ASTM International

Standard Practice for Thick Wall, Ring-Lined, Split Barrel, Drive Sampling of Soils
 N D3550

Annotation

This practice covers procedure for thick wall, split barrel drive sampling of soil to obtain representative samples of soil for classification and laboratory testing. The sampler is considered to be a thick wall sampler with sharpened cutting shoe and ball check vent. The middle barrel section is often of split barrel design, but a solid barrel can be used and both may contain ring liners. The sampler is often driven, but can also be pushed in softer deposits. Penetration resistance data may be recorded. This standard uses procedures similar to Test Method D 1586 on Penetration Resistance and Split Barrel Sampling of Soils. However, in this practice, differing hammer weights, drop heights, and different size samplers are used, so the data must not be reported as conforming to Test Method D 1586 and cannot be used to determine Normalized penetration resistance data for sands in accordance with Practice D 6066.

This practice involves use of rotary drilling equipment (Guide D 5783, Practice D 6151). Other drilling and sampling procedures (Guide D 6286, Guide D 6169) are available and may be more appropriate. Considerations for hand driving or shallow sampling without boreholes are not addressed. Subsurface investigations should be recorded in accordance with practice Guide D 5434. Soil samples should be classified in accordance with Practice D 2488.

This practice may or may not provide a sample suitable for advanced laboratory tests such as shear or consolidation testing. It is up to the user to determine if the sample quality is suitable for advanced laboratory testing for engineering properties. Driven samples can be more easily disturbed than pushed samples such as the thin wall tube in accordance with Practice D 1587. However, thin wall tubes cannot be used in harder soils. In cases where it has been established that the quality of the thick wall driven sample is adequate, this practice may provide shear and consolidation specimens that can be used directly in the test apparatus without prior trimming. Some types of soils may gain or lose significant shear strength or compressibility, or both, as a result of sampling. In cases like these, suitable comparison tests should be made to evaluate the effect of sample disturbance on shear strength and compressibility.