Manole-Stelian ȘERBULEA - Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering Department

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Ed. 2020, București
Site Investigation
 Site Investigation Works
The type and characteristics of site investigation works must be correlated with the scope of
the engineering works to be performed on the location as well as the specific geotechnical
conditions.

For earthworks:
- infill:
za ≥ 6m
For buildings: 0.8 × h < za < 1.2 × h
za ≥ 6m - cut:
za ≥ 3 × bf (foundation width) za ≥ 2m
za ≥ 1.5 × bB (building smallest side) za ≥ 0.4 × h

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 Site Investigation Works (cont'd)

For roads and runways: za ≥ 2m under the

structure's foundation

For tunnels and small underground works:

bAb < za < 2 × bAb

For trenches and buried pipes:

za ≥ 2m under the excavation limit
za ≥ 1.5 × bAh (bAh - excavation width)

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 Site Investigation Works (cont'd)

For deep excavations:

- when GWT is under the excavation bottom - when GWT is over the excavation bottom
za ≥ 0.4 × h za ≥ H + 2m
za ≥ t +2m za ≥ t + 2m
where: where:
t - retaining structure shaft t - retaining structure shaft
h - excavation depth H - water head over excavation bottom

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 Site Investigation Works (cont'd)

For piles:
z a ≥ bg
za ≥ 6m
za ≥ 3 × Df
where:
Df - pile base diameter
bg - building smallest side

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 Site Investigation Works (cont'd)

The plannimetric extent of investigations is chosen as follows:

- for buildings, as a network with the distance between knots from 15 to 40m;
- for very spread structures, a network with the distance between knots less than 60m;
- for linear structures (roads, railways, pipes, dikes a.s.o), distances from 20 to 200m;
- for special structures (bridges, tanks, machine foundations) 2 to 6 investigation points;
- for dams and spillways, at distances from 25 to 75m along the relevant cross-sections.

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 Site Investigation Works (cont'd)
The type of site investigation works are:
- sampling
- trenches - open and unsupported excavation reaching a maximum depth of 3m. In case
the depth is greater than 1.5 m the stable slope of the trench’s walls shall be computed;
- pits - open and supported (using timbering or sheet piles) excavation which reach 10-
12m depth (this solution is costly and seldom used);
- boreholes (the most used method of investigation), which may reach depths of tens up to
(rarely) hundreds of meters as required.
Mechanical drilling rig

Hydraulic head

Rig operators

Drilling rods system

Clean slurry tank

Sedimentation tank

Shelby sampler adapter

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 Site Investigation Works (cont'd)
Sampling mould Box sample Shelby tube

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 Site Investigation Works (cont'd)
- in-situ mechanical testing
- penetration tests: standard penetration test (SPT), static cone penetration test (CPT),
light, heavy or super-heavy dynamic probing test (DPL, DPH, DPSH);
- plate load tests (PLT): to the ground surface or in the borehole;
- Menard pressuremeter test;
- Marchetti dilatometer test (DMT);
- vane test.

Reaction force

Pressure gauge
Dial gauges
Reference beam

Loading plate
Hydraulic jack

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 Site Investigation Works (cont'd)
- in-situ geophysical testing
- electrical resistivity methods: vertical electrical sounding (VES), electrical resistivity
tomography (ERT);
- magnetic methods: magnetometric survey;
- electro-magnetic methods: ground penetrating radar (GPR);
- mechanical waves propagation method: spectral analysis of surface waves (SASW),
multi-channel analysis of surface waves (MASW), shooting down-hole test, shooting cross
hole test.

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Soil Grading (Grain Size
Distribution)
 Soil Grading Standard grading fractions
Secondary
Soil description Major fractions Symbol Particle size [mm]
fractions
Soil grading represents the description of the Large blocks LBo > 630
Very coarse Blocks Bo 200 ÷ 630
soil particle sizes in terms of size ranges,
Cobbles Co 63 ÷ 200
called grading fractions, expressed as a Coarse gravel CGr 20 ÷ 63

Gravel (Gr)
percentage of the total dry weight. Medium gravel MGr 6.3 ÷ 20

Coarse Fine gravel FGr 2 ÷ 6.3

Coarse sand CSa 0.63 ÷ 2

In Romania, the classification of soils is described Sand (Sa) Medium sand MSa 0.2 ÷ 0.63

Fine sand FSa 0.063 ÷ 0.2

by SR EN ISO 14688 – “Geotechnical investigation Coarse silt CSi 0.02 ÷ 0.063

and testing - Identification and classification of soil” Silt (Si)

Medium silt MSi 0.0063 ÷ 0.02
Fine

(part 1 from 2004 and part 2 from 2005) Fine silt FSi 0.002 ÷ 0.0063

Clay Cl ≤ 0.002

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 Soil Grading (cont'd)
A certain soil sample usually has particles belonging to more than one of the grading sizes and the
name of the soil is determined function of the proportions in which the grading fractions are found.

