8/13/2019 D420

1/14

Designation:AMERICAN SOCIETY FORTESTING AND MATERIALS

100 Barr Harbor Dr., WestConsoo!"en, #A 1$%&'

Re(r)nte* +ro te Ann-a Boo" o+

ASTM Stan*ar*s. Co(/r)tASTM

Site Characterization for EngineeringDesign andConstruction

Purposes1

This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 420; the number

immediately following the designation indicates the year of original

adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. number

in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. superscript

epsilon !e" indicates an editorial change since the last revision or

reapproval.

INTRODUCT

ION

#nvestigation and identification of subsurface materials involves bothsimple and complex techni$ues that may be accomplished by manydifferent procedures and may be variously interpreted. These studiesare fre$uently site specific and are influenced by geological andgeographical settings, by the purpose of the investigation, by designre$uirements for the pro%ect proposed, and by the bac&ground, training,and experience of the investigator. This guide has been extensively

rewritten and enlarged since the version approved in '()*. +aterialhas been added for clarification and for expansion of concepts. +anynew T+ standards are referenced and a bibliography of non-T+references is appended.

This document is a guide to the selection of the various T+standards that are available for the investigation of soil, roc&, andground water for pro%ects that involve surface or subsurfaceconstruction, or both. #t is intended to improve consistency of practiceand to encourage rational planning of a site characteriation program.ince the subsurface conditions at a particular site are usually the resultof a combination of natural, geologic, topographic, and climaticfactors, and of historical modifications both natural and manmade, anade$uate and internally consistent exploration program will allow

evaluation of the results of these influences.

1. Scope

'.' This guide refers to T+methods by which soil, roc&, andground water conditions may bedetermined. The ob%ective of theinvestigation should be to identifyand locate, both horiontally andvertically, significant soil and roc&types and ground water conditions

present within a given site area and to establish thecharacteristics of the subsurface materials bysampling or in situ testing, or both.

'.2 /aboratory testing of soil, roc&, andground water samples is specified by other T+standards not listed herein. ubsurface explorationfor environmental purposes will be the sub%ect of aseparate T+ document.

'. 1rior to commencement of any intrusive

'

8/13/2019 D420

2/14

exploration the site should be chec&ed forunderground utilities. hould evidence of potentiallyhaardous or otherwise contaminated materials orconditions be encountered in the course of theinvestigation, wor& should be interrupted until thecircum- stances have been evaluated and revisedinstructions issued before resumption.

'.4 The values stated in !#" inch-pound units areto be regarded as the standard.

' This guide is under the %urisdiction of T+

ommittee D-') on oil and 3oc& and is the direct

responsibility of ubcommittee D').0' on urface

and ubsurface haracteriation.

urrent edition approved +arch '0, '(().

1ublished anuary '(((. 5riginally published as D

426 7 86 T. /ast previous edition D 420 7 (.

'.6 This guide offers an organized collection ofinformation or a series of options and does notrecommend a specific course of action. Thisdocument cannot replace education or experienceand should be used in conjunction with professionaljudgment. Not all aspects of this guide may beapplicable in all circumstances. This ASTMstandard is not intended to repre- sent or replacethe standard of care by which the adeuacy of agi!en professional ser!ice must be judged" norshould this document be applied withoutconsideration of a project#s many uniue aspects.The word$ Standard% in the title of this documentmeans only that the document has been appro!edthrough the ASTM consensus process.

'.8 This guide does not purport to address all ofthe safety concerns" if any" associated with its use. &tis the responsibility of the user of this standard toestablish appropriate safety and health practicesand determine the applicability of regulatorylimitations prior to use.

2. Referenced

Documents

2.'ASTM Standards' ''( Terminology 3elating to Dimension ,tone2

2(4 Descriptive 9omenclature for onstituentsof 9atu- ral +ineral ggregates0

2Annual (oo) of ASTM Standards, :ol 04.0).Annual (oo) of ASTM Standards, :ol 04.0(.

