TOPIC 1: SITE INVESTIGATION FOR

FOUNDATION DESIGN

WEEK2

▪INTERPRETATION OF SI BORELOG
▪LABORATORY STRENGTH PARAMETERS
 Learning Outcomes
Student should be able to:

◆ Explain how SPT are done (CO1-PO2)

◆ Derive information from the borelog.(CO1-PO2)
◆ Discuss sampling method and the laboratory
tests to determine the soil properties.(CO1-PO2)
 Laboratory Tests

◆ Grain Size Distribution

◆ Atterberg limits
◆ Chemical tests- Ph, organic matter, sulphate,
chloride
◆ Triaxial tests
◆ Unconfined compression test on undisturbed
sample – can be used to determine parameter c
◆ Compression test on rock core – for strength
determination.
◆ Consolidation test
◆ Compression test on rock core – for
strength determination.
◆ Consolidation test
 Core Recovery Ratio and Rock Quality Design

Core Recovery Ratio is the total length of soil recovered in the tube
sampler with regards to the total length of the tube sampler. The
relationship is given by:

Rock Quality Designation is the total length of cylindrical rock core

measured more than 100 mm unfractured with regards to the total
length of the core sampler used. The relationship is given by:

The RQD will give an indication of the weathering state, fractures, weak
and decomposed of rocks.
 RQD
Rock Quality
(%)

10 - 25 Very Poor

25 – 50 Poor

50 – 75 Fair

75 – 90 Good

90 – 100 Excellent
 BEARING CAPACITY OF SOILS - Empirical Methods - SPT
Relationship between SPT, Mackintosh/ JKR probe and unconfined
compressive strength of clay.
Unconfined JKR or
N Unconfined
Compressive Mackintosh
(Blows/ Consistency Compressive
strength (Ton/Sq Probe
ft) strength (kPa)
Ft) (Blows/ft)

2 Very soft 0.00 – 0.25 0.0 – 25 0 – 10

2–4 Soft 0.25 – 0.50 25 - 50 10 – 20

4-8 Medium (firm) 0.50 – 1.00 50 – 100 20 – 40

8 - 15- Stiff 1.00 – 2.00 100 – 200 40 – 70

15 - 30 Very stiff 2.00 – 4.00 200 – 400 70 – 100

Over 30 Hard 4.00 400 100

 BEARING CAPACITY OF SOILS - Empirical Methods - SPT

Relationship between SPT, Mackintosh/JKR probe and allowable soil

pressure of sand.

JKR or
N Allowable Allowable
Relative Mackintosh
(Blows/ soil pressure soil pressure
density Probe
ft) (Ton/Sq Ft) (kPa)
(Blows/ft)
Not
0–4 Very loose Not suitable 0 - 10
suitable

4 - 10 Loose 0.0 – 0.8 0 – 80 10 - 30

10 -
Medium 0.8 – 2.8 80 – 280 30 - 80
30
30 -
Dense 2.8 – 4.7 280 – 470 80 - 110
50
Over Very
4.7 470 110
50 dense

Note : 1 Ton/sq ft = 100 kN/m2

SITE INVESTIGATION

Typical Borelog
SUBSURFACE EXPLORATION

Note how the SPT value and recovery ratios are

recorded !!
 Pile Design
◆ Design Analysis – Correlation between SPT ‘N’ and
, cu
Undrained Shear Strength, Cu
Non Cohesive
Cohesive Soils N Value (kN/m2) Fi (Degree) Cu Alpha Cu Alpha Cu Alpha
Soils
Terzaghi Fukoka

Table 2.0 : Cu vs a Alpha (Adhesion Factor)

0 0 4.9 0.00 24 0.99 76 0.47 128 0.28
VERY SOFT

LOOSE
1 5.99 12.26 7.25 25 0.98 77 0.46 129 0.27

VERY
2 11.97 19.61 14.50 26 0.96 78 0.46 130 0.27
SOFT

3 17.96 26.97 21.75 27 0.96 79 0.45 131 0.27

4 23.94 31.32 29.00 28 0.94 80 0.44 132 0.27
5 29.93 41.68 29.17 29 0.92 81 0.44 133 0.27
MEDIUM
STIFF

6 35.91 49.04 29.33 30 0.91 82 0.43 134 0.27

LOOSE
Table 1.0 : Table Cu vs N Value

7 41.9 56.39 29.50 31 0.90 83 0.42 135 0.26

8 47.88 63.75 29.67 32 0.89 84 0.42 136 0.26
9 54.71 71.1 29.83 33 0.88 85 0.41 137 0.26
10 61.55 78.46 30.00 34 0.86 86 0.41 138 0.26
11 68.39 85.91 30.30 35 0.85 87 0.40 139 0.26
STIFF

