Tuesday, 13 December 2016

Subsurface Investigation And Its Involved Boring Methods

By Daniel Murphy


Geotechnical investigations are processes which involve performing some methods or tests so that soils and rocks physical properties information will be obtained. The methods will take place in a particular site where in designs for earthworks and foundations are made for proposed structures and for distress repair of earthworks and structures that are caused by unnecessary conditions. Geotechnical engineers or engineering geologists are those that will conduct the investigations.

The accuracy and the completeness of subsurface information can be considered as very necessary to all the projects related to civil engineering. Usually, the cause of failure of structures is the misleading and inadequate subsurface data. Auguring is one method which is being used in subsurface investigation. This is done to put down holes in the soft sediment. And for the penetration of greater depths, bore holes are made.

Percussion drilling. With this method, a bit is going to be suspended from the cables or rods and is also jumped up and jumped down for breaking the rocks. Keeping the bit cooled and making slurry is done by adding water into hole. Debris are removed by the use of bailer. Recovering chips for identification is made by mixing pounded rocks into water from a slurry. The rates and costs of a drilling process are varied on the hardness.

Rotary drilling. From the previous method, there is an involved rotating of bits and attaching them to rods from where a fluid mud is pumped. While in the rotary process, this fluid mud is returned into a surface through annular spaces between the rods and the holes. Next is to add successively the rods to assembly during the process of lowering holes.

Core drilling. Tabular bits with lower cutting edges are being used here. These are rotated in holes. Bits are composed of many different forms, some have diamonds while some are hard abrasives to penetrate the hard rocks. Diamond drills are the most commonly used types in sampling and in an exploratory bore.

Core barrels. A structural drilling is aiming on recovering the undisturbed core where in structural features are being measured. Achieving the process is either done through using large diameter or multiple tube core barrels. Geophysical methods. The process helps in the location, mapping, and characterization of subsurface features by measuring the surface in order to respond to chemical, physical, and electrical properties.

Seismic methods. Measuring of a seismic would involve the measurement of seismic waves that will travel through subsurfaces. The assessment of structure, stratigraphy, and material properties may be done in a seismic method. Electrical resistivity. An electrical resistivity measurement is made by placing 4 electrodes as contact to the soil and rock.

Magnetic. Mapping and locating the buried ferrous metals and mapping the geologic structures are 2 primary applications being used. Micro gravity. The micro gravity survey will provide change measures in a subsurface density. The natural variations of the density would include buried channels, faults, lateral changes, large fractures, and dissolution.

Ground penetrating radar. GPR utilizes the electromagnetic waves having high frequencies to acquire the subsurface information. An energy is radiated downwards into the ground from the transmitter and after, being reflected back to a receiving antenna. Signals which are reflected will be recorded and will produce some conditions of shallow subsurfaces.




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