SOIL SAMPLING AND DRILLING NEAR FAIRBANKS, ALASKA. EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURES

SEVERAL TYPES OF ROTARY DRILLING MACHINES AND PERCUSSION TYPE DRILLING MACHINES WERE USED FOR SOILS EXPLORATIONS AT FAIRBANKS, ALASKA. VARIOUS TYPES OF CORING BARRELS IN SOIL SAMPLING TUBES WERE USED WITH THE MACHINES. SOILS EXPLORATIONS WERE CONDUCTED BY CORE DRILLING METHODS AND BY DRIVE SAMPLING METHODS IN THAWED AND FROZEN SILTY SOILS. TEMPERATURES OF THE FROZEN SOILS SAMPLED RANGED FROM 28F TO 31.5F IN THE PERMAFROST AND FROM 20F TO 27F IN THE ACTIVE LAYER. PENETRATION OF DRIVE SAMPLING DEVICES THROUGH THE FROZEN ACTIVE LAYER DURING WINTER OR EARLY SPRING IS MORE DIFFICULT THAN INTO THE UNDERLYING PERMAFROST DUE TO THE COLDER SOIL TEMPERATURES. RELATIVE MERITS OF THE VARIOUS DRILLS AND SAMPLERS ARE DISCUSSED. MANUAL DRIVING OF A SAMPLER FABRICATED FROM THIN WALL ELECTRICAL CONDUIT PROVED TO BE EFFECTIVE FOR SAMPLING FROZEN SOILS TO DEPTHS TO ABOUT TEN FEET. DRIVING OF SMALL DIAMETER SAMPLERS INTO FROZEN SOILS BY MEANS OF PNEUMATIC HAMMER AND RECOVERY BY TRUCK MOUNTED WINCHLINE WAS ALSO EFFECTIVE FOR SHALLOW EXPLORATIONS UP TO 10-15 FT DEPTH.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • No 191, 50 PP, 63 FIG, 24 REF
• Authors:
  • Davis, R M
  • Kitze, F F
• Publication Date: 0

Media Info

• Serial:
  • CRREL REPORT
  • Publisher: THE LABORATORY

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Core samples; Drilling; Drilling machines; Frozen soils; Geological surveying; Hammers; Permafrost; Rotary drilling; Sampling; Silts; Soil samplers; Soils; Thaw; Vehicle drive systems
• Old TRIS Terms: Core drilling; Coring bits; Drive sampling; Percussion; Soil exploration; Soil sampling
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00228971
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 15 2004 1:48AM