Civil Engineering Today

  Methods of Soil investigation or Soil exploration Soil Exploration or Soil Investigation can be done by any of the following methods - Open excavation or direct methods Boring or semi-direct methods Geophysical methods or indirect methods 1. Open excavation – In this method of exploration an open excavation is made to inspect the soil strata. This method can be divided into two categories:      (i)  Pits and Trenches      (ii) Drifts and Shafts (i) Pits and Trenches - Pits and trenches are excavated at the site to inspect the strata. The size of the pit should be sufficient to provide necessary working space. IS: 4453-1967 recommends a clear working space of 1.2 m into 1.2 m at the bottom of the pit. The depth of the pit depends upon the requirement of the investigation. Shallow pits up to a depth of 3 m can be made without providing any lateral support. For deeper pits, especially below the ground water table, the lateral support in th...