1/20/2025

CEN-306 Foundation
Engineering
Subsurface Exploration
Dr. Aditya Singh
Department of Civil Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee

Introduction: Subsurface Exploration

• To identify the layers deposits underneath a proposed structure and their physical
characteristics to aid geotechnical engineers:

• Provide information related to:

1. Selection type and depth of foundation
2. Evaluation of load carrying capacity of foundation
3. Estimation of probable settlement of foundation
4. Determination of potential foundation problems (Expansive soil, collapsible soil
etc.)
5. Determination of water table
6. Prediction of lateral pressure acting on the retaining structure
7. Establishing construction methods

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Three Components of Subsurface Exploration

There are three components:
• Preliminary Exploration: Involves obtaining information regarding
type of structure approximate column loads and their spacing.
Information using publicly available maps to have a general idea of
the topography and the soil type.
• Reconnaissance: Engineer should make a visual inspection of the site
to obtain information about:
1. General topography
2. Soil strata from inspecting near by deep cuts

Three Components of Subsurface Exploration

3. Type of vegetation
4. Height of water marks on the near building
5. Ground water by checking near by wells
6. Type of construction near by area and existing cracks

• Detailed Exploration: Detailed investigation followed by the

preliminary investigation
Detailed investigation provides the information on:

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Three Components of Subsurface Exploration

the nature, sequence and thickness of various subsoil layers, their
lateral variability, their properties.
• It also provides the information about the position of ground water
table.
• SPT, PLT etc. In-situ tests are the part of the detailed investigation
program.
Note: Detailed investigation can be limited in scope where the subsoil
layers are very unpredictable in distribution or for inexpensive and
unimportant light weight structures or where already a good
information of subsurface soil is available.

Depth of exploration

• Evaluation of the vertical effective stress σ’оwith the depth

• Determine depth, d =D1 at which the effective stress increase is

(1/10) of estimated net stress on foundation

• Determine, d= D2 at Δ σ’о/ σ’о = 0.05

• Smaller of D1, D2 is the minimum depth for boring

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Methods of Boring
Making and advancing of borehole is known as boring.
The four different methods commonly used for boring:
1) Auger Boring
2) Wash Boring
3) Percussion Boring
4) Rotary Boring
Suitability of the boring method depends upon the type of the soil,
position of the water table, the ease and the accuracy with which
changes in soil and groundwater condition can be determined.

Methods of Boring

Auger Boring
Boring is carried out by holding
an auger vertical and pressing
it down while auger is rotated

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Methods of Boring
Auger Boring (2 types)
Hand operated auger:
• Used up to the depth of 6m in soft
soil which can stand unsupported. Helical Auger Source: tfgusa.com

Source: theconstructor.org

• If the sides of the hole are likely to

cave in, casing pipe may be used.
Power driven augers:
• Used for the greater boring depths,
where hard and stiff soil are
encountered Continuous Flight
Posthole Auger
Auger

Methods of Boring
Auger Boring

The method is convenient in the case of partially saturated sands, silts

and medium to stiff cohesive clay.

Sample obtain is severely disturbed and therefore are useful for

identification purpose only.

Auger boring well suitable for shallow foundation, highways and borrow
pits, where required depth of exploration is low.

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Methods of Boring
Wash Boring
Method consists of :
1. Driving a cashing pipe usually
heavy drop hammer supported
on tripod and pulley.
2. Water is forced under the
pressure through a rotating drill
rod, fitted with a sharp cutting
edge or chopping bit. Soil get
mixed with water and floats up.

Methods of Boring
Wash Boring
• Sample obtained from washed water is of no value.

• Sample of soil should be obtained using suitable sampler after

borehole has been cleaned

• Wash boring can be conveniently used even below water table in

practically all type of soils or rock

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Methods of Boring
Percussion Boring
• Drilling is carried out by breaking up the formation by repeated blows of a
heavy bit or a chisel inside the a casing pipe.

• The borehole is usually kept dry except for a limited quantity of water
used to form the slurry of pulverized material.

• Pulverized slurry is bailed out using a bailer or sand pump. Unless the side
of the borehole are likely to cave in , a casing pipe may not be necessary.

• Suitable for drilling in boulder and gravelly strata.

CABLE

Methods of Boring
SINKER BAR
• It is used widely in India, a shell is
also called a sand bailer.
• It is a heavy duty pipe with the
cutting edge.
• Sinker bars are added to add
weight to the bailer.
• The shell is raised let fall in a hole.
• The soil that is cut, enter the tube SHELL or BAILER

which is emptied when full.

• Boring is started with augering and
the shell is used when augering
becomes difficult.
FLAT VALVE
CUTTING EDGE

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Methods of Boring
Rotary Boring
(Mud rotary drilling)
• Rotary boring or rotary drilling is useful if the soil is highly resistant to
augering or wash boring. The method can be also be used in case of sand
and clay.
• Boring is effected by the cutting action of a rotating bit which is kept in
firm contact with the bottom of the hole.
• The bit is attached to the lower end of a hollow drill rod which is rotated
by a suitable chuck. Drilling mud (usually bentonite solution with some
admixtures) continuously forced down the hollow drill rods.
• The mud returning upward through the annular space between drill rod
and the side of the hole brings the cuttings to the surface.

