We all know about soil and how vital it is in any construction. The homes we are in, the office we work in and the roads we travel on to get from one location to another mention some. Everything depends on the soil we walk and walk across every day. Looking at the ground, we can quickly determine if the soil is made of sand, clay or silt: rock or peat. However, it is impossible to be sure if the soil we have observed with our eyes can hold up and support the design of a structure proposed by the perspective of architects, builders and engineers. That’s why soil testing is the most crucial procedure before any construction begins on the site with the specific type of soil that has been identified.
The Reasons Why Soil Testing Is Crucial Before Any Construction
It is essential to test the soil for anyone who wants to build a construction. The most vital element of any structure is the part you can’t see underneath the ground, which is the foundations. The bigger the building, the greater its importance is. The soil test provides essential information for determining the foundation type required. In addition, it determines what kind of materials should be used in construction. Testing soil also assists in avoiding different types of building problems.
1.Selecting The Appropriate Construction Materials
The result of soil testing during construction projects, such as the nature of the soil concerning mineral content, water content and chemical structure, will determine the kind of material that should be used in construction. For instance, soil with high levels of sulphur necessitates using sulphur-resistant cement for construction. If the areas with high moisture content are susceptible to corrosion, selecting TMT bars resistant to rot for construction is crucial. In addition, when deciding on the construction materials, such as concrete, ensure that you review the guide on concrete quality checks.
2. Helps Identify Corrosive Soil
There are a variety of chemicals in the soil’s subgrade. Various chemicals, such as chloride and sulphur, are found in soil. They react with concrete. The reaction causes the degradation of the foundation concrete. This will ultimately affect the building’s strength and can cause the building to fail in the future.
3. It Helps To Avoid Putting Foundations On Soil That Was Reclaimed
The foundation of the building based on reclaimed soil (new landfills dumped by the ocean or the wet soil from riverbeds or lake beds, or even debris) can be another cause of the foundation crumbling. This soil could contain silt and clay particles that can result in excess consolidation settlement over time and cause the strata to become unstable for building construction.This kind of soil hasn’t been subject to consolidation for a long time. The sea-based landfills are also contaminated with harmful chemicals such as chlorine, sulphur, etc., that can affect the foundations of buildings. Therefore, putting foundations on weak soil without proper investigation could be the reason for foundation collapse. Don’t ever rest your foundation on soil that has been reclaimed.
4.Identify Soil Liquefaction Possibilities During The Earthquake
Soil liquefaction occurs when a soil layer becomes stiffer and less intense due to ground shaking, mostly during earthquakes. This causes excess pressure from the pore. Therefore, foundations can fail in the event of an event, and this could cause the complete or partial collapse of the structure.
5. It Helps To Avoid Foundations Resting On Soil That Is Not Adequate Or Has Poor Depth
Foundations placed on poor soil or with insufficient depth result in the building’s movement when the soil begins to settle. The building’s movement can cause a different or uniform structure settlement. This settlement (uniform or different settlement) within the structure could cause the building to fail its foundation and can cause the complete or partial collapse of the system.
6.Identifying The Kind Of Foundation Is Essential
Testing soils can reveal soil’s physical and engineering characteristics, such as minerals, moisture content, density permeability and bearing capacity (the soil’s bearing capacity is the capacity of soil to carry the superstructure load per square metre). The soil’s properties determine the foundation type to be constructed on. Essentially, the foundation must be sturdy enough to transfer the building’s weight to the soil beneath. In the end, foundations are the structural foundation of a building, and any defect within it could result in the collapse or failure of the building. The purpose of foundations within a building is to carry and support the structure’s weight to the ground without causing damage to the structure or the buildings around it.The type of foundation is directly related to the strength and strength of the home, the number of floors it can hold, and the kind of roofing. The soil test report mainly determines the foundation type used during construction.Rock-like ground strata that are strong can hold the entire weight of a building. However, they aren’t accessible everywhere. In certain areas where the strata are made up of clay or sand, some reinforcement is needed to ensure that the soil is solid as rocks. To help strengthen weak strata and distribute the burden, various types of foundations are utilised.
Different Methods For Soil Testing
Civil engineers use many scientific methods to conduct soil testing. For instance, gravity test, dry density test, Proctor’s compaction test, and proctor’s compaction. Some of them are described below.
Gravity Test
Soil gravity refers to the proportion of the weight unit of soil solids and that of water.There are a variety of ways to carry out the gravity test. However, those that use the Density Bottle and Pycnometer methods are the most simple and commonly used methods to obtain the exact result.
Proctor’s Test Of Compaction
The most critical component to be determined during The Proctor’s Compaction Test on soil is soil compaction. Densification must be accomplished by reducing the space between the air in the soil. If the dried depth of the soil is in question, the compaction rate is determined.
Atterberg Limits Test
The Atterberg Soil Limits Test is performed at three limits or levels. They are Liquid Limit, Shrinkage Limit and Plastic Limit. The testing process is carried out with fine-grained soil. The results can be calculated to determine if there’s any vital element in water.
Moisture Test
Samples are collected from the location during this method and then weighed until it is put in the oven to dry. The stove is then placed into the oven after removing the weight and drying at 110+5 degrees. After 24 hours, it’s weighted again. The difference between the weights is recorded, and the weight difference determines the moisture or water content.
Conclusion
Being able to report soil is almost a requirement for nearly all construction projects that require footings or a kind, which could include the construction of new structures or even the extension of existing ones.When writing and executing new projects, knowing the importance of soil testing and how you can find one is essential. Many companies perform the entire process from beginning to end with a thorough analysis of their research findings.Before completing your plans for the site and signing the contract for your construction project, make sure you get in touch with the professionals you need to schedule your soil test. By doing this, you must ensure that you have all the required information to make educated decisions in the context of any construction work.