Introduction to Advanced

Geotechnical Testing

Hsin-yu Shan
Dept. of Civil Eng., NCTU

Concept of Site Investigation

Purpose of site investigation
A/E projects
Infrastructures
Feasibility
Feasibility
Development permit
Planning
Earthwork permit (grading)
Basic design
Building permit (structures) Detailed design

Stages of Site Investigation

Spatial: 3D 2D 1D
Extent: large middle small
Time: past present
Difficulty: simple complex
Density: low high
Amount of data: small large
Cost: little a lot

Spatial
3D: satellite images, aerial photos,
geological maps, remote sensing data
2D: geophysical exploration
1D: boreholes, in-situ tests

Extent
Large: regional geology, hydrogeology
Middle: around the site
Small: within the site

Time
Historical information: geological history,
history of development (land use)
Present: boreholes, sampling, in-situ testing

Difficulty
Available information collection
Site reconnaissance
Site investigation geophysical surve
Borehole drilling, sampling, in-situ testing

Density
Low: 1/5000 maps
Middle: accuracy of geophysical survey
High: density of boreholes, 1 /600 m2

Amount of Information
Little: reports, maps
Large: test results

Cost
Low: information collection, geophysical
survey
High: drilling and sampling, in-situ testing

Values of Information
What types of information do we really
need?
Can we get these information by the
methodology we employ today?
Is the resources appropriately allocated to
the methods we use?

What Do We Get from a Test?

Index properties of soil/rock
Information of how a soil/rock behaves
under certain conditions

What Do We Really Want to

Know?
How the soil/rock behave under the
REAL conditions in the future
How can we design certain structures
Methods to deal with difficult conditions
Potential risks

Advanced Testing Methods?

Data acquisition
Automated control
Automated report/graph generation
Additional soil properties

Value of Information
Reliability
Risk analysis
Value engineering
Lowered cost
Higher degree of safety

Management of Information
Value chain analysis of information
Decision support system
QA/QC of information collection process
Knowledge-base system

What Does Advanced Testing

Means?
Save time
Reduce error
Flexible testing scheme
Different type of information
More accurate

What we get from these test

results is still data, not
information, nor
knowledge

What These Advanced

Methods Cannot Provide
Knowledge of whether the information is
needed
Knowledge of whether the information is
correct
Knowledge of the value of information
Knowledge of how to utilize the
information

What an Engineer Requires

Knowledge and wisdom
Formulate information from test data
Generate knowledge from the information
Obtain wisdom from the experience

Before We Want to Specify a

Test to be Conducted
The relevance of the test
The accuracy of the test
The cost of the test
How can we utilize the test results

Discussion
Geotechnical investigation for 5 ha site to
be used as:
Semiconductor manufacturing factory
Senior high school