Name: Hailie Ashley G.

Cañete
Student Number: 528995
QUESTION NO. 4
BCE221 (7094)

A Review of Methods for Examining Soil Properties

Civil engineering structures such as buildings, bridges, highways, tunnels, dams, and

towers are built beneath or on the earth's surface. Soil qualities such as plasticity,

compressibility, and strength always have an impact on structure design. Construction errors

might occur due to a lack of understanding of the soil's qualities. The suitability of a soil for a

specific use should be evaluated by its engineering qualities rather than by visual inspection

or implied similarities to other soils. A proper foundation soil is necessary for their stability.

To determine whether soil is suitable for use as a foundation or as building materials, its

qualities must be evaluated.

Site Investigation

A project quality design has to be economically rational, physically secure, sound, and

flexible. To be successful in all of these areas, planning should begin from the ground up. A

site investigation is basically the process of gathering information, analyzing data, assessing,

and reporting in order to determine the dangers in the earth beneath the site. A site

investigation ensures that the groundwater conditions are ideal, that the physical features of

rock and soil can support construction, and that the building would become safe and secure

for anyone who occupies it.

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Geophysical and Geological Methods

Geophysical methods are commonly used to measure the engineering qualities of soils

and bedrock as part of the construction of foundation structures such as piles. Soil resistivity,

shear modulus, Poisson's ratio, and percentage moisture content are examples of these

properties. These parameters are often determined from surface measurements or

boreholes. The benefit of a geophysical survey is that it allows information to be collected for

enormous areas of land that cannot be studied directly due to the costs required. Geophysical

applications in the characterization of contaminated land, such as the distribution and

transportation of pollutants in the ground and groundwater, are still in their early stages, but

have enormous promise. One of the key goals was to provide guidance on how to set up the

proper technical, administrative, and contractual framework to allow a geophysical

investigation to be properly incorporated into a civil engineering site investigation. The

classification of polluted soil and analyzing changes to the ground environment are two

increasingly important applications of geophysical technology. Geophysical techniques, for

instance, can also be used to evaluate differences in the physical properties of subsurface

materials, such as compressional and shear wave velocities, electrical conductivity, and

resistivity. It may be advantageous to do a reconnaissance geophysical survey early in the site

inquiry to identify sections of the site that should be studied by drilling, i.e. those with

anomalous results. A geophysical survey may be used as part of a preliminary risk assessment

prior to drilling or sampling on areas where contamination is suspected.

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Seismic methods in examining soil properties

Seismic methods investigate the subsurface by producing seismic waves and

studying how they travel through the Earth. Various methods of field acquisition and data

processing are used, mostly with the goal of obtaining geologically significant cross-sections

across the subsurface. Engineers and geologists can obtain the most basic geology data from

seismic refraction using simple processes and standard equipment. Any mechanical

vibration is caused by a source and travels to the location where it is detected. Seismic

waves are the source of these vibrations. The vibration is simply a shift in the stress level

caused by a disruption. The vibration spreads in all directions that allow for displacement.

The vibration easily transfers from one medium to another, as well as from solids to liquids

or gases and back again. High-resolution 2D or 3D images of seismic velocities between

boreholes are provided by seismic tomography. The approach is used to define geological

structures, map cavities and weak zones, and determine mechanical properties of soil and

rock.

Electrical methods in examining soil properties

Surface effects caused by electric current flow in the earth are identified using

electrical geophysical prospecting technology. Moreover, measurements can be performed

in a variety of methods to provide a range of outcomes. Some prospecting methods that

rely on a specific force field or unusual feature may not provide the same scope of options

as

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electrical and electromagnetic techniques. Electrical methods are used to evaluate natural

or induced potentials, currents, and electromagnetic fields in the ground. These procedures,

on the other hand, are made possible by the vast diversity in electrical resistivity found in

distinct rocks and minerals. Through use of electrical resistivity methods for quality control

and concrete durability evaluation, gains popularity among researchers and engineers. This

method is primarily used to estimate the corrosion potential of pipes and other metals

buried in the tested soils. Electrical resistivity is only useful in the summer and should be

used in soils that are not soaked with rain water.