Chapter 2 Site Investigation

Class Practice (20 Marks)

(a) Site investigation can be classified into 5 stages. List these five stages and their main
activities in sequential order. (5)

(b) Explain the difference between site investigation and ground investigation. (3)

(c) Identify three methods of advancing a borehole in ground investigation. (1.5)

(d) Give three major causes of sample disturbance and list two suitable samplers to recover
Class 1 undisturbed samples in clay. (2.5)

(e) What is the importance of groundwater pressure monitoring?

Briefly describe the set-up of open-hydraulic piezometer with also the aid of a sketch
as well as its pros and cons. (8)

Ans.:

(a) The five stages and their main activities are: @1x5
Desk Study - Obtaining basic knowledge of ground conditions
Preliminary - Site reconnaissance and preliminary field investigations
Main - Ground Investigation
Construction - Recording actual ground conditions
Post-construction - Monitoring behavior in operation

(b) Site investigation is a process whereby all the relevant information concerning the site
and its surrounding area is gathered. Site investigation can be a broad and extensive
process and covers all the techniques commonly employed. Ground investigation, on 3
the other hand, is a narrower process and is restricted to the in-depth investigation of
materials beneath a site and the ground condition of the site.

(c) Three methods of advancing a borehole are:

Rotary core drilling
Wash boring @0.5x3
Hand auger boring

(d) Three major causes of sample disturbance:

Stress relief
Remoulding @0.5x3
Loss of moisture

Two suitable samplers to recover Class 1 undisturbed samples in clay:

Thin-walled sampler @0.5x2
Mazier core-barrel
(e) The information of groundwater pressure monitoring is vital to the design and
construction of slopes, excavations in hillsides and site formation works. 2

Open-hydraulic piezometer consists of a tube with a porous filter element on the end
that can be sealed into the ground at the appropriate level. 2

The pros of an open-hydraulic piezometer are its simplicity and reliability. Its cons are
slow response time in soils of low permeability. Vandal damage is often irreparable. 2

Open-hydraulic Piezometer