2

8/13/2019 D420

3/14

D 420

)6' 1ractice for stimating cratch earing apacity of oilfor tatic

/oad and pread =ootings2

D ''(6 Test +ethod for 3epetitive tatic 1late/oad Tests of oils and =lexible 1avementomponents, for ?se in valuation and Designof irport and arrel

ampling of ,oils2

D '6)* 1ractice for Thin-@alled Tube amplingof ,oils2

D 2'' 1ractice for 3oc& ore Drilling, andampling of

3oc& for ite #nvestigation2

D 24)* lassification of oils for ngineering

1urposes!?nified oil lassification ,ystem"2

D 24)) 1ractice for Description and #dentificationof oils

!:isual-+anual 1rocedure"2

D 26* Test +ethod for =ield :ane hear Test inohesive,oil2

D 280* lassification of 1eats, +osses,

8/13/2019 D420

4/14

D 420

D 442) Test +ethods for rosshole eismicTesting2

D 442( Test +ethod for >3 !alifornia >earing3atio" of

oils in 1lace2

D 4462 +ethods for -3ay 3adiography of oil,amples2

D 4608 Test +ethod for Determining the #n itu+odulus of Deformation of 3oc& +ass ?sing a3adial ac&ing Test2

D 4644 1ractice for stimating 1eat DepositThic&ness2

D 466 Test +ethod for Determining the #n itureep

haracteristics of 3oc&2

D 4664 Test +ethod for #n itu Determination ofDirect

hear trength of 3oc& Discontinuities2

D 4666 Test +ethod for DeterminingDeformability and trength of @ea& 3oc& by an#n itu ?niaxial ompres- sive Test2

D 4822 Test +ethod for 3oc& +ass +onitoring?sing

#nclinometers2

D 482 Test +ethod for Determination of #n itutress in 3oc& +ass by 5vercoring +ethodE?>+ >orehole Deformation Aage2

D 480 Test +ethod for DeterminingTransmissivity and torativity of /ow1ermeability 3oc&s by #n itu +ea- surements?sing the onstant orehole or +onitoring @ell!5bservation @ell"2

D 4)*( Auide for Aeotechnical +apping of /arge?nder- ground 5penings in 3oc&2

D 4(*' Test +ethod for Determining the #n itu+odulus of Deformation of 3oc& ?sing theDiametrically /oaded*8-mm !-in." >orehole 4ac&6

D 60*( 1ractices for 1reserving and

Transporting 3oc&

ore ,amples6

D 60)) 1ractice for Decontamination of =ield$uipment

?sed at 9onradioactive @aste ,ites6

D 60(2 1ractice for Design and #nstallation of

Around@ater +onitoring @ells in $uifers6

D 60( Test +ethod for =ield +easurement of#nfiltration 3ate ?sing a Double-3ing#nfiltrometer with a ealed- #nner 3ing6

D 6'28 Auide for omparison of =ield +ethodsfor Deter- mining ias

4

Annua

l (oo)

of

ASTMStand

ards,

:ol04.0.

6Annual (oo) of

ASTM

Standards, :ol04.0(.

8/13/2019 D420

5/14

in T+ Test +ethods8

)0 1ractice for the ?se of the #nternationalystem of

?nits !#" !the +odernied +etric ,ystem"8

A 6' Test +ethod for p< of oil for ?se inorrosionTesting*

A 6* +ethod for =ield +easurement of oil3esistivity?sing the @enner =our-lectrode +ethod*,)

3. Significance and Use

.' n ade$uate soil, roc&, and ground waterinvestigation will provide pertinent information fordecision ma&ing on one or more of the followingsub%ectsF

.'.' 5ptimum location of the structure, bothvertically and horiontally, within the area of theproposed construction.

.'.2 /ocation and preliminary evaluation of

suitable bor- row and other local sources ofconstruction aggregates..'. 9eed for special excavating and

dewatering tech- ni$ues with the correspondingneed for information, even if only approximate, onthe distribution of soil water content or porepressure, or both, and on the pieometric headsand apparent permeability !hydraulic conductivity"of the various subsurface strata.

