Different types of soil testing for construction

Jan 21
06:05

2020

Nancy Whitman

Nancy Whitman

  • Share this article on Facebook
  • Share this article on Twitter
  • Share this article on Linkedin

Did you know that before construction can start at a construction site, that they need to do soil testing first? There are many reasons for this, but the most important reason is so that they can make sure that the building or structure that they are building is going to be a strong structure without encounter any problems with the foundation over time. There is a couple of different soil testing that they need to get done, but these are the most common and most important soil testing that needs to be done.

mediaimage

Moisture content test

One of the most important tests that are getting done before construction can take place is the moisture content and concrete testing. This is essential to know how much moisture is in the soil. This will have an influence on the whole building structure and the content of the concrete that they are going to use.

There is a different type of tests that they can do to test for moisture in the soil. The most common and one with the best results is the oven-dry moisture test. They are weighing the soil before and after drying the sand in an oven. This will give then an idea about the amount of moisture that the soil has.

Specific gravity test

Another important test that needs to be done before construction can get started is the specific gravity test of soil. This also will have an influence on the structure of the building over time. And,Different types of soil testing for construction Articles this is why they need to make sure how much gravity the soil has.

Just like the moisture test, there are different tests that they can do for the gravity test. Some of these tests have a much more accurate outcome than some of the other tests. This is why with the specific gravity test; most contractors are doing more than one test to see the real results.

Proctor’s Compaction Test

The Proctor’s compaction test is to get the characteristics of the soil they are going to work with. This is an important test that needs to be done, to ensure a stable and strong foundation.

This is quite a delicate test that they are doing. They are first airdrying the soil, then dividing the soil into different sections. With this divided section, they are adding different ingredients. Testing it for their characteristics. This is a delicate procedure and mistakes can easily be done. Its why they are making sure that this test is done perfectly. They even might do it more than once to ensure the right results.

Atterberg Limits Test

This isn’t a test that is getting done on all construction sites. This is only getting done on the finer soil that can be found on some of the construction sites.  The tests are done to determine the water content in the fine soil. They are also testing for these three limits in the soil: liquid limit, plastic limit, and shrinkage limit. All things that are important to consider before construction can start.

For each of these limits in the soil, they have a different test that needs to be done. And, they need to make sure that the tests are done correctly, to get the right results.

Soil testing for construction sites. Yes, this is something that needs to be done, before construction can start. Without doing these tests, there is always a chance that the soil is going to ruin the whole building process, starting with the foundation. These are just some of the tests that they are getting done before the construction can start. And, they are hiring a professional soil expert to get these tests done, correctly.

Contact QCTS, one of the best soil testing companies.