Methods of Boring
Rotary Boring
(Core drilling)
• Core barrel with diamond bits are also used in rotary drilling and enable the
simultaneous obtaining of the rock cores.

(Shot drilling)

• For large diameter holes shot drilling is used. In shot drilling, iron and steel
shot 2.5-3.0 mm in size is dropped into the borehole. Under the impact of a
flushing liquid jet the shot enters the tip of the drill bit through a slot. As a
result of rotation of the drill and of axial pressure, the shot disintegrates the
rock on the face of the borehole, drilling out the core.

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Soil Sampler
Soil Sampler are of two categories
• Disturbed Samples
• Undisturbed Samples
Disturbed samples: are those where the natural soil structure gets modified
during the sampling operation. With suitable precaution the natural
moisture content and the proportion of mineral constituents can be
preserved. These are called representative samples.
Undisturbed samples: are those where the original soil structure is
preserved and the material properties have not undergone any alterative or
modifications: such sample are practically impossible to obtain. Practical
purpose undisturbed sample mean sample subjected to small disturbance.

Soil Sampler
The extent of disturbance on
the sample due to the
sampler depends on three
features of its design.
• Cutting edge
• Inside wall friction
• Non-return value

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Soil Sampler
Inside clearance: is to reduce the friction between the soil sample and the
sampler when soil enters the tube , by allowing for the elastic expansion.
If the inside clearance is too large, there will be too much of the lateral
expansion . (as per IS 1892-1979, it should be between 1-3%)
Outside clearance: Helps in reducing the friction while the sampler is
being driven and when it is being withdrawn after the sample is collected.
(it value usually lies between 0-2%)
Area ratio: it should be as low as possible, consistent with the strength
requirements of the drive shoe and sample tube, so as to reduce the
disturbance. Value should not me more than 20%. In soft sensitive clay an
area ratio of 10% or less is preferred

Soil Sampler
Another parameter is recovery ratio:

𝑅𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒

Recovery ratio, 𝐿𝑟 =
𝑃𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑟

𝐿𝑟 = 1 indicates good recover

𝐿𝑟 < 1 indicates soil is compressed
𝐿𝑟 > 1 indicates the swelling of the soil

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Soil Sampler
Sample requirements for the laboratory tests:
Type of test Type of sample required
Natural Water Content Undisturbed
Density Undisturbed
Specific Gravity Representative and Undisturbed
Grain size distribution Representative and Undisturbed
Atterberg Limits Representative and Undisturbed
Coefficient of permeability Undisturbed
Consolidation parameters Undisturbed
Shear strength parameters Undisturbed

Soil Sampler and Sampling

Commonly used samplers can be classified into three categories:
• Open drive samplers
• Piston samplers
• Rotary samplers
Open drive samplers: it consists of seamless open-end steel tube
with a cutting edge. The tube is connected through a head to the
drill rod. The sampler head is provided with vents to permit water
and air to escape during sampling and also a ball check-valve to
retain the sample during the withdrawal of sampler

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Soil Sampler and Sampling

Open drive samplers:
The sampling tube may be thick
walled or thin walled
Thick walled sampler are used
for obtaining disturbed but
representative soil samples.
They may be in form of solid
tube or split tube.

Soil Sampler and Sampling

Open drive samplers:

(Shelby tubes) Thin walled

samplers are used for obtaining
undisturbed samples. The area
ratio is <15%. The thin walled
tubes samplers are cold drawn
seamless tubes made out of brass,
aluminum or any other suitable
material having adequate strength,
durability and resistance to
corrosion. (IS 2132-1972, has laid
down requirements for thin walled
sampling tubes)

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Soil Sampler and Sampling

• Piston samplers
Piston sampler consists of two
separate parts: (a) Sample cylinder
(b) Piston system
The piston which is actuated
separately, fits tightly in the
sampler cylinder.
Piston sampler is used in sampling
large diameter samples of saturated
sands and other soils which can not
be sampled by open-drive samplers.

Soil Sampler and Sampling

• Rotary samplers
Useful for sampling in firm to
hard cohesive soils particularly
in rocks.
A rotary sampler is a double-
walled tube sampler with an
inner removeable liner. The
outer tube or the rotating
barrel is provided with a
cutting bit.

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Soil Sampler
• Scraper bucket
When soil deposits are sand
mixed with pebbles, obtaining
samples from split spoon with
a spring core catcher may not
be possible because the
pebble may prevent the spring
from closing.

Block and chunk samples

• Obtained from open pits
• They are not suitable if they
are transported to longer
distance.
• Mainly for the rocks they are
preferred.

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Number and Disposition of Trial Pits and

Borings
• As per IS:1892-1979 a compact building site covering an area of 0.4
hectare, one borehole or trial pit in center and one at each corners
will be adequate
• For smaller and less important building, even one borehole or trial
pit in the center will be adequate.
• For large area sounding test at a spacing of 50 m to 100m by
dividing the area in a grid pattern is suggested.

Ground water observation

• Water table observation should be made 12-24 hours after boring

• In cased boreholes, at the end of the drilling the casing is pulled up
about 30 cm and water level is recorded after 24 hours
• Seasonal groundwater level should be ascertained by piezometers.
• In industrial area waste products dumps at the site also be
responsible for the corrosive damage of the foundation.
• These waste should be analyzed chemically.

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