Tunnelling

Consolidation / Swelling Properties
Effective Stress Tests
Classification
Permeability
Total Stress Tests
Chemical Tests
Back to Applicable Tests

Description:

  • Consolidation properties in oedometer – Incremental loading oedometer test on undisturbed soil specimens (includes mandatory reporting) (BS EN ISO 17892-5: 2017)
  • Consolidation properties in oedometer (includes mandatory and optional reporting requirements) (BS EN ISO 17892-5: 2017)
  • Addition of swelling pressure determination
  • Extra over 5 days in excess of initial 5 days
  • Remoulding specimen at as-received
  • Water content

Results given:

  • Swelling pressure (if performed)
  • Voids ratio v log of pressure plot
  • Coefficient of consolidation
  • Coefficient of volume compressibility

You provide:

  • Specify if swelling pressure is to be determined
  • Specify pressure sequence to be applied

Typical use(s):

  • Behaviour of ground to changes of loading

Material required:

  • Ideally, an undisturbed length of sample at least half as long as the diameter, and at least 10mm greater in diameter than the required specimen (typical specimen 76mm dia.)
  • If remoulded, 200g

Description:

  • Consolidated Undrained

Results given:

  • Cohesion (c’)*
  • Angle of friction (phi’)*
  • Density
  • Moisture Content
  • Deviator Stress and Strain at peak

*for multistage or sets of specimens

You provide:

  • Remoulding conditions (if applicable)
  • Effective pressure(s) (eg. 50, 100, 200 kPa)

Typical use(s):

  • Slope stability
  • Foundation design

Material required:

Undisturbed

  • Sample with a core length of about 2:1 length: dia ratio of full diameter, intact material (ideally at least 2.5:1 length: dia to allow for trimming)
  • Block sample twice the size of 2:1 length: dia sample required

Remoulded

  • 200g of <6mm material for 38mm diameter specimen
  • 4kg of <20mm material for 100mm specimen

Description:

  • Water Content of Soil (BS EN ISO 17892-1: 2014)
  • Moisure Content of Soil (BS1377: Part 2: Clause 3.2: 1990)

Results given:

  • Water or moisture content (as % of water to dry mass)

You provide:

  • No information required

Typical use(s):

  • Basic material property

Material required:

  • Fine grained – 50g
  • Medium grained – 300g
  • Coarse grained – 3kg

Description:

  • Triaxial Permeability

Results given:

  • Coefficient of Permeability

You provide:

  • Remoulding conditions, if applicable
  • Effective consolidation pressure
  • Differential pressure or hydraulic gradient (optional)

Typical use(s):

  • Ensuring permeability of landfill clay liner meets required specification

Material required:

  • If remoulded, 2kg (for 100mm diameter specimen)
  • If undisturbed, 100mm diameter core-cutter or liner sample, at least 100mm intact length

Considerations:

  • The duration of this test is material dependent
  • To ensure accurate, repeatable results, we follow the British Standard method (BS1377: Part 6: Clause 6: 1990) involving saturation to a B value of 0.95, followed by consolidation to at least 95% pore pressure dissipation.

Direct Shear Strength using 60mm Small Shearbox

Description:

  • Shear strength by direct shear (BS1377: Part 7: Clause 4: 1990)

Results given:

  • Peak Shear Strength(s)
  • Residual Shear Strength(s) if required
  • Displacement(s) at peak

You provide:

  • Test type (peak only, peak & residual, single specimen, set of 3 etc)
  • Remoulding conditions (if applicable)
  • Normal stress(es) (eg. 50, 100, 200 kPa)

Typical use(s):

  • Slope stability

Material required:

Undisturbed

  • Enough intact material to trim down to a 60mm square by 25mm high block for each specimen required (usually a 50mm length from a U100 is sufficient for one specimen)

Remoulded

  • Approximately 200g of <2mm material per specimen
  • Electrical Resistivity/Conductivity on undisturbed specimen
  • Electrical Resistivity/Conductivity on remoulded specimen
  • Thermal Conductivity of undisturbed specimen
  • Thermal Conductivity of remoulded specimen and soft rock
  • Thermal Conductivity of hard rock core
  • pH
  • Sulphate – Total
  • Sulphate – Water Soluble
  • Sulphate – Groundwater
  • Organic Content
  • Loss on Ignition
  • Carbonate
  • Chloride – Water Soluble
  • Chloride – Acid Soluble
  • BRE Digest SD1 : 2005 Concrete Aggressivity Suite – (Suite A)

All sites suite (not ‘Brownfield’ or pyritic sites)
(Tests performed are Water Soluble Sulphate, and pH determination)

  • BRE Digest SD1 : 2005 Concrete Aggressivity Suite – (Suite B)

All sites suite (not ‘Brownfield’ but may contain pyrites sites)
(Tests include Total Sulphate, Water Soluble Sulphate, Total Sulphur, pH determination)

  • BRE Digest SD1 : 2005 Concrete Aggressivity Suite – (Suite C)

Brownfield sites (but not containing pyrites)
(Tests include Total Sulphate, Water Soluble Sulphate, Total Sulphur, Water Soluble Nitrate, Water Soluble Chloride and pH determination)

  • BRE Digest SD1 : 2005 Concrete Aggressivity Suite – (Suite D)

Brownfield sites containing pyrites
(Tests include Total Sulphate, Water Soluble Sulphate, Total Sulphur, Water Soluble Nitrate, Water Soluble Chloride and pH determination)

Extra over all BRE SD1 Suites for determination of Magnesium as per BRE Digest 279 : 1995
Determination of Magnesium content in 2:1 soil / water extract by atomic absorption spectrometry (If required)