SCHOOL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

SEMESTER OCT. 2021 – MARCH 2022

ASSIGNMENT ECG353
GROUP:

PREPARED BY:

BIL NAME STUDENT ID

1. MUHAMMAD DZAKIRIN HANNAN BIN NORASHID 2019254462
2. SHEIKH AMIRUL AIZZAT BIN MUDTAHAHIDIN 2019400802
3. MUHAMMAD NAFIL BIN MOHAMAD ANUAR 2019430834
4. IMRAN HAZIQ BIN MAZLAN 2019216522

MARKS:

NO. CRITERIA Weightage CO1:PO1 CO2:PO3

1. Introduction about the selected boreholes ( /5) * 2
2. Discussion on site investigation of ( /5) * 4
boreholes
Analysis on the subsoil profile and
3. vertical stress distribution ( /5) * 6
4. Justification of the soil suitability with ( /5) * 6
regards to the vertical stress distribution
5. Conclusion ( /5) * 2
6. Video Demonstration : creativity ( /5) * 2
7. Video Demonstration : contents ( /5) * 6
8. References ( /3) * 2
6 24
TOTAL MARKS

LECTURER: FARAH WAHIDA BINTI MOHD LATIB

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 10/12/2021

CONTENTS
 NO. CONTENT PAGES

1 Introduction about the selected boreholes 1-3

2 Discussion on site investigation of boreholes 4-7

3 Analysis on the subsoil profile and 8-13

vertical stress distribution
4 Borehole Log 14-26

5 Justification of the soil suitability with regards to 27-29

the vertical stress distribution
6 Conclusion 30

7 References 31

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 INTRODUCTION

Borehole is a narrow hole that we dig in the ground either it is a vertically or horizontally to
obtain soil samples that required for soil investigation for the construction of suitable
foundation. There are many purposes for a constructed borehole such as extraction of the
water, petroleum or gases. Other than that, borehole also have a variety of functions such as
downhole heat exchanger, groundwater wells and also pumping of grout for example,
concrete for drilled piles. Boreholes must be carefully planned in order to gather essential
information at the lowest possible cost. There are many types of method to managing the
borehole such as auger boring, auger and shell boring, wash boring, percussion boring and
also rotary boring.

For the site investigation of the borehole that we choose was located at Pulau Indah, 42009
Port Klang, Selangor. The type method of borehole that they use is wash boring. Wash
boring is a method of progressing boreholes for the site exploration and geotechnical
investigation in the most type of soil the procedure is quick and easy to carry out and it
utilizes inexpensive and also easily portable handling and drilling equipment.

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 Figure 1: Wash Boring Method
DISCUSSION ON SITE INVESTIGATION OF BOREHOLES

The field and laboratory research required to collect critical information, such as soil
physical characteristics and strength, for the design of the geotechnical structure.
The site investigation is conducted to obtain its objectives which is

 To make sure the chosen site is suitable and has suitable environment for the proposed
works and to know the previous history of the site or contamination
 To enable an adequate and economic design to be prepared including the design of
temporary works.
 To plan the best method of construction that can foresee and provide solution
difficulties that will arise during construction.
 To determine the changes that may occur in the ground and the environmental condition
and how it will affect the constructions.

Stages of Site Investigation

1. Desk study
A desk study is the collation and review of information already available about a site, and is
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 carried out at an early stage of site appraisal to inform and guide the remainder of the site
investigation. The desk study includes a visual inspection of the site and its surrounding
area, usually referred to as a walkover survey.

2. Site reconnaissance
Reconnaissance entails a visit to the location where additional inquiry will be conducted. It
provides information about landforms and other features above ground that could pose a
threat to an installation.

3. Planning program and scope of site investigation

The schedule for the duration of the construction will then be made

4. Ground Exploration
The direct method of ground exploration usually consists of sinking a borehole at a
predetermined location to the required depth by a method suitable for the site and to obtain
fairly intact samples of soils from every stratum encountered or at suitably selected depths.

