Lecture Site Investigation

1. Introduction: definition, success factors, objectives 2. SI Stages: codes of practice, standards & Eurocode 7 3. Investigative Methods: desk study, invasive investigation & in situ testing 4. Results: presentation & avoiding surprises

Defining site investigation

The processes whereby all relevant environmental and ground conditions data concerning the site of a proposed development and its surrounding area is gathered Ground investigation is the sub-set of operations that involves acquisition of data on the ground conditions using exploratory techniques (drilling, pitting, geophysics)

Critical success factors

Site Investigation: Prerequisite of all successful and economic design of engineering structures and earthworks

Identification of ground hazards Management of ground risk Providing value for money for the client Provision of relevant, reliable information

Key performance indicators

Preparation desk study and walk-over SI Design Procurement (equipment, staff) Management project, risk and quality Supervision (during SI) Reporting factual, interpretative, ground model Outcome client satisfaction, project review, and user feedback

Site investigation objectives

Assess the general suitability of the site and its environs Enable economic and safe design Plan best method of construction Design any remedial measures (site clean up) Explore sources of construction materials Establish sites for waste disposal Check existing structures Check for environmental changes arising from the works (wildlife surveys, piezometers) Continues during and even after construction

Professional codes for site investigation and design

STRATEGY FOR DESIGN

Proposed structure

Geology

Existing information & experience

Strategy for geotechnical design

GEOTECHNICAL INVESTIGATIONS
Planning and re-evaluation of the investigation programme Geology Field investigations including field tests and sampling to required standards Laboratory testing and investigations Geological model

DESIGN
Proposed structure

Evaluation of geotechnical parameters and coefficients

Geotechnical model

Test results Test results Ground investigation report Design: geotechnical structural Specifications Geotechnical design report Design report (final project)

Reporting

Program for inspection supervision & monitoring Call for bids based on a project

EXECUTION OF THE WORKS

Site investigation stages according to Eurocode 7

Basic Principle
Any site investigation has to be continued until the ground conditions are known and understood well enough for the civil engineering work to proceed safely Even doubling the cost of the SI will generally add <1% to the project cost After an inadequate SI unforeseen ground conditions can raise project costs by 10%+

Basic Principle
Any site investigation has to be continued until the ground conditions are known and understood well enough for the civil engineering work to proceed safely Even doubling the cost of the SI will generally add <1% to the project cost After an inadequate SI unforeseen ground conditions can raise project costs by 10%+

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE AND PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

DESK STUDY

SITE INSPECTION

Phase 1

INITIAL TERRAIN AND GROUND MODELS

PRELIMINARY REPORT

SPECIFICATION OF FIELDWORK

TOPOGRAPHIC SURVEY (as required)

FIELD WORK: MAPPING, TRENCHES AND PITS

BOREHOLES AND IN SITU TESTING

COLLECT SAMPLE

GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY

LABORATORY TESTING

FACTUAL REPORT ON GROUND INVESTIGATION

INTERPRETATIVE REPORT (Revised terrain and ground models)

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE AND PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

DESK STUDY

SITE INSPECTION

Phase 1

INITIAL TERRAIN AND GROUND MODELS

PRELIMINARY REPORT

Planning and reconnaissance stage of project Make an initial assessment of ground conditions; identify geotechnical problems TOPOGRAPHIC SURVEY FIELD WORK: MAPPING, (as required) TRENCHES AND PITS Project feasibility & site suitability
BOREHOLES AND IN Desk Study COLLECT SAMPLE SITU TESTING Historical records, literature, mapping (geological: solid & superficial, ordnance survey, hazard, UXO), imagery, remote sensing

SPECIFICATION OF FIELDWORK

GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY

LABORATORY TESTING

Site Walkover Survey Nature, basic soil & rock distribution, topography, access & obstructions, drainage, FACTUAL REPORT ON previous land uses i.e. workings, GROUND buildings INTERPRETATIVE INVESTIGATION REPORT (Revised terrain Check the outcome of the desk study: Ground Truth and ground models)

Site Inspection

Initial Terrain model

Potential Dam site:

Product of walk over survey: Surface features Deposits Water courses Topography

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE AND PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

DESK STUDY

SITE INSPECTION

INITIAL TERRAIN AND GROUND MODELS

Phase 1

PRELIMINARY REPORT

SPECIFICATION OF FIELDWORK

TOPOGRAPHIC SURVEY (as required)

