FACULTY OF ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

MACHINTOSH PROBE
BET 1413
ENGINEERING PRACTICE 2
Lab. Objectives

By the end of this lab, students should be able to:

1. To identify the thickness of the soft deposit such as peat.

2. To identify the type of soil, to ensure the soil can carry the load.
3. To determine the depth and the strength of the soil.

Student
Student names Section Group
ID
1. MUHAMMAD IQBAL BIN
TE18061 02 5
KAMARUZAMAN
2. NUR AZIAH YUSAHANA BINTI
TE18069 02 5
ABDUL AZIZ
3. NUREEN NAJIHAH BINTI
TE18081 02 5
MOHAMMED
4. FARAH SYUHADA BINTI ZULKIFLI TE18064 02 5

5. PAVITHRA A/P NANDA GUMAR TE18090 02 5

 TABLE OF CONTENT

CONTENT PAGE

1-2
1.0 Introduction/Principle………………………………………………………….

2.0 Objectives……………………………………………………………………... 2

3.0 Apparatus / Equipment………………………………………………………... 3-5

4.0 Procedures…………………………………………………………………… 6-8

5.0 Results…………………………………………………………………………
9 - 10

6.0 Discussion / Analysis…………………………………………………………. 11

7.0 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………….
12

8.0 References……………………………………………………………………..
13

9.0 Appendix ……………………………………………………………………...

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1.0 INTRODUCTION

The site investigation is the one thing that must be done before starting the
construction of the building. This is because the soil condition at the site need to be
identifies to determine the suitable foundation use for the building and soil play a
main role to support the load that come from the building and the building need a
suitable foundation to transfer the load to the ground. Therefore, the investigation of
soil need to be done to identify the type of soil to ensure the soil can carry the load.

The Mackintosh Probe is a considerably faster and cheaper tool than boring
equipment especially when the depth of exploration is moderate and the soils under
investigation are soft or loose.Mackintosh Probe which has 30°cone penetrometer
while JKR Probesh as 60° cone penetrometer.

A Mackintosh probe is a lightweight portable penetrometer that is designed to be

a tool to investigate the soil bearing capacity. The tool consist of high yield steel rods,
each of length approximately 120cm that are connected each other by 25mm outer
diameter couplings with a 27.9mm diameter of a 30°–apex angle; 12.7 mm diameter
solid rods and a 4.5 kg dead weight with standard drop height of 300mm. The
applications of the Mackintosh probe are by assembling the equipment, marked on
each 0.3m on the rods, set up the equipment on the ground, pulled up the hammer
until maximum height, dropped freely to driven the rod and cone into the soil,
continued until the blow reach 400 blows per 0.3m penetration. The result from the
Mackintosh probe test shall be recorded for every blows per 0.3m. Thus, the value of
the bearing capacity will be referred to the standard bearing capacity graph.
Mackintosh probe have lots of disadvantages that can lead to misleading test result
that are contributed mostly from human error.

ADVANTAGES
 Light and easy user
 Does not need skill worker
 Economical
 Provides a disturbed soil sample for moisture content determination

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 Faster and cheaper tools
 Simplicity of operation and data recording/analysis
 Reduces the number of boreholes required

DISADVANTAGES
 Contribute to human error.
 wrong counting
 Non-consistent drop height
 Not accurately vertical when using of the tool
 Low impact energy.
 only can penetrated in shallow soil (limited depth)
 Unable to penetrated into medium strength soil and gravelly ground.
 Depending on human strength limitation
 Might injured the user.

2.0 OBJECTIVE

1. To determine the thickness of the soft deposit such as peat.

2. To identify the type of soil, to ensure the soil can carry the load.
3. To determine the depth and the strength of the soil.

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3.0 APPARATUS

APPARATUS NAME OF APPARATUS

Steel rods diameter 12.5 mm, and length of

each rods is 4 ft (120 cm)

Coupling

Cased harden steel pointer of 25 mm.

diameter and 30º cone

Drop hammer

3
 Drive head

Pipe Wrench

Measuring tape

Barrel Connector

4
 Marker Pen

Water-displacing spray

Square Scale Ruler

Brush

5
4.0 PROCEDURE

1. The pointer is screwed onto the lower end of the rod.

2. More rods can be connected to one another via a coupling.

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 3. Put mackintosh probe on soil with the cased harden steel pointer screwed onto
the lower end of the rod.

4. Mark every 30 cm on rod until it reaches the required depth.

5. Records the total number of blows required for the pointer to penetrate a distance of
30 cm depth in a given table.

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6. Blow every 30cm.