5. Laboratory testing
Test that are carried out on soil samples to obtain the soil classification and properties

6. Preparation of site investigation report

7. Design
8. Review during construction and monitoring

Methods of Site Investigation

There are four main methods for site investigation which are:
 Trial Pits (excavation) Method
 Hand Auger Method
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  Borehole Method (Percussion Rig, Rotary Drilling or Wash Boring)
 Rock Coring Method.

The method that is used for this investigation is Borehole Method. The borehole method is
frequently used in construction because the advantages of boreholes is that greater depths
can be achieved, and more detailed soil and rock strengths can be recorded. Also, a borehole
will disturb a far smaller area than a trial pit too much ground disturbance is not ideal as it
can affect the construction. A borehole is a deep, small diameter vertical hole drilled in the

ground to obtain the soil survey sample needed to build a suitable foundation for the
proposed structure. Wells need to be carefully planned to get the information you need at
the lowest cost. This discussion will describe the placement of boreholes and the various
factors that affect the distribution of boreholes in different structures.

Figure: Borehole Layout

To perform a borehole investigation, we need to decide the number of boreholes to be

drilled.

The borehole layout depends on the number of factors. Some of them are as follows.

 Plot coverage of the building

 The scale of the project

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  Structural loading and load distribution arrangements
 Condition of the ground
 Importance of the structure

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 Based on the above factors, the borehole layout is finalized. Recommendation of the
geotechnical engineers also considered when selecting the number of boreholes.

The location of the borehole must be carefully determined and properly placed to obtain test
results that properly reflect the soil properties of the project site. The number of boreholes
that are used are determine by some factors which are time allocated, cost and the structure
for which the investigation is conducted and sometimes the availability of necessary
equipment and individuals with adequate skills and experience. The higher number of
boreholes used, the greater information will be obtained for the site investigation this will
reduce the cost for the foundation design and will reduce the possibilities of having problem
with soil changes later. The depth of the boreholes is determined by the depth of the soil
that are under the influence of bearing pressure of the foundation. The recommended
borehole depth is equal to one to three times the width of the loaded area. This is because it
is suggested that bearing pressure below this depth would cause detrimental effect on the
structure.

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 ANALYSIS ON SUBSOIL AND VERTICAL STRESS DISTRIBUTION
Soil Profile
Depth SPT Borehole Borehole SPT Depth
Value 1 2 Value

0.3 0 Sand Silt 0 0.3

1.5 1 Silt 0 1.5
4.5 3 Clay 1 4.5
7.5 4 Clay 2 7.5
10.5 5 Silt Silt 3 10.5
Clay Clay 5 13.5
13.5 5 Clay
Silt 5 16.5
16.5 7 Silt
19.5 8 Silt Clay 4 19.5
Clay Silt 4 21
21 9 Silt 6 22.5
22.5 15 6 24
24 13 Clay 7 25.5
25.5 14 7 27
27 10 Clay 9 28
28 10 7 30
30 11 Silt 12 31.5
31.5 11 Silt Clay 6 33
33 10 7 34.5
34.5 9 Clay 12 36
36 9 17 37.5
37.5 9 Silt 18 39
39 11 Silt 21 40.5
40.5 15 25 42
42 17 26 43.5
43.5 19 15 45
45 20 Sand Clay 8 46.5
46.5 25 Silt 9 48
48 29 7 49.5
49.5 34 9 51
51 33 Clay 11 52.5
52.5 32 15 54
54 29 Silt 18 55.5
55.5 32 Clay 19 57
57 33 20 58.5
58.5 36 25 60
60 38

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 Table 1: Soil Profile for Borehole 1 and Borehole 2

Graph 1: SPT-N value versus test depth for Borehole 1

Graph 2: SPT-N value versus test depth for Borehole 2

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 Depth (m) SPT N Relative Shear Undrained Cohesion
Value Density angle, φ Shear (kN/m2)
(blows) (o) Strength
0.30 0 Very Loose <28 12.5 - 25 14.75
1.50 1 Very Loose <28 12.5 - 25 14.75
4.50 3 Very Loose <28 12.5 - 25 14.75
7.50 4 Very Loose <28 25 - 50 25.88
Table 2: Cohesion Value for Borehole 1

