Experiment No.

1
SOIL SAMPLING
Introduction
This activity will collect samples of disturbed and undisturbed soil for further
analysis. Soil sampling is the collection or gathering of soil samples from the surface
or from any location that has not been covered with fixed infrastructure. It is the
preliminary step of any infrastructure construction since it will determine the suitability
of the area for any development. Soil sampling must also include relevant information
such as the location, subsurface conditions in the area, extent and condition of soil
layers. To collect the samples, engineers often use drill rig or hand augers and special
sample collection tools to gather both disturbed and undisturbed soil samples.

Soil sampling should reflect tillage, past fertilizer or soil amendment placement,
cropping patterns (and corresponding irrigation requirements), soil type (including
drainage and slope characteristics) and perhaps old field boundaries (such as old
feedlots, windrows, altered stream beds, etc.). Fields are split into sampling areas that
contain similar soils. Hillsides are kept separate from bottoms since the soil types will
vary. Soil survey maps, if applicable, can help organize the soil types throughout the
sampling are. Samples will not necessarily need to be collected for every soil type;
however, similar soils should be kept together. Sampling maps can be kept to note the
locations of the chores for subsequent sampling.

Disturbed Samples
Disturbed soil samples do not retain the in-situ properties of the soil during the
collection process. Engineers do not consider these samples to be representative of
underground soils except for geotechnical testing that do not rely on the structure of the
soil itself. Scientists commonly test disturbed soil samples for soil type and texture,
moisture content, and nutrient and contaminant analysis, among other evaluations. The
majority of soil samples engineers and geologists collect are disturbed samples because
they are easier to collect and the precision needed to collect an undisturbed sample is
not required for most geotechnical testing.
The samples that are lost their natural structure during collection process are
called disturbed sample. The only information that can be determined form this sample
are mineral content and composition of soil. The index properties like specific gravity,
grain size and plasticity characteristics can be determined from such sample.

Undisturbed Samples
The samples that retains its natural water content and structure of soil are known
as undisturbed samples. It is a theoretical term as some disturbance is unavoidable. If
all condition meets during collection of samples from bore hole, during removal of this
sample produces change in stress as conditions and get disturbed. The small the
disturbance, the more reliability of results.
Undisturbed samples allow an engineer to determine the geotechnical properties
of strength, permeability, compressibility and fracture patterns among others. Results
of these analyses are instrumental in the design of a new infrastructure.
The engineering properties of soil that are most important for design of
foundation are strength, permeability and compressibility. Undisturbed samples of
cohesive soils can be collected with relatively less difficulty and fairly accurate
evaluation of these properties can be obtained by laboratory tests.
Undisturbed samples of most rock can easily be obtained; but it is almost
impossible to collect an appropriate undisturbed and when the term undisturbed is used,
it refers to a sample that are collected with some precautions to reduce disturbance of
soil skeleton that exist before boring or sampling. In this regard, undisturbed sample
collected by different laboratories may have wide variations.
Requirements of undisturbed sample
• Soil structure should be unaltered due to disturbance
• Water content and void ratio must be unchanged
• No change in chemical properties of constituents.

Factors Resulting Disturbance

Some disturbance is unavoidable during sampling, even though utmost care in total
process is adopted. Soil samples collected by wash boring and auger boring method
subjected to high disturbance. Wash samples collected from rotary and percussion
drilling method for rock masses are also highly disturbed, but rocks samples collected
as blocks or cores are undisturbed. Following factors are responsible for the disturbance
of sample:
 A sample is always remain under a confining pressure. When it is taken out
from its original position, the confining pressure is removed or unloaded which
result some unknown degree of expansion. In case of in-situ testing, the lateral
expansion along the side of boreholes will results error when calculation is
based on hole diameter, with unknown amount of disturbance.
 Except samples collected from test pit, are disturbed with volume displacement
by the tube or other devices used for collection; this disturbance is further
increased when gravel exist along depth of borehole.
 Sample friction along the sides of collection tube results compression of sample
during its recovery. Most collection tubes are given shape to decrease side
friction by maintaining smaller cutting edge than side diameter of tube.
 Uncertain variation of water content of the sample may occur depending on
method of recovery and availability of water around borehole or in the ground.
 Reduction of hydrostatic pressure may result voids generated by gas bubble in
the sample.
 There have more or less disturbance while handling and transferring sample
from site to the laboratory and removing sample from sampler or testing device.
 The workmanship and technical knowhow of drilling operators, supervising
engineer and laboratory technicians may also influence sample quality.
 In extreme weather condition, may be cold or very hot days, sample may be
frozen or dehydrated if not protected well on site. Moreover, temperament of
worker may deteriorate in extreme temperature.

