CONSIDERATIONS IN THE GEOTECHNICAL TESTING OF CONTAMINATED SAMPLES

The requirements of testing contaminated samples, including the provision of appropriate funds and time, should be recognized during the scoping of a site investigation, to avoid incurring unnecessary additional costs later in a project. Some of the relevant considerations and concerns are discussed here, to enable the generation of discussion on this topic. At present, a not very high proportion of contaminated samples is being sent to geotechnical laboratories, and too many samples that are contaminated have been sent there without indication that they were. The following aspects of how to remedy this situation are considered: (1) health and safety; (2) sample handling and storage; (3) sample preparation; (4) laboratory equipment; (5) practicality; (6) test procedures; (7) validity of the results of geotechnical testing of contaminated samples with respect to their later use in any design; and (8) transportation and sample disposal. The test procedures, which can be used, are specified in various parts of British Standard BS 1377, and include: classification tests, chemical analyses, compaction-related tests, compressibility and permeability tests, consolidation and permeability tests in hydraulic or triaxial cells, and two types of shear strength tests. For the covering abstract see IRRD 883023.

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Features: References;
  • Pagination: p. 816-27

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00729301
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
  • ISBN: 0-7277-2513-0
  • Files: ITRD
  • Created Date: Dec 12 1996 12:00AM