With these studies, a testing of moisture content and the total dry density achieved is measured and defined to determine how compaction of soils will occur during moisture interactions in different scenarios.
Soils laboratory testing, or soils testing in general, is a unique form of materials testing. The main difference between ordinary materials testing and soils testing is that soils materials are natural elements that have some degree of variability both in the nature of their occurrence and in the manner in which they are sampled.
There are 2 aspects of soil and rock testing: Field testing, where we actually test the materials on site in their natural environment in the field where they naturally occur, and laboratory testing, for when we bring in a variety of different types of samples back to the laboratory for analytical testing. These types of samples are a range of grab samples, bulk samples, driven samples, core barrel samples, and a variety of different samples using methods of extraction from the ground. We run a full spectrum of laboratory tests while staying in strict compliance with ASTM and other regulatory requirements
Measuring techniques for the processing of construction fills have been developed for removing soils that are not apt for a specific project, replacing them with engineered fill. The materials for this fill are purposefully designed and created to make suitable use of a site and its development, including its capacity for compaction, consistency, resistance, as well as other geochemical aspects that will dictate its interaction with the structure and the soil it is placed in.
The activity of trench backfilling means returning the soil to a previously constructed trench or a foundation, generally after an excavation or land development project is done. For this, soil analysis must be performed to ensure the soil specifications and a backfilling process will proceed according to plan.
Compaction tests are performed to determine the density level a soil will achieve after receiving moisture, coming to reach the maximum level of dry density required for use.
With these studies, a testing of moisture content and the total dry density achieved is measured and defined to determine how compaction of soils will occur during moisture interactions in different scenarios.
Testing of basecourse materials is often required for the development of roadways and field that will undergo intensive use. This means placing different types of materials and testing their performance as they’re layered for use. One of the most common uses of basecourse testing is to gauge the performance of asphalt pavementsand its integrity under the different natural and man-made circumstance.
Subsurface soil sampling is performed to get relatively undisturbed specimens of soils through different penetration techniques. By this method, the goal is to collect soil samples where its conditions are the closest to their in-situ characteristics, allowing for a more accurate perspective on the properties of this material.
Expansion index tests seek to determine how soils expand under distinct circumstances. These circumstances are recreated under a controlled environment where close-up tests of the soils and their behavior are measured and analyzed.
Corrosivity tests are performed under different techniques by measuring factors that contribute to this quality. The main factors that will determine the level of corrosion are Aeration tests, which measure the amount of air in the soil, Moisture Content tests which measures the level of water in soils, and pH tests which provide a grading on the amount of acidity a soil has.
Depending on the situation, drain testings are performed in an area to determine the causeways and conditions that lead to drainage occurring. These tests can vary in relation to the type of occurrence to be observed.
Core tests are performed to measure the strength of a concrete slab or emplacement. These tests must be performed in accordance with regulations and must be representative enough to accurately determine the strength of a given concrete emplacement.
Water quality testings seek accurate data on contaminants or strange elements in water bodies. Determining the water chemistry characteristics within a water body can greatly influence the design or development of a water project, this includes projects where stormwater quality testings are necessary due to their interaction with stormwater causeways.
Consolidation testings seek to measure soil volume variations under pressure. When measuring this effect, most often an oedometer is employed to apply different levels of pressure on a sample, to which the soil change levels are recorded and collected for later analysis.
Soil gradation tests seek to determine the particle levels of certain types of soils and their proportion. This test is performed under sieve or hydrometer analysis where samples are taken and analyzed to assign specific values that will determine its drainage level, compression levels, strength, and hydraulic conductivity, among other characteristics and behaviors.
Shear strength test for soils is performed to determine its strength against structural failure or yield, depending on its consistency. Soil samples can undergo different types of shear testings, all of which determine under different methods and circumstances the conditions and behavior of soils under different circumstances.
Plastic index tests, also known as PI tests, measure the range at which a certain soil will demonstrate plastic behaviors or properties. These, for example, are used to determine silt or clay properties in certain soil and it is closely related to the moisture-density ratio measured on such a soil as well as its cohesive qualities.
Shrinkage limit tests<7strong> are performed to measure drying levels and the how the soil changes in volume in relation to drying processes. These tests measure the interactions of water and air within the soil and the proportion at which their absence will result in a certain soil reaching its minimum volume.
R-value testing measures how soils respond to vertical pressure being applied under distinct conditions and Resistant Value. These tests are widely used to measure soil compression and, in essence, its stiffness.
Rock characterization testing provides a map of the changes a rock sample has undergone over its long process of forming and transformation. These tests determine the nature and specific properties that led to the rock forming in the first places, as well as testing and predicting its behavior under different conditions, hypothetical or otherwise.
