Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Revised 3188
GEOTECHNICAL
SAMPLING
GUIDELINES
FORRUBBLEPWND
COASTAL
STRUCTURES
PURPOSE
:
To provide
mound coastal
percentage
waters,
this
in developing
soil
sampling
programs
for
rubble-
structures.
BACKGROUND: While
large
guidance
placed
there
of
these
structures
on shallow
technical
note
of
coastal
are rubblemound;
foundations.
are focused
types
i.e.,
The sampling
on geotechnical
structures,
jetties
guidelines
considerations
or break-
discussed
for
in
these
structures.
Rubbl emound structures
structures
is
designed
soil
designed
to reduce
supporting
ment,
to perform
the structure
To economically
below
friction,
it
flexible
must include
of
In an undisturbed
the material
strength,
that
it
with
todays
in shear
of
soils
there
presumably
flexibility.
and cost
failure
repair
of
if
the project.
excessive
Size
cost,
Sensitivity
settlement
properties
of
internal
testing
in cohesive
or
soil
testing
program.
disturbance
properties
of
of
of
such
cohesive
as
soils
can
and equipment.
sampling
size,
in situ
Such samples
points
settlement.
by in situ
the planned
for
is
angle
so the
Rubblemound
key
GUIDELINES: One of
program
structure,
are
settle-
the structure.
Sampling
for
tested
and permeability.
techniques
nor by excessive
strength,
samples.
IV samples
breakwaters
some differential
shear
the
must be designed
can be determined
can be laboratory
consolidation,
be obtained
as,
These
llundisturbed
sample
fail
a rubblemound
such
appropriate
sufficient
the structure
effectiveness
design
must be known,
testing
For example,
and compressibility.
laboratory
not
First
in two steps.
function.
Second,
will
and safely
designed
its
the functional
are usually
the soil
generally
wave energy.
which reduces
structures
are
occurs
and risk
of
to life
the structure
should
the sampling
program
and property
to settlement
be considered
should
due to
and cost
in designing
the
of
sampling
Sampling
program.
the advise
divided
of,
into
qualified
three
and testing
geotechnical
(1)
phases:
design
procedures
programs
engineers.
found
in EM 1110-2-1907
RECONNAISSANCE: This
phase
consists
site.
Field
structures
survey
charts,
aerial
investigations
in the
provides
preliminary
area
the
borings
also
the
are
needed
and whether
geophysical
mined along
material
with
interface
preliminary
angle,
the
and estimates
design.
and seismic
ration.
These
are
useful
lagoonal
shear
strength.
split
spoon
of
or cone
In specifying
jects
should
feasibility
cohesive
spacings
(300
soils,
for
bore
consider
the
implications
close
1982).
evidence
a sampling
holes
type
For sites
400 ft)
of
cases,
subsurface
uniform
samples
changes
soil
or
are
samples
to
in situ
of
strength.
exploration
phase,
the nature
over
to
of
the
the
pro-
will
holes
be on
Wider
consolidated
from adjacent
soils,
shear
conditions
or anomalies
old
In cohesive
are reasonable.
stiff
Seismic
penetration
where structures
spacings
explo-
methods
provides
structure,
in situ
in
no apparent
beds
from the
for
friction
correlation
the preliminary
possible
for
needed
1971).
Geophysical
that
firm
reflection
have
silt
strength.
of
other
preliminary
which
procedure
and size
concepts.
to
the
or
seismic
with soft
shear
be deter-
strength,
(US Army,
to estimate
should
shear
of
of
(100
part
of
approximate
parameters
usually
sand layers.
devices
of
to 600 ft>
(EM 1110-1-1804,
correlated
penetrometer
and design
thin
soil
may be used
spacing
and the
sub-soils,
with
type
include
the
rock
geotechnical
filled
existing
be used.
phase
nonconformities
channels
of
the
The reconnaissance
strata
in EM 1110-2-1908
with
In cohesionless
sampler
the engineer
soil
soil
are often
for
methods,
geologic
when combined
phase.
to the soil,
estimates
described
now covered
identification
vane shear
are
performance
exploration
critical
on land,
usually
topographic
information
methods should
depth
Geophysical
such as old
deposits
most effective
of
in locating
level,
are
geotechnical
available
of
to establish
the various
parameter
refraction
Both methods
surveys
soft
water
and compressibility.
water
for
ground
of
all
in this
preliminary
and composition
thickness,
of
and a review
information
or with
exploration,
various
and geological
accomplished
PRELIMINARYEXPLORATION: In the
depth,
site
programs
preliminary
of
by,
of a review
photographs,
of
(2)
A description
exploration.