12 75.23 93.17 30.60 36 0.84 88 0.40 140 0.26

13 82.07 100.02 30.90 37 0.83 89 0.39 141 0.26
14 88.91 107.88 31.20 38 0.82 90 0.39 142 0.26
15 95.76 115.23 31.50 39 0.81 91 0.38 143 0.26
16 102.14 122.59 31.80 40 0.80 92 0.38 144 0.25
17 108.53 129.94 32.10 41 0.78 93 0.37 145 0.25

MEDIUM DENSE
18 114.91 137.3 32.40 42 0.77 94 0.37 146 0.25
19 121.3 144.65 32.70 43 0.76 95 0.36 147 0.25
20 127.68 152.01 33.00 44 0.75 96 0.36 148 0.25
VERY STIFF

21 134.06 159.36 33.30 45 0.74 97 0.35 149 0.25

22 140.45 166.72 33.60 46 0.73 98 0.35 150 0.25
23 146.83 174.07 33.90 47 0.72 99 0.35 151 0.25
24 153.22 181.43 34.20 48 0.71 100 0.34 152 0.25
25 159.6 188.78 34.50 49 0.70 101 0.34 153 0.25
26 165.98 196.14 34.80 50 0.69 102 0.33 154 0.25
27 172.37 203.5 35.10 51 0.68 103 0.33 155 0.25
28 178.75 210.85 35.40 52 0.67 104 0.33 156 0.25
29 185.13 218.21 35.70 53 0.66 105 0.32 157 0.25
30 191.52 225.56 36.00 54 0.65 106 0.32 158 0.25
31 >191.52 237.92 36.25 55 0.64 107 0.32
HARD

32 240.27 36.50 56 0.63 108 0.32

33 247.63 36.75 57 0.62 109 0.31
34 254.98 37.00 58 0.61 110 0.31
35 262.34 37.25 59 0.61 111 0.31
36 269.69 37.50 60 0.60 112 0.30
37 277.05 37.75 61 0.59 113 0.30
38 284.4 38.00 62 0.58 114 0.30
39 291.76 38.25 63 0.57 115 0.30
DENSE

40 299.11 38.50 64 0.56 116 0.29

VERY HARD

41 306.47 38.75 65 0.55 117 0.29

42 313.82 39.00 66 0.55 118 0.29
43 321.18 39.25 67 0.54 119 0.29
44 328.53 39.50 68 0.53 120 0.29
45 335.89 39.75 69 0.52 121 0.29
46 343.25 40.00 70 0.51 122 0.29
47 350.6 40.25 71 0.51 123 0.28
48 357.96 40.50 72 0.50 124 0.28
49 365.31 40.75 73 0.49 125 0.28
50 372.67 41.00 74 0.48 126 0.28
51 380.02 >41.00 VERY DENSE 75 0.48 127 0.28
 Basic Principles of Soil Investigation
Example of Soil Profile from SPT Test/Borelog
BORANG
Cadangan Pembinaan Pengkalan Polis Marin Pelabuhan
IKRAM Klang Phase
TIMUR KOTA II - BH 1
BHARU IS / SI - 01
DEEP BORING LOG
PROJECT : PEMBINAAN JETI PENGURUSAN DI PUSAT TAMAN LAUT, Job No
PULAU PERHENTIAN BESAR, BESUT, TERENGGANU. IES/IT/06/0035 1.5
BH 2 N Value Reduced Level: -3.90m Supervisor : NIK MAT ZIN/ ZAKARIA
Sheet No. 1 of 2 Type of Drill: ROTARY Date : 21.05.2006 - 24.05.2006
3.0
0 10 20
DESCRIPTION 30
OF SOIL 40 50SAMPLE 60 4.5
0.0 CONSISTENCY, COLOUR Legend DEPTH No. Field Test N R/r SPT Plot
6.0 Loose to Very LooseSAND
RELATIVE DENSITY, GRAIN (meter) 75 75 75 75 75 75 (%)
1.5 0 SIZE, TEXTURE ETC. 7.5
Non Cohesive Soil (SAND) Cohesive Soil (CLAY) mm mm mm mm mm mm No of Blows (N)
0 10 20 30 40 50

3.0 0 Water Depth - 1.80m 0.00

N Value
Top Soil - Sea Relative Density
Bad : fine SAND. N Value Consistency 9.0 0