7. Stop the test if the total number of blows reaches 400 blows at every 30 cm depth
because it is means the pointer has raised a hard layer.

8. Take out the steel using drive head

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5.0 Result

Depth No. of blow

22
0.0 – 0.3

0.3 – 0.6 48

64
0.6 – 0.9

0.9 – 1.2 103

147
1.2 – 1.5

1.5 – 1.8 167

198
1.8 – 2.1

2.1 – 2.4 234

2.4 – 2.7 273

2.7 – 3.0 308

3.0 – 3.3 344

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Machintosh Probe test result (Graph)

10
6.0 Discussion/Analysis

By using mackintosh probe test to determine the bearing capacity which is the
strength of the soil. We that we use is 27.94 mm diameter cone with a 30o –apex angle; 12.7
mm diameter solid rods and a 4.5kg dead weight with standard drop height of 300mm. we use
3 guide rod on our mackintosh probe test, according to the number of blows per 0.3m and
depth, we have obtain 11 overall data to plot on our table. From our table we are able to read
the result of our test that we obtain, the result show the number of blow is increasing and
decreasing.

Based on our Machintosh Probe test result, its shown that if the depth of soil
increased, the number of blows are increasing too. The interpretation of the bearing strength
is made using thespecified formula or using the graph provided. If the number of blows are
less than 10; it means the soil strength is very weak. 10-40 blows; means that the soil are
having an ingestion problem. But, if the number of blows are over that 40; that means the soil
is quite strong for any building base.

The result determine our data right or wrong, in all of 11 data that we obtain from the
test, we able are able to determine that our data is right, base on the increasing and decreasing
number of blow showing that the soil at our test location have layer of soft and hard soil. The
result obtain from the test provides a rough estimation of the soil layer at a point.

It is a tool that is light and easy to operate by a group of people consisting of a

technician with 5 group member required any skills in handling the tool.

human errors are also prone such as wrong counting, non-consistent drop height or
exerting force to the drop hammer giving misleading results. Therefore, many error might
occur during this process due to human error that cannot be prevented and this will affect the
results of the investigation.

To carry out the test, we used safety tool to ensure the safety of team member and
maintain the mackintosh prob tool. We used safety gear like safety boot and safety glove to
protect our team member from danger and other. Components and apparatus also need to be
maintain, we properly washed and oiled each tool that we have use to carry out the test, so
that the tool can be use again for other mackintosh prob test.

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7.0 Conclusion

The soil investigation is the one thing that must be done before starting the
construction of the building.This is because the oil condition at the site need to be identifies
to determine the suitable foundation use for the building and soil play a main role to support
the load that come from the building and the building need a suitable foundation to transfer
the load to the ground.Therefore,the investigation of soil need to be done to identify the type
of soil to ensure the soil can carry the load.

The Mackintosh Probe Test is a light weight device which can be conveniently used
for the investigation of soft soil up of depth 10 m. The result shown the total number of blows
for Mackintosh Resistances; is between 10< x <40; it means the ground consists wet, fine
sand or sand consist clay with a different grading from soft until firm clay. From bearing
plate test, it gives that for settlement less than 0.15 in. for every 30 cm depth of soil, the load
is still in elastic condition. The objectives accomplish.

The Mackintosh Probe can be carried and used in determine the thickness of the soft
deposit such as peat, as was the case in this lab test. Through the Mackintosh Probe result of
number of blow, the soil has been identified. based on the mackintosh test conducted
somewhere else but with same soil types used, the result of the test is also very similar.
Method to reduce error drop height must be more than 280mm - higher blow counts.
Penetration depth must be marked correctly and the number count of blow need to counts
proper. Purpose of mackintosh probe test on industry is preliminary tool to locate weak spot
which causes damage to structure due to subsoil condition and obtaining rough characteristics
of subsurface condition in relation of geology surface.

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8.0 Reference

 https://www.slideshare.net/kartinasazali/probe-machintosh

 https://www.slideshare.net/HilmiAwaludin/jkr-probe-test

 http://utpedia.utp.edu.my/15607/1/1.NAUTICA%20GAUGE%20MACKINTOSH%20P
ROBE%20report.%20Syahril%20Azim%20b%20Saiful%20Bahri.%2016937.%20FYP%
20report.pdf

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 9.0 Appendix

Photos during activities :-

We are taking out steel rods using drive. We are setting out the equipment.
head.

Make sure that the reading is taken at a We are installing the drop hammer.
depth of 30 cm.

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