.'.4 #nvestigation of slope stability in naturalslopes, cuts, and emban&ments.

.'.6 onceptual selection of emban&ment typesand hy- draulic barrier re$uirements.

.'.8 onceptual selection of alternatefoundation types and elevations of thecorresponding suitable bearing strata.

.'.* Development of additional detailedsubsurface inves- tigations for specific structures orfacilities.

.2 The investigation may re$uire the collectionof suffi- ciently large soil and roc& samples of such$uality as to allow ade$uate testing to determinethe soil or roc& classification or mineralogic type,or both, and the engineering properties pertinent tothe proposed design.

. This guide is not meant to be an inflexibledescription of investigation re$uirements; methodsdefined by other T+ standards or non-T+techni$ues may be appropriate in somecircumstances. The intent is to provide a chec&listto assist in the design of anexplorationGinvestigation plan.

4. Reconnaissance of Proect !rea

4.' vailable technical data from the literatureor from personal communication should bereviewed before any field program is started. Theseinclude, but are not limited to, topographic maps,aerial photography, satellite imagery, geo- logicmaps, statewide or county soil surveys and mineralresource surveys, and engineering soil maps

covering the proposed pro%ect area. 3eports ofsubsurface investigations of nearby or ad%acentpro%ects should be studied.

95T 'E@hile certain of the older maps and

reports may be obsolete and of limited value in the

light of current &nowledge, a comparison of the old

with the new will often reveal valuable

information.

8Annual (oo) of ASTM Standards, :ol '4.02.*Annual (oo) of ASTM Standards, :ol 0.02.) The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to

the list of references at the end of this standard.

8/13/2019 D420

6/14

4.'.' The ?nited tates Aeological urvey andthe geologi- cal surveys of the various states are theprincipal sources of geologic maps and reports onmineral resources and ground water.

4.'.2 ?nited tates Department of gricultureoil onser- vation ervice soil surveys, whereavailable and of recent date, should enable theinvestigator to estimate the range in soil profile

characteristics to depths of 6 or 8 ft !'.6 or 2 m" foreach soil mapped.

95T 2Each soil type has a distinctive soil

profile due to age, parent material, relief, climatic

condition, and biological activity. onsideration of

these factors can assist in identifying the various

soil types, each re$uiring special engineering

considerations and treatment. imilar engi- neering

soil properties are often found where similar soil

profiles characteristics exist. hanges in soil

properties in ad%acent areas often indicate changes

in parent material or relief.4.2 #n areas where descriptive data are limited by

insuffi- cient geologic or soil maps, the soil androc& in open cuts in the vicinity of the proposedpro%ect should be studied and various soil and roc&profiles noted. =ield notes of such studies shouldinclude data outlined in '0.8.

4. @here a preliminary map covering thearea of the pro%ect is desired, it can be prepared onmaps compiled from aerial photography that showthe ground conditions. The distribution of thepredominant soil and roc& deposits li&ely to beencountered during the investigation may be shownusing data obtained from geologic maps, landformanalysis and limited ground reconnaissance.xperienced photo-interpreters can deduce muchsubsurface data from a study of blac& and white,color, and infrared photographs because similar soilor roc& conditions, or both, usually have similarpatterns of appearance in regions of similar climateor vegetation.

95T EThis preliminary map may be

expanded into a detailed engineering map by

locating all test holes, pits, and sampling stations

and by revising boundaries as determined from the

detailed subsurface survey.

4.4 #n areas where documentary information isinsufficient, some &nowledge of subsurfaceconditions may be obtained from land owners,local well drillers, and representatives of the localconstruction industry.

". #$p%oration P%an

6.' vailable pro%ect design and performancere$uirements must be reviewed prior to finaldevelopment of the exploration plan. 1reliminaryexploration should be planned to indicate the areasof conditions needing further investigation. complete soil, roc&, and ground water investigation

should encompass the following activitiesF6.'.' 3eview of available information, both

regional and local, on the geologic history, roc&,soil, and ground water conditions occurring at theproposed location and in the immediate vicinity ofthe site.

