Major building projects, like high-rise buildings, cannot be kickstarted without a foundation inspection performed by qualified and experienced industrial architects. Skipping this step can only lead to severe repercussions, and your budget can go haywire. During the preliminary stages of industrial construction project, it is crucial to conduct Soil testing. The procedure is geotechnical, determining the Soil below the structure. To examine the soil, they drill series of boreholes. Then, they send the samples to the laboratory for testing and compile the results into a report. The reports are sent to the structural engineer, who is the key person handling building designs.
Such tests can give the owner of the high-rise projects the confidence to proceed. It also minimizes the foundation and settlement issues. Though the Soil testing provides only partial information, it is an excellent support to industrial architects in providing a measure of confidence in their design. Soil testing could make the designing and certification process more accessible. It is essential to complete this step before the finalization of the construction documents. It can also mitigate the risks involved in project building practices.
Types of soil testing
The industrial architects of top industrial construction companies will decide on what type of soil test needs to be taken, and again it depends on the type of Soil. So, the first step in any construction planning is to test. These results help to determine if the Soil is suitable for construction work. For excellent performance, the Soil should be able to withhold the stress coming from the structure. If the Soil is weak to hold the fabric, there is every possibility the structure may collapse.
Test to check the moisture content
The water content in Soil is a crucial parameter for the building process. They use various methods like oven drying, torsion balance, calcium carbide, pycnometer, sand bath, alcohol, and radiation method to test the water content in the soil. Among these, testers mostly use the oven drying method.
Because it is the most precise and common method. In this method, the soil sample is taken and placed in the oven to dry at 110o + 5oC. They calculate the difference in both the weights to determine the moisture content of the soil.
Test to check specific gravity
This test is the ratio between the unit weight of the Soil and water. There are many ways to determine specific gravity, and these include the density bottle method, gas jar method, pycnometer method, measuring flask method, and shrinkage limit method. Among these above-mentioned methods, the pycnometer and density bottle method are the simplest to use.
Test to check the dry density
Dry Density Test is the process of determining the weight of the Soil in a sample. It depends on the ratio and the specific gravity of the Soil. The values help to classify the Soil into dense, medium, or Loose Soil. To test, they use the core cutter method, water displacement method, and sand replacement method.
Test to check the limits
The Atterberg defines the three limits that exhibit the Soil’s properties in different conditions. He divides the limit into liquid, plastic, and shrinkage. These can be calculated using individual tests.
Test to check the compaction
Proctor devised the test to check for the compaction of the Soil. It is done by compacting the soil by reducing the air voids by densification. The compaction is measured with regards to dry density.
While starting a new industrial construction project, Soil testing is a prerequisite. It plays an integral role. The factors that are crucial for hiring soil testing professional services are below:
The test helps to ascertain the safety quotient while constructing a building over that
It helps to understand if the land is on a floodplain
It helps to determine if the site is on the slope and the possibility of water run-off
To check the suitability of the Soil for the construction of a sewer tank
The chances of a basement
Check the likelihood for potential landslides
Soil testing services help to determine these factors and ensure the safety of the industrial construction project. While planning the construction, consultants consider certain limitations. Depending on the kind of Soil, the industrial architects frame the construction project.