be planned
Sampling
reconnaissance,
is
and bathymetric
should
should
and additional
clay,
be
bore
CETN-III-15
Revised 3/88
holes,
sufficient
graphy,
to develop
should
a full
be specified
discussion
It
is often
soils
during
of
demobilizing
a sampling
on each
of
geotechnical
to take
boring
barge.
barge).
engineer,
Two holes
Disturbed
on board
or
undisturbed
samples
shear
taken
at the
same layers
other
boring
logs.
with
occur.
disturbed
samples
are needed
of
spit
spoon
characterize
data
from the
on critical
may be used
preliminary
A successful
nary
phase
should
of
sampling
the foundation
testing
the earlier
phases
borings
have revealed
with
a spacing
the design
in the weakest
The depth
ily
dependent
below
for
the
loads,
loads
bottom
establishing
vertical
normal
and based
will
soil
load
(1967)
cause
are
taken
with
the
driller,
number of
layers.
fully
soil
(one
first.
a limited
Vane
sampled
exploration
as a means of
pro-
filling
discontinuities
soft
of
clay
not
bore
caused
that
of
holes
by the
in
available
its
soil
should
of
of
induced
estimate
determine
boring
be taken
in the
is
marsh depovicinity
of
may not
conditions
suggested
a function
soil
of sampling
in the
settlements
of
is
soil
primar-
profile.
by Terzaghi
and Peck
of
the
by the project
both
profile.
to make an estimate
in the subsoil
increase.
when
testing
on the
and in situ
is
value
the conditions.
layers
The method
stress
based
project
objectionable
old
extensive
compressible
depth
i.e.,
may be required
is
--The
For instance,
profile,
cases
prelimi-
in this
design.
cost.
profiles,
in the
Testing
for
depth
distribution
a significant
needs
the necessary
soft
may cause
the recommended
on this
erratic
fill
above.
data
against
in such
the structure.
stress
adequately
or on an average
stress
on the presence
of
specific
very
layer,
the
surcharge
and Peck
Such a layer
soil
to which
the estimates
and
at each location
to correlate
discussed
of 25 to 50 ft
be justified.
Usually
will
an erratic
But for
Terzaghi
soils
must be weighted
such discontinuities.
found
program
be aimed at answering
of additional
sits,
or subsurface
cohesive
results.
detailed
description
to consider
layers
mobilizing
of
the cohesive
it
necessary
cost
at what depths
gram is
is appropriate
of
samples
follow-on
it
contains
samples
communication
and decide
to fully
the high
strati-
EM-1110-l-1804
can be sampled
in direct
the
layers
the subsurface
some undisturbed
because
can analyze
tests
anomalies
of
sampling.
preliminary
the
understanding
when such
more economical
the
side
adequate
for
at which
calculating
these
these
depths can be found in Smith (19'70) or many geotechnical notebooks. When a subsoil profile
contains only sand layers, the data from sampling to depths of about 30 ft is generally
sufficient to estimate performance.
CONSTRUCTION MONITORING: Frequently, completion of the design and soil exploration
activities occur about the same time. The soil profile assumed during the design phase
is frequently not representative of actual site conditions. If assumptions are not
corrected, the design can result in a misleading stability analysis. Observation of the
structure's performance and the foundation soil's reaction to loading should not only
extend through construction, but periodically throughout the life of the structure.
However, like all phases of geotechnical investigation, the level of monitoring should
be proportioned to project size, probability of condition changes, and risk of damage.
In general, a monitoring program during construction should be instituted to verify the
anticipated soil profile or to discover deviations from this profile, and to provide data
for determining their impact on the project. Installing settlement plates, piezometers,
and inclinemeters to monitor the time rate of consolidation of the soil and any lateral
displacement permits the engineer to estimate when settlement prediction are within
acceptable limits. Detailed discussion of project monitoring is found in EM lllO-2-XXXX
(US Army, 1988).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Contact Andrew Morang, Andrew.Morang@usace.army.mil for
additional information.
REFERENCES: Hvorslev, M. J. 1949. *'Subsurface Exploration and Sampling of Soils for Civil
Engineering Purposes,11 USACE Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS, (Reprinted by
the Engineering Foundation, 1962, 1965 obtain via ASCE.
Smith R. E. Mar 1970. "Guide for Depth of Foundation Exploration," Journal of the Soil
Mechanics and Foundations Div., ASCE, Vol. 96, No. SM2, pp. 377-384.
Terzaghi, K., and Peck, R. B. 1967. "Soil Mechanics in Engineering Practice," Second
Editions, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., NY.
US Army. May 1971. 'Geophysical Exploration," EM 1110-l-1802, US Government
Printing OfPlce, Washington, DC.
US Army. 1972. "Engineering and Design-Soil Sampling," EM 1110-2-1907, US
Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.
US Army. Sep 1981. "Geotechnical Investigation for Civil Works and Military
Construction,"EM 1110- l - 1804. US Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.
us Army.