Practical Aspects of Routine Geotechnical Site Investigations: Fid-Bau Portal

Practical Aspects of Routine Geotechnical Site Investigations

Lutenegger, Alan J.

It's likely that on any given day there are hundreds of geotechnical site investigations in progress in North America alone. While many of these investigations are carried out in support of large projects, such as multispan bridges, multistory commercial structures, and industrial facilities, let's face it — most investigations are associated with smaller, “routine” projects that may only involve one day of test drilling using traditional truck-, track-, or skid-mounted drill rigs. Site investigation budgets may be small, necessitating less sophisticated approaches not involving advanced sampling techniques, in-situ testing, or laboratory testing. Lightly- and moderately-loaded structures represent the majority of field activities performed by many geotechnical consultants. Large projects, and those involving relatively high and/or complex loadings, are less frequent and usually demand a more rigorous site investigation approach, along with a more detailed laboratory testing program to evaluate soil conditions and soil behavior.