Effect of Soil Type on Sampling

 Undisturbed sampling for cohesionless soil is almost impossible to collect for
the purpose of strength testing.
 Fairly good quality samples of fine to medium grained soils can be collected
with the help of thin-walled piston samples
 Sample having minimum disturbance can only be obtained by extreme difficulty
for dense and gravelly materials
 For dense sand, dilation of sample results due to
o Volume displacement of sampler
o Together with large apparent volume of sample, due to inclusion of
pieces of gravel during progress of cutting edg
 Figure 1. General Classification of Sampling Techniques (Source: SNU OCW)

Objectives
The main objective of this activity is demonstrate how soil samples are being
collected for further test or analysis and at the same time learn the skills of determining
the visual characteristics of soil in correlation to its purpose and properties.

Materials and Equipment

 Auger
 Shovel
 Measuring tape/meter
 Crowbar (Bareta)
 Cling Wrap/wax
 Plastic Bag

Method
1. Define field areas to be sampled.
2. Clear the area with a grass in 30 cm deep.
3. Set 1.5 x 1.5-meter area in the field.

For Disturbed Soil Sample

4. Use auger to collect soil sample
5. Thoroughly mix the cores in a plastic bucket. Do not use metal or rubber
containers.
6. Place mixed samples in the plastic bags.
7. Label the bag with information
8. Dry the samples through the sun or through the laboratory oven.
9. Ship samples to the lab promptly. If samples will not be shipped for several
days, use cling wrap to soil until they can be shipped to avoid changes in the
chemical composition of the sample that could alter the analysis.

For Undisturbed Soil Sample

1. Dig a depth of at least 1.5 meter deep into the soil. Width varies with soil type
if it will not erode as depth goes deeper.
2. Note of the changes in soil visual characteristics as you may encounter thin
layers of varying soil type.
 3. From the excavated area, ensure that the site for collection is free from any
retained/uppermost soil.
Using Cylinder pipe Sampling*
4. Collect undisturbed soil samples by pushing into the soil a cylindrical pvc pipe
(4 - 6 inch diameter and 6 inch height). You may determine its initial weight to
easily determine the actual bulk density of the soil.
5. Carefully pull out the cylinder securing the collected soil.
6. Remove excess soil from both ends and weigh to compute the site bulk density
of the soil.
7. Seal each side of the cylinder using cling wrap and wax to prevent release of
moisture.
Using Box Sampling
4. Mark outline of the sample (say 30 cm by 30 cm) and carefully excavate trench
surrounding the soil.
5. Deepen excavation below base the sample and trim to size with a knife (sample
may have 15 cm height)
6. Seal the undisturbed soil sample using three layers of cheesecloth or plastic
cling wrap waxing each side to prevent release of moisture.
7. Cut sample from the bottom of the pit and seal base similar with (6). Place
wooden lid if box is used.

Reminders:
 As far as possible the place intended for sampling should be in its natural state.
This means that we do not step on it, because this would affect the bulk density
 Soil core samples should be taken in appropriate moisture conditions. Too wet
or too dry soil at sampling can lead to erroneous values.
 Make sure that you do not affect the sampled soil much during the sampling. If
possible, do not use the hammer but push the sampling ring into the soil by
hand.

* This is an improvised method from standard method using piston and metal rings.

Sources of Error
 Wrong choice of location for extraction of soil sample.
 Uncleaned material used in excavating and collecting soil sample.
Contaminated containers for disturbed soil sample.
 Undocumented information

Video Link
Disturbed: https://youtu.be/Oy_NTRLIgsg (until 1:16 sec only)
Undisturbed: https://youtu.be/IY4Hl0b4VkE (Starts at 1:04secs until
4:16secs)
Figure 2. Box Sampling (souce: SNU OCW, 2019)
 SOIL INFORMATION SHEET

Table 1. Undisturbed and Disturbed Soil Sample Details

Type of Soil Sample Disturbed and Undisturbed

Depth of Soil Sample

Date and Time of Extraction

Location

Latitude:
GPS
Longitude:

Weather before the date of the

experiment

Weather on the date of the

experiment

Remarks:

Guide Questions for Discussion

1. How do we select the location of sampling?
2. What are the precautions/points to consider in soil sampling?
3. Describe your soil sample (disturbed) and based on physical characteristics,
explain possible engineering purpose of the soil.
4. When do you think is the ideal time to get soil sample (undisturbed). Explain
your answer.