6.'.2 #nterpretation of aerial photography andother remote sensing data.

6.'. =ield reconnaissance for identification ofsurficial geologic conditions, mapping ofstratigraphic exposures and outcrops, andexamination of the performance of existingstructures.

6.'.4 5n site investigation of the surface andsubsurface materials by geophysical surveys,borings, or test pits.

8/13/2019 D420

7/14

6.'.6 3ecovery of representative disturbedsamples for laboratory classification tests of soil,roc&, and local construc- tion material. Theseshould be supplemented by undisturbed specimenssuitable for the determination of those engineeringproperties pertinent to the investigation.

6.'.8 #dentification of the position of the ground

water table, or water tables, if there is perchedground water, or of the pieometric surfaces ifthere is artesian ground water. The variability ofthese positions in both short and long time framesshould be considered. olor mottling of the soilstrata may be indicative of long-term seasonal highground water positions.

6.'.* #dentification and assessment of thelocation of suit- able foundation material, eitherbedroc& or satisfactory load- bearing soils.

6.'.) =ield identification of soil sediments, androc&, with particular reference to type and degreeof decomposition !for example, saprolite, &arst,decomposing or sla&ing shales", the depths of theiroccurrence and the types and locations of theirstructural discontinuities.

6.'.( valuation of the performance of existinginstalla- tions, relative to their structure foundationmaterial and envi- ronment in the immediatevicinity of the proposed site.

&. #'uipment and Procedures for Use in

#$p%oration

8.' *ertinent ASTM StandardsE1ractices D'462, D 2'', D 4644, D 60)), D 60(2; +ethod D'6)8; and Test +ethods D 4822, D 48, D 4*60.

8.2 The type of e$uipment re$uired for asubsurface inves- tigation depends upon variousfactors, including the type of subsurface material,depth of exploration, the nature of the terrain, andthe intended use of the data.

8.2.' +and Augers" +ole ,iggers" Sho!els" and*ush Tube Samplers are suitable for explorationof surficial soils to depths of to '6 ft !' to 6 m".

8.2.2 arth xca!ation uipment, such asbac&hoes, dra- glines, and drilled pier augers!screw or buc&et" can allow in situ examination ofsoil deposits and sampling of materials containingvery large particles. The investigator should beaware of the possiblity of permanent disturbance of

potential bearing strata by unbalanced porepressure in test excavations.

8.2. oil and roc& boring and drilling machinesand proof- ing devices may be used to depths of200 to 00 ft in soil and to a much greater depth inroc&.

8.2.4 @ell drilling e$uipment may be suitablefor deep geologic exploration. 9ormally samplesare in the form of sand-sied cuttings capturedfrom the return flow, but coring devices areavailable.

(. )eop*+sica% #$p%oration

*.'*ertinent ASTM StandardsETest +ethods D

442) and+ethod A 6*.

*.2 3emote sensing techni$ues may assist inmapping the geological formations and forevaluating variations in soil and roc& properties.atellite and aircraft spectral mapping tools, suchas /9DT, may be used to find and map the

areal extent of subsurface materials and geologicstructure. #nterpre- tation of aircraft photographsand satellite imagery can locate and identifysignificant geologic features that may be indicativeof faults and fractures. ome ground control isgenerally

8/13/2019 D420

8/14

re$uired to verify information derived from remotesensing data.

*. Aeophysical survey methods may be used tosupplement borehole and outcrop data and tointerpolate between holes. eismic, groundpenetrating radar, and electrical resistivitymethods can be particularly valuable when distinctdifferences in the properties of contiguous

subsurface materials are indi- cated.*.4 hallow seismic refractionGreflection andground pen- etrating radar techni$ues can be usedto map soil horions and depth profiles, watertables, and depth to bedroc& in many situations, butdepth penetration and resolution vary with localconditions. lectromagnetic induction, electricalresistivity, and induced polariation !or complexresistivity" techni$ues may be used to mapvariations in water content, clay horions,stratification, and depth to a$uiferGbedroc&. 5thergeophysical techni$ues such as gravity, magnetic,and shallow ground temperature methods may be

useful under certain specific conditions. Deepseismic and electrical methods are routinely usedfor mapping stratigraphy and structure of roc& incon- %unction with logs. rosshole shear wavevelocity measure- ments can provide soil and roc&parameters for dynamic analyses.

