SHEET NO.

2 SUBSOIL EXPLORATION

Assistant Prof./ Dr. Rafi’ M.S.

Exploration – 01
A three story steel frame office building will be built on a site where the soils are expected to be of
average quality and uniformity. The building will have a 30m x 40m footprint and is expected to be
supported on spread footing foundations located about 1m below the ground surface. The site
appears to be in its natural condition, with no evidence of previous grading. Bedrock is several
hundred feet below the ground surface. Determine the required number and depth of the borings.

Solution:
From the Table below, one boring will be needed for every 200 to 400 m2 of footprint area. Since the
total footprint area is 30 x 40 =1200 m2, use four borings.

The minimum depth is 5 S0.7 + D = 5(3)0.7 + 1 = 12 m. However, it would be good to drill at least one
of the borings to a slightly greater depth to check lower strata.

In summary, the exploration plan will be 4 borings with, 3 borings to 12 m, and 1 boring to 16 m.

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Exploration – 02
A standard penetration test SPT has been conducted in a coarse sand to a depth of 16 ft
below the ground surface. The blow counts obtained in the field were as follows: 0 – 6
in: 4 blows; 6 -12 in: 6 blows; 12 -18 in: 6 blows. The tests were conducted using a
USA-style donut hammer in a 6 in diameter boring with a standard sampler and liner.
The vertical effective stress at the test depth was 1500 lb/ft2. Determine ( N1 )60 .

Solution: The raw SPT value is N = 6 + 6 = 12

The US-style donut hammer efficiency is Em = 0.45, CB = 1.05, CS = 1.00, CR = 0.85. With these
values, find the corrected SPT to a 60% efficiency using Skempton’s relation,

That corrected SPT N60 is finally corrected for depth, using the Liao and Whitman formula,

(N1)60 = 9

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Exploration – 03
Correct the SPTs shown below with an energy ratio of 60%. The bottom of the mat
foundation (the invert) is at elevation +5.2 feet.

+20’

B
Ground Surface

+13.2’

+8.7’
+10.9’ WT

+5.2’
+10.0’ Invert of mat
sand+ gravel

d=105 pcf D 3.5’

w = 21%
 = 127 pcf 19.5- N=26
+4.1’
 18.8- N=25

soft clay 18- N=24 e0=0.68 Cc=0.1 PI=25%

+0.0’ d=96.5 pcf  =(24 -44)%  = 125 pcf
 25.5- N=30

medium sand d =101.5 pcf

 36- N=30.6 w = 19.5%
 = 121.3 pcf

 28.5- N=30
-10.0’

Use same parameters as above

hard clay EP= 595 kgf / cm2

d= 97 pcf
w = 34%
-20.0’  43- N=43  = 130 pcf

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 Em C B C S C R N
N 60=
Solution: 0 . 60 (from Skempton, 1986)

where: N60 = SPT N-value corrected for field procedures assuming 60% efficient
Em = 0.60  hammer efficiency (for safety hammer)
CB = 1.00  borehole diameter correction
CS = 1.00  sampler correction, = 0.75 (10’-13’)
CR = 0.85 (13’-20’) rod length correction, = 0.95 (20’-30’), = 1.0 (>30’)
N = SPT N-value recorded in the field by the driller.

At depth:

(0 . 60)(1 )(1 )(0 .75 )(26)

N 60= =19 . 5
+5.2’ 0 .60

(0 . 60)(1 )(1)(0 .75 )(25)

N 60= =18 . 8
+4.1’ 0. 60

(0 . 60)(1 )(1 )(0 .75 )(24 )

N 60= =18. 0
+2.0’ 0 .60

(0 . 60)(1 )(1 )(0 .85 )(30)

N 60= =25 .5
-1.0’ 0 .60

-5.0’

(0 . 60)(1 )(1 )(0 .95 )(30)

N 60= =28 .5
-10’ 0 .60

(0 . 60)(1 )(1 )(1)(43 )

N 60= =43 . 0
-21’ 0 .60

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Exploration - 04
An SPT was performed at a depth of 20 feet in a sand stratum that has a unit weight of 135 lb/ft 3, and
yielded a blow count of 40. Find the depth corrected N-value.

Solution:

1. Using the Peck’s Method (1974):

where if is in tons / ft2

or if is in kN / m2

but = 2.70 kips/ft2

therefore,

2. Using the Bazaraa’s Method (1967):

if  1.5 kips / ft
or

if  1.5 kips / ft

but > 1.5 kips/ft2

3. Using Liao’s Method (1986):

with in kN / m2

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Exploration - 05
A vane tester with a diameter d = 3.625 inches and a height h = 7.25 inches requires a torque of 17.0
ft-lb to shear a clay soil sample, with a plasticity index of 48%. Find the soil un-drained cohesion cu.

From the figure at the right (from Bjerrum, 1974), for a plasticity index of 48%, the correction factor 
= 0.80. Therefore,

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