Graph 3: Cohesion Value vs SPT-N Value for Borehole 1

Depth (m) SPT N Relative Shear Undrained Cohesion

Value Density angle, φ Shear (kN/m2)
(blows) (o) Strength
0.30 0 Very Loose <28 12.5 - 25 14.75
1.50 0 Very Loose <28 12.5 - 25 14.75
4.50 1 Very Loose <28 12.5 - 25 14.75
7.50 2 Very Loose <28 25 - 50 25.88

Table 3: Cohesion Value for Borehole 2

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 Graph 4: Cohesion Value vs SPT-N Value For Borehole 2

z(m) r(m) a(m) z/a r/a A B IC = q (kPa) σ (kN/m2)

(A+B)
1 0 5.0 0.2 0 0.804 0.188 0.992 100 99.2

2 0 5.0 0.4 0 0.629 0.320 0.949 100 94.9

3 0 5.0 0.6 0 0.486 0.378 0.864 100 86.4

4 0 5.0 0.8 0 0.375 0.381 0.756 100 75.6

5 0 5.0 1.0 0 0.293 0.353 0.646 100 64.6

6 0 5.0 1.2 0 0.232 0.315 0.547 100 54.7

7 0 5.0 1.4 0 0.189 0.276 0.465 100 46.5

8 0 5.0 1.6 0 0.156 0.241 0.397 100 39.7

9 0 5.0 1.8 0 0.131 0.210 0.341 100 34.1

10 0 5.0 2.0 0 0.106 0.179 0.285 100 28.5

Table 3: Vertical Stress Calculation

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 Graph 5: Vertical Stress Vs Depth

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Borehole Log

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Justification of the soil suitability with regards to the vertical stress distribution

Based on the data analysis that we got from the soil profile and the data from the
calculation of vertical stress distribution for the borehole 1 and the borehole 2, we can
justify the most appropriate surface area for constructing a water tank is borehole 2. The
reason we choose borehole 2 is because the soil layer in the first 10m depth for borehole 2 is
mostly clayey silt and sandy clay.

We choose the borehole 2 as the most suitable surface area for the water tank
construction because of the characteristic of the soil layer in the borehole 2. The clayey silt
soil bearing capacity is 172 kN/m2. So, it can bear a lot of load or pressure at the foundation
without causing the damaging movements at the foundation or at the superstructure above
it. Other than that, the clayey silt also has a medium compressibility.

We do not choose the borehole 1 is because it not suitable to setting up the water
tank. It is because the topsoil of the borehole 1 is sand soil. Soil is a loose granular material
formed by the disintegration of rock. So, the size range is wide. The bearing capacity for the
sand also too small. It is only 100 kN/m2. So, it cannot bear a lot of load or pressure at the
foundation, and it can cause cracking at the foundation water tank. The sand soil also can
brittle if there is a too many loads above the borehole.

So, if we still need to construct the water tank at the borehole 2, there still have a
way to do it. We can make the foundation for the water tank deeper than usual. Other than
that, we can also make the piles support for the water tank. So, it can make the water tank
more stable at the surface area above the borehole 2.

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 Figure: Foundation of the water tank

Figure: Piles support at water tank

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 Then, the vertical stress distribution for the water tank can be determine based on
the borehole analysis and also the load that applied at the uniform circular load. The load
pressure that given at the water tank is 100 kPa. Next, for the depth of the subsoil, z is 10m
depth from the water tank and for the radius of the water tank, a is 5.0m and for the distance
vertical stress from the center line, r is 0. Then, we can calculate the vertical stress for each
depth from 1m until 10m depth. The vertical stress at 1m depth is 99.2 kN/m2 and the
vertical stress at 10m depth is 28.5 kN/m2. So, the total of the vertical stress distribution for
10m depth is 624.2 kN/m2. From this data we can conclude that if the depth of the water
tank is increase, the vertical stress distribution is decrease.