*.4.' The seismic refraction method may beespecially useful in determining depth to, orrippability of, roc& in locations where successivelydenser strata are encountered.

*.4.2 The seismic reflection method may beuseful in delineating geological units at depthsbelow '0 ft ! m". #t is not constrained by layers oflow seismic velocity and is especially useful inareas of rapid stratigraphic change.

*.4. The electrical resistivity method, +ethod A6*, may be similarly useful in determining depth to

roc& and anomalies in the stratigraphic profile, inevaluating stratified formations where a denserstratum overlies a less dense stratum, and inlocation of prospective sand-gravel or other sourcesof borrow material. 3esistivity parameters also arere$uired for the design of grounding systems andcathodic protection for buried structures.

*.4.4 The ground penetrating radar method may

be useful in defining soil and roc& layers andmanmade structures in the depth range of ' to 0 ft!'H to '0 m".

95T 4Eurface geophysical investigations

can be a useful guide in determining boring or test

hole locations. #f at all possible, the interpre- tation

of geophysical studies should be verified by

borings or test excavations.

,. Samp%ing

).'*ertinent ASTM StandardsE1ractices D *6,D '462, D '6)*, D 2'', D 2', D 660, D

4220, D 60*(; Test +ethod D '6)8; +ethods D4462; and Auide D 4*00.

).2 5btain samples that ade$uately representeach subsur- face material that is significant tothe pro%ect design and construction. The sie andtype of sample re$uired is depen- dent upon thetests to be performed, the relative amount of coarseparticles present, and the limitations of the teste$uip- ment to be used.

95T 6EThe sie of disturbed or bul& samples

for routine tests may vary at the discretion of the

geotechnical investigator, but the following

$uantities are suggested as suitable for mostmaterialsF !a" :isual

8/13/2019 D420

9/14

classificationE60 to 600 g !2 o to ' lb"; ! b" oil

constants and particle sie analysis of non-gravelly

soilE600 g to 2.6 &g !' to 6 lb"; !c" oil

compaction tests and sieve analysis of gravelly

soilsE20 to 40 &g !40 to

)0 lb"; !d" ggregate manufacture or aggregate

properties testsE60 to 200 &g !'00 to 400 lb".). ccurately identify each sample with the

boring, test hole, or testpit number and depthbelow reference ground surface from which it wasta&en. 1lace a waterproof identifi- cation tag insidethe container, securely close the container, protectit to withstand rough handling, and mar& it withproper identification on the outside. Ieep samplesfor natural water content determination in sealedcontainers to prevent moisture loss. @hen dryingof samples may affect classification orengineering properties test results, protect them tominimie moisture loss. 1ractices D 4220 and D60*( address the trans- portation of samples fromfield to laboratory. +ost of the titles of thereferenced standards are self-explanatory, but someneed elaboration for the benefit of the users of thisguide.

)..' 1ractice D *6 describes the sampling ofcoarse and fine aggregates for the preliminaryinvestigation of a potential source of supply.

)..2 1ractice D '462 describes the use of augersin soil investigations and sampling where disturbedsoil samples can be used. Depths of augerinvestigations are limited by ground waterconditions, soil characteristics, and e$uipment

used.).. Test +ethod D '6)8 describes a procedure

to obtain representative soil samples foridentification and classification laboratory tests.

)..4 1ractice D '6)* describes a procedure torecover relatively undisturbed soil samples suitablefor laboratory testing.

)..6 1ractice D 2'' describes a procedure torecover intact samples of roc& and certain soils toohard to sample by Test +ethod D '6)8 or 1racticeD '6)*.

)..8 1ractice D 660 describes a procedure forthe recov- ery of moderately disturbed,

representative samples of soil for classificationtesting and, in some cases, shear or consolidationtesting.