FIELD WORK: MAPPING, TRENCHES AND PITS

BOREHOLES AND IN SITU TESTING

COLLECT SAMPLE

GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY

LABORATORY TESTING

FACTUAL REPORT ON GROUND INVESTIGATION

INTERPRETATIVE REPORT (Revised terrain and ground models)

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE AND PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

DESK STUDY

SITE INSPECTION

INITIAL TERRAIN AND GROUND MODELS

Phase 1

PRELIMINARY REPORT

SPECIFICATION OF FIELDWORK

TOPOGRAPHIC SURVEY (as required)

FIELD WORK: MAPPING, TRENCHES AND PITS

BOREHOLES AND IN SITU TESTING

COLLECT SAMPLE

GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY

LABORATORY TESTING

FACTUAL REPORT ON GROUND INVESTIGATION

INTERPRETATIVE REPORT (Revised terrain and ground models)

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE AND PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

DESK STUDY

SITE INSPECTION

INITIAL TERRAIN AND GROUND MODELS

PRELIMINARY REPORT

SPECIFICATION OF FIELDWORK

TOPOGRAPHIC SURVEY (as required)

FIELD WORK: MAPPING, TRENCHES AND PITS

BOREHOLES AND IN SITU TESTING

Phase 2
COLLECT SAMPLE LABORATORY TESTING

GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY

FACTUAL REPORT ON GROUND INVESTIGATION

INTERPRETATIVE REPORT (Revised terrain and ground models)

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE AND PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

DESK STUDY

SITE INSPECTION

INITIAL TERRAIN AND GROUND MODELS

PRELIMINARY REPORT

Ground Investigation
SPECIFICATION OF FIELDWORK

TOPOGRAPHIC SURVEY (as required)

FIELD WORK: MAPPING, TRENCHES AND PITS

BOREHOLES AND IN SITU TESTING

Phase 2
COLLECT SAMPLE LABORATORY TESTING

GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY

FACTUAL REPORT ON GROUND INVESTIGATION

INTERPRETATIVE REPORT (Revised terrain and ground models)

Trial Pitting or Backhoe

Trial Pit Sections

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE AND PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

DESK STUDY

SITE INSPECTION

INITIAL TERRAIN AND GROUND MODELS

PRELIMINARY REPORT

SPECIFICATION OF FIELDWORK

TOPOGRAPHIC SURVEY (as required)

FIELD WORK: MAPPING, TRENCHES AND PITS

BOREHOLES AND IN SITU TESTING

Phase 2
COLLECT SAMPLE LABORATORY TESTING

GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY

FACTUAL REPORT ON GROUND INVESTIGATION

INTERPRETATIVE REPORT (Revised terrain and ground models)

Light cable percussion rig

Dynamic percussion drilling rig

Typical land rotary coring drill rig

Offshore drilling rig

Offshore drilling rig

Mud store Drill string Doghouse

Derrick

Drill hydraulic head unit

Geotechnical soils lab

Drill string (unused)

Sampling methods & sample types Engineering Soils

Undisturbed Piston Sampler Sample tube U100 Shelby tube Length: 45-100 cm Extrude sample Core log Quarting: 25 cm, tin foil & wax Clays , loose sands & silts

Disturbed Hammer Sampler Split barrel sampler Two parts; splits along length 63 kg weight repeatedly falls 76 cm on to top of sampler (similar Dando) Count number of blows to penetrate 30 cm Measure of resistance to penetration (Standard Penetration Test) Samples double bagged Dense sands and weak rocks

Sampling methods & sample types Rotary Coring preferred to Open Holing Rocks Rotary Coring

Intact rock samples preferred to cuttings Coring produces undisturbed samples Laboratory testing: strength, particle size analysis, moisture content Logging easier, Stratigraphic order Open holing: quicker, less skill, useful, accurate rock desc. less important Rotary Open Holing

Example of a drilling log

Cone penetration testing (CPT)

In situ down hole tool Resistance to penetration of a cone Mechanical information about lithologies Proxy for piles design

How many boreholes and how deep?