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 Conclusion

In conclusion, we have successfully achieved the objective of the assignment. The

first thing that we got is about the site investigation of the borehole. Before we start to drill
a borehole, we need to do the site investigation to collect all the information to determine
the suitability of the area to start the construction works. For example, for this assignment,
we need to construct a water tank. So, we need to do the site investigation to get the data
about the place that we want to conduct so we can start the borehole drill at that place.
Other than that, we can also know what activities that we need to do in the site investigation
such as when we need to collect the data about the site, we can get it by doing the in-situ
test and also lab test. Thus, with the data that we got, we can start do the borehole drill and
the water tank can be conducted with stable.

After that, we can borehole log to analyze the soil profile of the site that we choose
to do the construction works. With the data that we got form the borehole log, we can do the
soil profile. The data that we can get is the test depth and also the Standard Penetration Test
Value. Then we can create the soil profile by using graph SPT value versus test depth. The
soil profile also can show what type of the soil for each depth of the borehole such as silt,
sand and clay. Depending on the location and method of the drill borehole, the soil profile
that we get can be different. For example, for this assignment, the location for the 2
borehole that we observe was different. So, the soil profile for borehole 1 and borehole 2 are
different from the SPT value and the type of the soil for each depth of the borehole.
Lastly, with the data that we got form the soil profile, we can get the different
stresses in the soil that caused form the surface area. With the task that given for us, we
used the formula of the vertical stress distribution for the uniformly circular area for the
water tank. With the information that we got from the tasked, we can calculate the data. The
graph of the vertical stress distribution versus the depth was plotted which is 1m until 10m
with the 5m of the radius water tank. So, the vertical stress distribution that we got for each
depth from 1m to 10m are different cased on the layer of the soil.

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 References
1. Atkinson, P. J. (n.d.). UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST ENGLAND . Retrieved from Basic
mechanics of soils: http://environment.uwe.ac.uk/geocal/soilmech/basic/soilbasi.htm
(Atkinson, n.d.)
2. Density Ranges for Different Soil Types. (2021, January 26). Retrieved from STRUCT:
https://structx.com/Soil_Properties_002.html (Density Ranges for Different Soil Types,
2021)
3. Eslamian, S. (2018, August 1). SPRINGER LINK. Retrieved from Boreholes:
https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-3-319-73568-9_31
(Eslamian, 2018)
4. Hamakareem, M. I. (n.d.). THE CONSTRUCTOR . Retrieved from how to setup borehole
layout for site investigation of different foundations:
https://theconstructor.org/geotechnical/setup-borehole-layout-site-investigation-
foundations/18857/#What_is_a_Borehole (Hamakareem, n.d.)
5. Hasa. (2021, March 17). What is the Difference Between Sand Silt and Clay. Retrieved from
PEDIAA: https://pediaa.com/what-is-the-difference-between-sand-silt-and-clay/ (Hasa,
2021)
6. MISCELLANEOUS SOIL PROPERTIES. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.fao.org/fishery/docs/CDrom/FAO_Training/FAO_Training/General/x6706e/
x6706e10.htm (MISCELLANEOUS SOIL PROPERTIES, n.d.)
7. prasad. (n.d.). STRUCTURAL GUIDE . Retrieved from Borehole investigation and
Borehole layout planning: https://www.structuralguide.com/borehole-investigation-and-
borehole-layout-planning/ (prasad, n.d.)
8. Sivakugan, N. (2017). SCIENCE DIRECT . Retrieved from Liquid Limit:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/liquid-limit (Sivakugan,
2017)
9. SOIL QUALITY . (2011, September 19). Retrieved from Bulk Density:
http://soilquality.org/indicators/bulk_density.html (SOIL QUALITY , 2011)
10. THE CONSTRUCTOR . (n.d.). Retrieved from what are the bearing capacity values of
different soil: https://theconstructor.org/geotechnical/safe-bearing-capacity-values-different-
soils/35734/ (THE CONSTRUCTOR , n.d.)
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