-. C%assification of #art*

ateria%s

(.' *ertinent ASTM StandardsETerminology ''(; De- scriptive 9omenclature 2(4;2lassifications D 24)*, D 280*, D 2)2; 1racticesD 24)), D 40).

(.2 dditional description of samples of soil androc& may be added after submission to thelaboratory for identification and classification tests

in accordance with one or more T+ laboratory

standards or other applicable references, or both.ection '0.8. discusses the use, for identificationand for classification purposes, of some of thestandards listed in (.'.

1/. Determination of Su0surface

Conditions

'0.' ubsurface conditions are positively definedonly at the individual test pit, hole, boring, or opencut examined. ondi- tions between observationpoints may be significantly different from thoseencountered in the exploration. stratigraphicprofile can be developed by detailed investigationsonly where determinations of a continuousrelationship of the depths and locations of varioustypes of soil and roc& can be inferred. This phase ofthe investigation may be implemented by plottinglogs

8/13/2019 D420

10/14

of soil and roc& exposures in walls of excavationsor cut areas and by plotting logs of the test borings.Then one may interpolate between, and extrapolatea reasonable distance beyond, these logs. Thespacing of these investigations should depend onthe geologic complexity of the pro%ect area and onthe importance of soil and roc& continuity to thepro%ect design. xploration should be deep enough

to identify all strata that might be significantlyaffected by the proposed use of the site and todevelop the engineering data re$uired to allowanalysis of the items listed in ection 4 for eachpro%ect.

95T 8E1lans for a program of intrusive

subsurface investigation should consider possible

re$uirements for permits for installation and proper

closure of bore holes and wells at the completion

of the investi- gation.

'0.2 The depth of exploratory borings or test

pits for roadbeds, airport paving, or vehiclepar&ing areas should be to at least 6 ft !'.6 m"below the proposed subgrade elevation. pecialcircumstances may increase this depth. >orings forstructures, excavations, or emban&ments shouldextend below the level of significant stress orground water influence from the proposed load asdetermined by subsurface stress analysis.

'0. @hen pro%ect construction orperformance of the facility may be affected byeither previous water-bearing materials orimpervious materials that can bloc& internaldrainage, borings should extend sufficiently todetermine those engineering and hydrogeologic

properties that are relevant to the pro%ect design.'0.4 #n all borrow areas the borings or test pits

should be sufficient in number and depth to outlinethe re$uired $uantities of material meeting thespecified $uality re$uirements.

'0.6 @here frost penetration or seasonaldesiccation may be significant in the behavior ofsoil and roc&, borings should extend well below thedepth from finished grade of the anticipated activeone.

'0.8 xploration records shall be &ept in asystematic manner for each pro%ect. uch recordsshall includeF

'0.8.' Description of each site or areainvestigated. ach test hole, boring, test pit, orgeophysical test site shall be clearly located!horiontally and vertically" with reference to someestablished coordinate system, datum, orpermanent monument.

'0.8.2 /ogs of each test hole, boring, test pit, orcut surface exposure shall show clearly the fielddescription and location of each material and anywater encountered, either by symbol or worddescription. 3eference to a +unsell color chartdesignation is a substantial aid to an accuratedescription of soil and roc& materials.

95T *Eolor photographs of roc& cores, soilsamples, and exposed strata may be of considerable

value. ach photograph should include an

identifying number or symbol, a date, and

reference scale.

'0.8. #dentification of all soils based onlassification D 24)*, 1ractice D 24)),lassification D 280*, or 1ractice D 40).#dentification of roc& materials based onTerminology ''(, Descriptive 9omenclature 2(4, or 1ractice )6'. lassification of soil androc& is discussed in ection (.

'0.8.4 /ocation and description of seepageand water- bearing ones and records ofpieometric elevations found in each hole, boring,pieometer, or test pit.

8/13/2019 D420

11/14

'0.8.6 The results and precise locations of in situtest results such as the penetration resistance orvane shear discussed in)., plate load tests, or other in situ test-engineeringproperties of soils or roc&.