Spacing: buildings 10-30m apart roads/railways 30-300m apart landslides at least 5 in a row extra holes at all structures Depends on site complexity To a depth that may be significantly affected by construction loading Depth: 1.5 x (foundation width) below the foundation depth plus at least one deeper hole to 10m below foundation level unless rockhead reached. Drill 3 m into rockhead to prove sound rock; in limestone probe 3-10m to locate rock cavities and integrate with geophysics

Site investigation costs

Drilling costs are an accumulation of: supplying rig to site; setting-up at each hole; cost per metre of hole drilled
supply set -up per m.

Process (2008 figures in )

Cable percussion in soil >8 m deep

Sampling in soil or rock Rotary coring in rock Trial pits, 4 m deep, backfilled

700
700 800

50
50 60

22
7 75

750 - 8 pits (i.e. 1 day hire JCB)

Offshore significantly higher: 250k, ~500pm Costs vary with number of in situ tests and instruments deployed.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE AND PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

DESK STUDY

SITE INSPECTION

INITIAL TERRAIN AND GROUND MODELS

PRELIMINARY REPORT

SPECIFICATION OF FIELDWORK

TOPOGRAPHIC SURVEY (as required)

FIELD WORK: MAPPING, TRENCHES AND PITS

BOREHOLES AND IN SITU TESTING

Phase 2
COLLECT SAMPLE LABORATORY TESTING

GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY

FACTUAL REPORT ON GROUND INVESTIGATION

INTERPRETATIVE REPORT (Revised terrain and ground models)

Geophysics for Site Investigation

Applied methods should be sensitive to the properties of the target Should be suitable for the lithologies Complement invasive investigations; identify areas of interest in subsurface Interpolate between boreholes Derive geotechnical parameters; e.g. seismic methods for RQD, Resistivity for porosity

 Electromagnetic

Surveying (EM)

Induced field interacts with subsurface and induces a second field Second field proportional to subsurface electrical conductivity Produces 1D line or map of subsurface electrical conductivity Sensitive to lithology and moisture content: high EC: clay, basalt, water; whereas sand and limestone have low EC.

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)

Similar approach to EM, transmitted EM energy reflects off boundaries Produces subsurface profile based on lithology contrasts Poor depth penetration in clay Identify lithological boundaries and subsurface man-made structures (pavement thickness)

Gravity Surveying
Measure variations in Earths gravity field caused by local differences in density of subsurface material 1D profiles of gravity variation or contour maps Identifying cavities or mineshafts

Magnetic Surveying
Measurement of variations in earths total magnetic field Caused by local differences in the magnetisation of subsurface rocks and soils Magnetometer and a magnetic survey to identify mine shafts Caveat; interference: use prohibited near power lines and metal fences Also used for unexploded ordnance (UXO) and archaeological investigations

Geophysical survey costs

Comparisons not easy as each method is best applied to only certain ground problems. Rough guide given by approximate coverage for a given fee - 2000 at 2008 prices
Type of survey Microgravity survey Magnetic survey Electromagnetic survey Ground penetrating radar Seismic refraction Seismic tomography Borehole Area 0.25 ha on 5 m grid 1.5 ha on 1 m line spacing 2.0 ha on 2 m line spacing 1.0 ha on 1 m grid 5 soundings by 20 m deep 2-D profile to 40 m depth (between available boreholes) 1 cored hole 20 m deep

Developing the ground model the total geology model

3D block model should show: Solid geology- bedrock Structural setting Superficial geology (quaternary materials) Geomorphological features (landslides, solifluction deposits) Weathering state of units Water table Surface water courses

Inadequate Site Investigation

One third of construction projects are delayed by ground problems Unforeseen ground conditions are the main cause of piling claims Half of over-tender costs on road projects are due to inadequate SI or poor interpretation of the data

Fookes, Baynes & Hutchinson 2001

There must be a specific and determined endeavour to understand the engineering geology and geomorphological environment of the site and to incorporate that understanding into the project design Around the world it is often the problems related to the Quaternary geology and geomorphological events that dominate

Fookes, Baynes & Hutchinson 2001

The preliminary stage is when the engineering geomorphologist and geologist can have the most significant influence on the project by indicating potential hazards and their consequence on the economy of design, matters of construction and expected performance of the works

Summary

Eurocode 7 Building the conceptual ground model Stages of a Site Investigation: desk studies; reconnaissance mapping; main site work stage pitting, boring, geophysics; laboratory testing; reporting; on-going checks during construction Reading: Site investigation chapters