Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research

University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene

Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Spatial Planning
-Geophysics Department-

soil investigation methods

applied in geotechnics
Réaliser par:
ICHALLAL Feriel
HAMIL Tassadit
 Summary:
Introduction.

Site visit.

Collection of preliminary information.

Geology.

Geophysical methods.

Hydrogeology.

Seismicity.

Geotechnics.
• Laboratory tests.
• In-situ testing.
• Interpretation of results.
• Geotechnical calculations.

Conclusion..
Introduction:

• Soil investigation is defined as the identification and

characterization of the layers constituting the soil deposit
supporting the structure to be built.
• The objective of the reconnaissance is to give the necessary
elements for the studies and foundation works. It is also
necessary for underground structures and excavations and can
be used when changes or additions to a structure are required.
• To carry out this survey, the following steps must be followed.
1) Site visit :
The engineer should always make
a visual inspection of the site to
get a better idea of its nature:
the type of vegetation on the site can
give excellent indications.
the type of neighboring buildings and
the existence of problems (cracks in
walls, settlement...).
presence of rock or rock outcrop can
indicate fault depth of bedrock.
2) collection of preliminary
information:
• It is usually possible to collect
information using :
• cartography (geological map).
• aerial photography.
• topographical map nature of the
terrain relief.
• geotechnical study carried out in
the vicinity.
3)Geology :
• Regional geology: description of the nature of the soil (surface and
affected deformations in the study area) from geological maps.
• Local geology: more detailed description of the nature of the soil; colour
and texture (surface and deep).

4)Geophysical methods
• Geophysical methods are non-destructive reconnaissance methods
implemented from the ground surface in order to measure the values and
variations of certain physical parameters such as:
electrical resistivity of the • electrical resistivity recognition
subsoil. method.

intensity of gravity. • microgravity recognition method.

compressional wave • seismic refraction survey method.

velocity.
 Table summarizing the geophysical methods
used in soil investigation :
Methods Applications Benefits
Seismic : General recognition ; Reconnaissance without drilling ;
Based on the propagation of Used to assess the quality and Reduced materials ;
artificial elastic waves in different depth of the layers;
Can give an idea of the extent of
terrains.
Use mainly for rocky stratums to the layers where drilling would be
locate areas of low bearing difficult.
capacity or fracture.
Electric : General recognition ; Reconnaissance without drilling ;
Based on the difference in soil Used to assess the quality and Reduced materials ;
resistivity. depth of the layers;
Can be used to locate underground
Location of clay and gravel cavities;
pockets.
Economic means.
Gravimetric : General recognition ; Reconnaissance without drilling ;
Based on measurements of gravity Location of underground cavities. Reduced materials ;
anomalies in the layers.
Safe method.
5)hydrogeology :
• The hydrogeological studies to be carried out aim, on the one hand, to
highlight the problems posed by the presence of water in the soil, and on
the other hand, to provide all the necessary elements of knowledge on the
water tables and flows. This allows the definition and implementation of
appropriate technical solutions for qualitative and quantitative water
management.
• The objectives of hydrogeological studies related to an infrastructure
project are :
→assess the consequences of the local hydrogeology on the route, on
the earthworks and on the structures to be built.
→determine the environmental impact of the project on groundwater
and water flows;
→plan and size the devices to be put in place.
→contribute to the assessment of possible additional costs.
→Identify the potential impact on timeframes.
 • The piezometric surveys associated with the studies should provide the
following information:
→the depth, thickness, extent and permeability of water-bearing
layers and joint systems in the rock;
→the elevation of the water table surface or the level of aquifer
formations, their variations over time and the actual water table
levels, including any extreme levels and their recurrence interval.
→the distribution of pore pressures.
→the chemical composition of the water and its temperature.