'0.8.8 1ercentage of core recovery and roc&$uality desig- nation in core drilling as outlined in

)..6.'0.8.* Araphical presentation of field andlaboratory and its interpretation facilitatescomprehensive understanding subsur- faceconditions.

11. In Situ Testing

''.'*ertinent ASTM StandardsETest +ethodsD ''(4, D ''(6, D ''(8, D '6)8, D 26*, D 0'*,D 44', D ))6, D 4(4, D 4(6, D 442(, D 4608,D 466, D 4664, D 4666, D 482, D 480, D 48',D 4846, D 4*'(, D 4*2(, D 4(*', D 60(, D 6'(6,A 6'; Auides D 404, D 6'28; and 1ractice D440.

''.2 #n situ testing is useful forF ! a" measurementof soil parameters in their undisturbed conditionwith all of the restraining or loading effects, orboth, of the surrounding soil or roc& mass active,and !b" for rapid or closely spaced measure- ments,or both, of earth properties without the necessity ofsampling. +ost of the titles of the variousreferenced standards are self-explanatory, but someneed elaboration for the users of this guide.

''.2.' Test +ethod D '6)8 describes apenetration test that has been correlated by manyauthors with various strength properties of soils.

''.2.2 Test +ethod D 26* describes a procedure

to mea- sure the in situ unit shear resistance ofcohesive soils by rotation of a four-bladed vane ina horiontal plane.

''.2. Test +ethod D 44' describes thedetermination of the end bearing and side frictioncomponents of the resistance to penetration of aconical penetrometer into a soil mass.

''.2.4 1ractice D 440 describes the applicationof various types of extensometers used in the fieldof roc& mechanics.

''.2.6 Test +ethod D 442( describes the fielddetermina- tion of the alifornia >earing 3atio forsoil surfaces in situ to be used in the design of

pavement systems.''.2.8 Test +ethod D 4*'( describes an in situstress-strain test performed on the walls of a borehole in soil.

95T )E5ther standards for in situ test

procedures and automated data collection are being

prepared by T+ ommittee D-') for

publication at a later date.

12. Interpretation of Resu%ts

'2.' #nterpret the results of an investigation interms of actual findings and ma&e every effort to

collect and include all field and laboratory data

from previous investigations in the same area.xtrapolation of data into local areas not surveyedand tested should be made only for conceptualstudies. uch extrapolation can be done only wheregeologically uniform stratigraphic and structuralrelationships are &nown to exist on the basis ofother data. ross sections may be developed as part

of the site characteriation if re$uired todemonstrate the site conditions.'2.'.' ross sections included with the

presentation of basic data from the investigationshould be limited to the ground surface profileand the factual subsurface data obtained

8/13/2019 D420

12/14

at specific exploration locations. tratigraphic unitsbetween the locations of intrusive explorationsshould only be indicated if supported by continuousgeophysical profiles.

'2.'.2 ross sections showing interpretationsof strati- graphic units and other conditionsbetween intrusive explora- tions but withoutsupport of continuous geophysical profiles should

be presented in an interpretative report appendix orin a separate interpretative report. The interpretivecross sections must be accompanied by notesdescribing anomalies or other- wise significantvariations in the site conditions that should beanticipated for the intended design or constructionactivities.

95T (Edditional exploration should be

considered if there is not sufficient &nowledge to

develop interpretative cross sections, with realistic

descriptions of anticipated variations in subsurface

conditions, to meet pro%ect re$uirements.

'2.2 ub%ect to the restrictions imposed by statelicensing law, recommendations for designparameters can be made only by professionalengineers and geologists specialiing in the field ofgeotechnical engineering and familiar withpurpose, conditions, and re$uirements of the study.oil mechanics, roc& mechanics, andgeomorphological concepts must be combined witha &nowledge of geotechnical engineering orhydrogeology to ma&e a complete application ofthe soil, roc&, and ground water investigation.omplete design recommendations may re$uire amore detailed study than that discussed in this

guide.'2. Delineate subsurface profiles only from

actual geo- physical, test-hole, test-pit, or cut-surface data. #nterpolation between locationsshould be made on the basis of available geologic&nowledge of the area and should be clearly identi-fied. The use of geophysical techni$ues as

discussed in *.2 is a valuable aid in suchinterpolation. Aeophysical survey data should beidentified separately from sample data or in situ testdata.