4.5 0 0 to 4 Very Loose 0. to

. .2 . . . Very Soft 3 10.5
4 to 10 Loose 2 to
. . 4. . . Soft
6.0 0 11 12.0 MediumSAND
10 to 30 Medium 4. to
. .8 . . . Firm
7.5 6 30 to 50 Dense 8 to
. .15. . . Stiff 13.5
Overlight
Medium dense, 50 grey fine Very Densesilty
to coarse 15. to
. .30. . . 1.50 Very
S1Stiff 2 3 4 6 6 7 23 22
9.0 6
SAND. (S-M) 30 to
. . 50
. . . 1.95 Hard
D1
1.5

15.0 Mediumto Stiff SILT

10.5 9 . . . . . . 8 16.5
12.0 11 The Relationship between N value with
. . . . .
18.0
SPT Plot : N Value vs Depth

Generalized Soil Profile

. . . . . .
Relative Density & Consistency of the Soils Loose to MediumSAND
13.5 10 . . . . . 10 19.5
- Ditto - . . . . . . 3.00 S2 3 4 6 7 7 8 28 24
21.0
3

15.0 7 . . . . . 3.45 D2 Stiff SILT

16.5 8 . . . . . . 12 22.5
. . . . .
18.0 8 24.0
. . . . . .
Very Stiff SILT
19.5 11 . . . . . 17 25.5
Dense, grey poorly graded GRAVEL. (GP) . . . . . . 4.50 S3 3 5 7 7 8 8 30 20
27.0
4.5

21.0 12 . . . . . 4.95 D3
28.5
Depth (m)

. . . . . .
22.5 12 Stiff to Very Stiff CLAY

Depth (m)
. . . . .

24.0 17 . . . . . .
30.0
25.5 16
. . . . . 18 31.5
Dense, grey poorly graded SAND. (SP) . . . . . . 6.00 S4 4 4 6 8 8 9 31 18 6

27.0 17 . . . . . 6.45 D4 14 33.0 Stiff SILT

28.5 14
. . . . . . 34.5
. . . . . MediumSAND
30.0 18 . . . . . . 19 36.0
. . . . .
50 37.5 Dense SAND
31.5 Medium dense, red21
poorly graded GRAVEL. . . . . . . 7.50 S5 3 4 5 5 5 6 21 20 7.5

(GP)14 . . . . . 7.95 D5 39.0

33.0
. . . . . .
40.5 Hard CLAY
34.5 18 + + + 8.30
+ + CL : 1.50m 50 42.0
36.0 19
Very strong, grey fresh GRANITE. + + + to C1 CRR : 100% 43.5
37.5 + + 50 RQD : 98% 9 Dense SAND
+ + + 9.80 50 45.0
39.0 + +
50
40.5 50
42.0 50

Soil Description
Average SPT
NOTES:
43.5 50 10.5

Depth (m)
= Standard Penetration Test (SPT) REMARKS
= Disturbed sample
45.0 = SPT Result 50
= Recovery ratio CONSISTENCY / RELATIVE DENSITY
46.5 = Vane Shear Test
= Undrained Shear Strength Cohesive Soil (N) Non Cohesive Soil (N)
= Remoulded Shear Strength
48.0 = Sensivity
= 50 mm dia. undisturbed sample 0 Very Soft 0 Very Loose
= 50mm dia. undisturbed piston sample 2 Soft 4 Loose
= Mazier Sample 4 Firm 10 Medium dense ……………………………
= Water sample
= Core sample (Rock)
N Value 8
16
Stiff
Very Stiff
30
50
Dense
Very Dense
Mahadi B. Abd Hamid
SI Manager
= Rock Quality Designation (%) 32 Hard (GEOLOGIST)
= Water level
= British Standard Classification System
Class Exercise

Students shall form groups. Each group will be

given actual Soil Investigation Report. Students
to study the report and derive information from
it. Tasks:

1) Pick two boreholes and draw a soil profile

between the two boreholes
2) Determine the following items:
◆ Type of formation

◆ Range of water table depth

◆ Range of bedrock/hard layer depth

◆ Type of sampling

◆ What are the laboratory tests

 Laboratory Tests

◆ Grain Size Distribution

◆ Atterberg limits
◆ Chemical tests- Ph, organic matter, sulphate,
chloride
◆ Triaxial tests
◆ Unconfined compression test on undisturbed
sample – can be used to determine parameter c
◆ Compression test on rock core – for strength
determination.
◆ Consolidation test