With our unrivaled expertise in the domain, Field Testing Services by CIMEC come with assured faultlessness. To conduct on-field testing services with absolute precision, CIMEC is equipped with a competent team comprising engineers and skilled workers as well as the required setup.
The plate load test is used to determine the bearing capacity of Soil and the likely settlement under a given load.This test is very popular for selection and design of shallow foundation. The results of the plate load test are also applied in the design oftemporary working platforms for piling rigs or pads for crane outriggers.
Block vibration test is used for evaluation of in situ dynamic and damping properties of soils. The test can be conducted on the foundation element to analyze of the response of the structure if the dynamic load is applied. The block vibration test is of two types: Vertical vibration test and Horizontal vibration test.
The test method involves placing four equally spaced and in-line electrodes into the ground. The two outer electrodes (current electrodes) inject current into the soil. The two inner electrodes(potential electrodes) measure voltage, which is then used to calculate soil resistance.
Soil resistivity influences the plan of an earthing system absolutely and is the major factor that decides the resistance to earth of a grounding system. Thus, before designing and installing a new grounding system, the determined location should be tested to find out the soil’s resistivity.
The California bearing ratio (CBR) test is penetration test meant for the evaluation of subgrade strength of roads and pavements. The results obtained by these tests are used with the empirical curves to determine the thickness of pavement and its component layers.Â
The in-situ CBRtest is typically used for road, runways, or pavement design to assess the strength of the sub-grade. The test involves driving a cylindrical plunger of a defined area into the soil at a uniform rate. This requires the use of a reaction load to provide the force.The measured pressure is then divided by the pressure required to achieve an equal penetration on a standard crushed rock material. Â The harder the surface, the higher the CBR value.
Sand replacement density test is used to measure the in-situ density of natural or compacted soils using sand pouring cylinders. The in-situ density is typically used for highway or pavement design purposes to estimate the relative density of base course or subgrade materials.
The test can be carried out using either a small or large sand pouring cylinder. The test is typically undertaken at ground level or the prepared formation level. In some circumstances the test may be carried out in shallow trial pits.
A cylindrical flat-bottomed hole is excavated from the surface and all material excavated is carefully saved in a moisture retaining container and weighed. Sand of a known density is poured into the hole using a calibrated cylinder. From the weight of sand taken to fill the hole, the volume of the hole is determined. The bulk density is calculated and after determining the moisture content, the dry density and air voids can be established.
Cylindrical core cutters are used for testing the in-situ compaction of cohesive and clay soils placed as fill. The test is used as a control measure to check if the soil has acquired the designated dry density for design of pavements and highways.By using core cutter method, bulk density of soil can be quickly calculated and by determining the moisture content of the soil the dry density of the fill can be calculated and hence the voids percentage. A high percentage of voids indicates poor compaction of soil.
For determination of the dry density of the soil, the cutter is pressed into the soil mass so that it is filled with the soil without disturbing the core contents. The cutter filled with the soil is lifted-up. The mass of the soil in the cutter is determined. Once the moisture content of the soil is determined, the dry density and void percentage can be calculated.
The dynamic cone penetration (DCP) test provides a measure of a materials in-situ resistance to penetration. The test is used to determine the structural properties of sub-grade materials beneath road pavements. The test is performed by driving a metal cone into the ground by repeated striking with a weight dropped from a fixed height.
The penetration of the cone is measured after each blow and is recorded to provide a continuous measurement of shearing resistance. The test is terminated if the desired depth is reached, or the rod does not penetrate.
Correlations have been established between the DCP and in-situ CBR measurement enabling the results to be interpreted and compared with specifications for highway or pavement design.For highway or pavement design purpose, the DCP test is used to estimate the sub-grade strength. If the DCP cone penetrates quickly into the soil, it indicates the material has poor strength or insufficient compaction. Either thicker pavement layers might be needed or better compaction. If many blows are required to cause the cone to penetrate a short distance, the sub-grade is well compacted.
Structural adequacy is the primary response of pavement to transient loads and consists in deformation, deflection, stresses, strain, and permanent deformation at critical points in pavement layers. Benkelman Beam Deflection is a non-destructive technique for structural evaluation of flexible pavements. It is a simple lever-arm device that measures the deflection of flexible pavements under the action of moving wheel loads. The probe beam, supported by a rigid reference beam, measures deflections using its probe end and a dial indicator at the end of the fulcrum. In case where the pavement is required to be strengthened, the observed deflection serves as the basis for determining the thickness of the overlay to be applied.
The method can be used to determine the load-bearing capacity of roads for identification of visually undetectable weak points, formation of homogeneous roads sections with comparable load-bearing capacity, recording of load-bearing behaviour over longer periods and after extreme hydrological events, identification of structural causes of damage and assessment of structural condition and selection of appropriate road maintenance measures.