13.

Report

'.' *ertinent ASTM StandardsETerminology

D 86; 1ractices D 6)4, '**, )0; and AuideD 4)*(.

'.2 The report of a subsurface investigation shallincludeF'.2.' The location of the area investigated in

terms perti- nent to the pro%ect. This may includes&etch maps or aerial photos on which the test pits,bore holes, and sample areas are located, as wellas geomorphological data relevant to thedetermination of the various soil and roc& types.uch data includes elevation contours, streambeds,sin& holes, cliffs, and the li&e. @here feasible,include in the report a geologic map or an

agronomic soils map, or both, of the areainvestigated.'.2.2 description of the investigation

procedures, includ- ing all borings and testholelogs, graphic presentation of all compaction,consolidation, or load test data tabulation of alllaboratory test results, and graphical interpretationsof geo- physical measurements.

'.2. summary of the findings obtained underections

4, '0, and '2, using subhead titles for therespective sections and appropriaterecommendations and disclaimers for the use of thereport.

14. Precision and

ias

'4.' This guide provides $ualitative data only;therefore, a precision and bias statement is notapplicable.

8/13/2019 D420

13/14

1". e+ords

'6.' explorations; feasibility studies; fieldinvestigations; foundation investigations;geological investigations; geophysi- calinvestigation; ground water; hydrologicinvestigations;

maps; preliminary investigations; reconnaissance

surveys; sampling; site investigations !see 1ractice

D 6)4"; soil sur- veys; subsurface investigations

R#4#R#NC#

S

!1"ngineering eology /ield Manual, ?..>ureau of 3eclamation,

'()(.

!2" Dietrich, 3. :., Dutro, . :., r., and =oose, 3.

+., !ompilers", JA# Data heets for Aeology

in =ield, /aboratory, and 5ffice,K econd

dition, merican Aeological #nstitute, '()2.

!3" 1elsner, . !d.", J+anual on ubsurface#nvestigations,K merican ssociation of tate

ureau of 3eclamation,

Denver, 5.!," Jngineering and DesignEAeotechnical

#nvestigation ngineer +anual,K + '''0-'-

')04,

8/13/2019 D420

14/14

Te Aer)!an So!)et/ +or Test)n an* Mater)as ta"es no (os)t)on

res(e!t)n te a)*)t/ o+ an/ (atent r)ts asserte* )n !onne!t)on 2)t an/

)te ent)one* )n t)s stan*ar*. 3sers o+ t)s stan*ar* are e4(ress/

a*)se* tat *eter)nat)on o+ te a)*)t/ o+ an/ s-! (atent r)ts, an* te

r)s" o+ )n+r)neent o+ s-! r)ts, are ent)re/ te)r o2n res(ons)b))t/.

T)s stan*ar* )s s-b5e!t to re)s)on at an/ t)e b/ te res(ons)be

te!n)!a !o)ttee an* -st be re)e2e* eer/ +)e /ears an* )+ not

re)se*, e)ter rea((roe* or 2)t*ra2n. Yo-r !oents are )n)te* e)ter

+or re)s)on o+ t)s stan*ar* or +or a**)t)ona stan*ar*s an* so-* be

a**resse* to ASTM Hea*6-arters. Yo-r !oents 2) re!e)e !are+-

!ons)*erat)on at a eet)n o+ te res(ons)be te!n)!a !o)ttee, 2)!

/o- a/ atten*. I+ /o- +ee tat /o-r !oents ae not re!e)e* a +a)r

ear)n /o- so-* a"e /o-r )e2s "no2n to te ASTM Co)ttee on

Stan*ar*s, 100 Barr Harbor Dr)e, West Consoo!"en, #A 1$%&'.