The standard methods for assessing the soil grading are:

- direct measuring – for particles larger than 125mm;
- screening method – for particles larger than 0.063mm;
- hydrometer method – for particles smaller than 0.063mm.

These methods may be used exclusively if more than 90% of the mass of the material is suitable for
only one method, in terms of particle sizes, otherwise combined methods will be used, each for the
applicable case. The samples used for grain size analysis may be either disturbed or undisturbed,
independent on the method, since the material will have to brake its structure during the procedure.

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 Screening Method
The standard describing the grain size analysis for soils is STAS1913/5-85. The amount of material to
be tested by screening method varies according to the projected grading of the soil:
- 5kg for cobbles;
- 2kg for gravel;
- 1kg for gravel with sand;
- 400g for coarse and medium sand;
- 100g for fine sand;
- 70g for sand with much fines.

The steps for testing are:

1. Oven drying the soil @105°C 4. Separating fines by washing on 0.063mm sieve
2. Scaling the proper amount of dry soil 5. Drying and scaling the screenable material
3. Flooding in Li2CO3 solution (dispersive) 6. Screening and scaling each sieve

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 Screening Method (cont'd)
Locking
system

Cap

m tray
m d tray = 100 m tray + m washed
m dry m p1 = 100
m dry mn
m1 dn Sieves
m d1 = 100 m p2 = m p1 + md1 mn-1
m dry dn-1

…..
m2

…..
m d2 = 100 m p3 = m p 2 + m d 2
m dry
m4
⁞ ⁞ d4
m n-1 m3
m dn-1 = 100 m pn-1 = m pn-2 + mdn-2 d3 Control panel
m dry m2
d2
mn m1
mdn = 100 m pn = m pn-1 + mdn-1 d1
mdry mtray Bottom vessel

m t −  mi
Err = 100  1%
mt Vibrating base

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 Hydrometer Method
The hydrometer method is an indirect grain
size anlaysis method based on Stoke's law.
ρs − ρ w 2
v= d
18η
where:
v – velocity;
ρs – density of solid particles;
ρw – density of water;
η – viscosity of water;
d – diameter of the solid particles

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 Hydrometer Method (cont'd)
18η 18η distance 18η H r
Densities Measure-
d= v =  = 

ΔR
[g/cm3] ments
0
ρs − ρ w ρs − ρ w time ρs − ρ w t
0.995 -5

1.000 0

1.005 5

R corr = C t + ΔR
Hr

1.010 10
R
1.015 15
ρ =1+ [g/cm 3 ]
1000
1.020 20
 R 
m water+solid = ρ  V = 1 + [g/cm 3 ]   V
1.025 25  1000 
1.030 30 ms 100  ρ s
mp = 100 = R
md m d (ρs − 1)

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 Graphical Representation of Grading
Silt Sand Gravel
Clay Cobbles

Fine Medium Coarse Fine Medium Coarse Fine Medium Coarse

100

90

80

70
md, mp [%]

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
0.001 0.002 0.0063 0.01 0.02 0.063 0.1 0.2 0.63 1 2 6.3 10 20 63 100
d [mm]
grading curve
histogram

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Graphical Representation of Grading
(cont'd)
100
100

90
90
80
80
70
70
mp=60% mp=60%

mp [%]
60
mp [%]

60

50 50 poorly graded
40 40 well graded
30 30
very well graded
20 20
gap graded
mp=10% mp=10%
10 10
0 0
d10 d60
log d [mm] log d [mm]

Depending on the values of Un, the soils may be classified as:

d 60 - poorly graded, if Un<5;
Un =
d10 - well graded, if 5<Un<15;
- very well graded, if Un>15.

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Graphical Representation of Grading 100 Fines 40 15 0

(cont'd)

0
Si Si

10
100 cl.Si
Cl
90

20
si.Cl
80
percentage of soil
in that fraction

70
Sa

40
mp [%]

60

50

Clay
Cl
40
si.Sa
30 cl.Sa gr.Sa
20
grsiSa
10
grclSa
0 sa.Si
fraction log d [mm] gr.sa.si.S

100
sa.cl.Si gr.sa.cl.S
sa.si.Cl gr.sa.Si sa.Gr
gr.sa.Cl sa.gr.si.S sa.si.Gr
sa.Cl sa.gr.Si
sa.gr.cl.S
sa.cl.Gr
sa.gr.Cl

Si gr.Si
cl.Si gr.cl.Si si.Gr
Gr
Si.Cl gr.si.Cl cl.Gr
Cl gr.Cl
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
Părți fine / Fines
(<0.063 mm)

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