6)Seismicity :
• It is also important to study the seismicity of the site prior to construction in
order to design structures to ensure optimum safety. The minimum level of
seismic protection given to a structure depends on its location and importance
to the objectives set by the community (vital structures, major structures,
routine or medium structures, minor structures).
7)Geotechnics :
• Geotechnics is the study of the adaptation of human structures
to the soils and rocks forming the natural terrain. It deals with
the interaction between soil and structures, and calls upon the
bases of geology, soil mechanics, rock mechanics and structures.
• The main purpose of geotechnical studies is to carry out soil
studies for the construction of structures (houses, buildings,
buildings, roads, engineering structures, etc.), and the definition
of foundations, but also in the context of diagnostics for
damaged structures. They also deal with the phenomena of soil
movement (slippage, subsidence and others), deformation
(settling under loads) and mechanical resistance.
 I)Laboratory tests :
The samples taken from the boreholes and test pits (geological) will be sent to the laboratory for
geotechnical testing to describe, identify and classify the soils. These tests are :
• Measurement of the natural water content "W".
• Determination of the Atterberg limits "WL" and "WP".
• Determination of the wet density , dry density and grain density .
• Determination of organic matter "OM".
• Determination of carbonate of lime content .
• The methylene blue test.
• Measurement of the sand equivalent "ES".
Fig1.Casa grande
• Casa Grande box shear.
• Triaxial shear.
• Compressibility test.
• Proctor compaction test.
• CBR test
• Simple compression test.
• Particle size analysis.
Fig2.Drill cores
 II)In-situ testing :
• Core drilling: Core drilling provides the best quality samples to characterise both the nature and
condition of the soil. They are essential for a better knowledge of the bedrock, core sampling
allows to visualise the terrain crossed, to specify with certainty its geometrical layout and to
carry out a certain number of laboratory and in situ tests. The samples taken are used to:
• determine the nature of the rock or soil to analyse the degree of cracking and the slope of
cracks.
• discloses and stratification in the case of a rock and to carry out laboratory tests (rock or
soil mechanics, mineralogical or chemical analyses).
• in situ measurement of moduli and stress field.
• in situ measurement of permeability.
• In general, drill cores are stored in suitable boxes. It is advisable to photograph them in color in
order to have useful work and archives.
• Dynamic Penetrometer: The dynamic penetration test simulates the driving of a pile and
determines the dynamic resistance that the ground opposes to the driving of the pile. It consists
of driving a train of smooth rods into the ground, fitted with a point of known cross-section at
its end. The ramming is carried out by a mass, called a sheep, falling from a specific height.
• Thus, it provides information on the succession of the different ground layers, the overall
homogeneity of a given layer (presence of local anomalies) and the location of a resistant layer
whose existence is already known.
• The dynamic penetration test is a cost-effective tool, easy to
implement, which allows soil reconnaissance on a fairly large number
of points in a minimum of time.
• Static penetrometer: This is an in-situ test that consists of measuring
the limit resistance of the soil. The static penetrometer consists of an
outer tube (5 to 10 cm in diameter), inside which is a string of rods
terminated by a cone. It is driven into the soil at a slow speed (0.2 to
2 cm /s) and at a constant rate with the help of a static load (ballast or
jack). This test allows the compaction of the different layers of fill to
be visualized and thus allows a preliminary reconnaissance of the site.
It also allows the bearing capacity of the deep foundations to be
determined.
• Pressure meter test: this is an in-situ loading test carried out in the
ground by drilling a hole. The analysis of the results makes it possible
to obtain, for a given depth, the mechanical characteristics of the soil
and to carry out the foundation calculations. Three characteristics of
the soil are deduced: the pressure modulus EM which defines the
pseudo-elastic behavior of the soil, the limit pressure pl which
characterizes the breaking strength of the soil and the creep pressure
pf which defines the limit between the pseudo-elastic behavior and
the plastic state.
• Reconnaissance wells: Reconnaissance wells are carried out in order
to gain a more in-depth knowledge of the bedrock. It is necessary for:
Laying the foundations of a structure such as a tunnel, bridge or
building and determine the aquifer potential.
III)Interpretation of results
• Water content: The water content test determines the mass percentage (W%) of
water in the soil under investigation, i.e. the mass of water present per 100
grams of dry soil.
• This information is important for deciding on the treatment or compaction of
the soil and can be used in other tests.
• Atterberg limits: Atterberg limits are characteristic water contents of fine soils,
which are used to classify them and assess their consistency. These water
content values are also used to characterise the different states of the soils:
liquid, plastic, solid and solid without shrinkage of these materials.
• Grain size: to interpret the results of the grain size analysis, a curve must be
drawn (on the x-axis: the mesh size, logarithmic scale, and on the y-axis: the
percentages on an arithmetic scale). The curve must be drawn continuously.
• Dynamic penetrometer: The results of the dynamic penetration tests are
provided in the form of a diagram in normal coordinates where the value of the
dynamic resistance in bars, deduced from the application of the ramming
formula chosen by the company, is plotted against the depth (generally 10 cm
steps). This diagram thus presents a profile of the resistance of the ground up
to the depth of the end of the test.
 IV) Geotechnical calculations :
• Calculates allowable stresses.
• Calculation of settlements: Soil settlement is the vertical deformation due to
the application of external stresses such as embankments, foundations or its
own weight. A global calculation of settlement can be made by considering
the variation of the mechanical characteristics of the soil as a function of the
stress state.
• Stability or slope study : The geotechnical study of the stability of a slope
provides the following characteristics:
• identification of the different formations.
• geometry of sliding surfaces by inclinometer.
• groundwater flow conditions.
• shear parameters of all relevant formations.
• specific parameters of soil behaviour (liquefaction, structural instability,...).
• parameters related to the type of structure planned to stabilise the slope.
 Conclusion:
• Geotechnics aims to verify the quality of the soil, rock and groundwater
conditions in order to plan the design of the foundation of structures.
• An empirical technique as old as humanity and known to all civilisations, it is
constantly evolving according to our needs, our knowledge and our means.
• For this study, a drilling campaign is planned according to the layout and the type
of structure planned (building, bridge, road, etc.). The test pits will allow to
determine the characteristics of the soils, their bearing capacity, the depth of the
rock and the evaluation of the water table conditions.
• The study uses this information to formulate its recommendations. The principles
of geotechnics are simple, but their expression is complicated, as it consists of
geology, mechanics, observation/experimentation, calculation and inductive
reasoning and deductive reasoning.
• During this study, the morphology and behavior of the materials constituting the
subsoil are studied, which are tangible, discontinuous, variable, heterogeneous,
anisotropic and much more.