Groundwater Hydrology 283

depth is reached. The hand operated augers can bore wells only upto 200 mm in diameter and
15 m in depth. However, the power driven augers can bore wells upto 1 m in diameter and
depths exceeding 30 m. A power driven auger consists of a cylindrical steel bucket (Fig. 6.28)
with a cutting edge projecting from a slot in the bottom, which cuts into the soil and fill it in the
bucket as the auger is rotated. When full, the auger is hoisted to the surface and the excavated
material is removed through hinged openings on the side or bottom of the bucket. Reamers,
attached to the top of the bucket, can enlarge holes to diameters exceeding the auger size.
A continuous-flight power driven auger has a spiral extending from the bottom of the hole to
the surface. In this case cuttings are carried to the surface as on screw conveyor.
Augers work best in formations that do not cave in. However, where loose sand and gravel
are encountered in a large-diameter hole, or when the boring reaches the water table a concrete
or metal casing pipe is introduced into the hole and the boring is continued inside the casing.
After the boring is done upto the desired depth the well pipe together with strainer is
introduced centrally in the hole and the casing pipe is removed. The annular space between the
well pipe and the surrounding strata is backfilled with gravel.

Square-stemmed
keyed connections

Reamer

Hook for
bottom

Cutting
blade

Auger with Auger with

bottom open adjustable
for dumping reamer

Fig. 6.28 Augers for boring shallow tube wells

(ii) Driven wells. A driven well is constructed in an unconsolidated formation by the use of a
well point. A well point consists of a perforated pipe wrapped over by a fine wire mesh (or