CETN-III-I 5

Revised 3188

GEOTECHNICAL
SAMPLING
GUIDELINES
FORRUBBLEPWND
COASTAL
STRUCTURES
PURPOSE
:

To provide

mound coastal

percentage

waters,
this

in developing

soil

sampling

programs

for

rubble-

structures.

BACKGROUND: While
large

guidance

placed

there

of

are many different

these

structures

on shallow

technical

note

of

coastal

are rubblemound;

foundations.

are focused

types

i.e.,

The sampling

on geotechnical

structures,
jetties

guidelines

considerations

or break-

discussed
for

in

these

structures.
Rubbl emound structures
structures

is

designed
soil

designed

to reduce

supporting

ment,

to perform

the structure

To economically
below

friction,

it

flexible

must include

of

In an undisturbed
the material
strength,

that

it

with

todays

in shear
of

soils

there

presumably

flexibility.

and cost

failure
repair

of
if

the project.
excessive

Size
cost,

Sensitivity

settlement

properties

of

internal
testing

in cohesive

or

soil

testing

program.

disturbance

properties
of

of

of

such

cohesive

as

soils

can

and equipment.

sampling

size,

in situ

Such samples

points

be matched to the project

settlement.

by in situ

the planned

for

the most important

is

angle

so the

Rubblemound

key

has been so little

GUIDELINES: One of
program

structure,

are

settle-

the structure.

Sampling

for

tested

and permeability.
techniques

nor by excessive

strength,

samples.

IV samples

breakwaters

some differential

shear

the

must be designed

can be determined

can be laboratory

consolidation,

be obtained

as,

These

llundisturbed
sample

fail

a rubblemound

such

appropriate

sufficient

the structure

effectiveness

design

must be known,

testing

For example,

and can accept

and compressibility.

laboratory

not

First

in two steps.

function.

Second,
will

and safely

designed

its

the functional

are usually

the soil

generally

wave energy.

which reduces

structures

are

occurs

and risk
of

to remember when planning

of

to life

the structure

should

the sampling

program

and property
to settlement

be considered

should

due to
and cost

in designing

U. 5. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Co&d Engineering Research Center

P. 0. Box 631, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39180

the

of

sampling

Sampling

program.

the advise
divided

of,

into

qualified
three

and (3) detailed

testing

and testing

geotechnical
(1)

phases:
design

procedures

programs
engineers.

found

in EM 1110-2-1907

RECONNAISSANCE: This

phase

consists

site.

Field

structures
survey

charts,

aerial

investigations
in the

provides

preliminary

area

the

borings

also

the

are

needed

and whether

geophysical

mined along
material

with

interface

preliminary
angle,

the

and estimates

design.

and seismic

ration.

These

are

useful

lagoonal

shear

strength.

split

spoon

of

or cone

In specifying

jects

should

feasibility
cohesive

spacings

(300

soils,

for

bore

consider

the

implications

close

1982).

evidence

a sampling

holes
type

For sites

400 ft)

of

cases,

subsurface

uniform
samples

changes

soil

or

are

samples
to

in situ
of

strength.

exploration

phase,

the nature

over

to

of

the

the

pro-

will

holes

be on

Wider

consolidated

from adjacent

soils,

shear

conditions

or anomalies

old

In cohesive

are reasonable.

stiff

Seismic

penetration

where structures

spacings

explo-

methods

provides

structure,

in situ

in

no apparent

beds

from the

for

friction

correlation

the preliminary

possible

may be used for

In both

for

needed

1971).

Geophysical
that

firm

reflection

have

silt

strength.

of

other

preliminary

which

procedure

and size

concepts.
to

the

may be used to measure

for

or

seismic

with soft

shear

be deter-

strength,

(US Army,

the blow count

to estimate

should

shear

of

and some measurement

of

(100

part

of

approximate

parameters

usually

sand layers.

devices

of

to 600 ft>

(EM 1110-1-1804,

correlated

penetrometer

and design

thin

soil

may be used

spacing

and the

sub-soils,

with
type

include

the

rock

geotechnical

filled

existing

be used.
phase

nonconformities

channels

of

the

The reconnaissance

strata

in EM 1110-2-1908

with

In cohesionless

sampler

the engineer

soil

soil

are often

for

the number and location

methods,

geologic

when combined

phase.

to the soil,

estimates

described

now covered

identification

vane shear

are

performance

exploration

critical

on land,

usually

topographic

information

methods should

depth

Geophysical

such as old

deposits

most effective

of

in locating

surf ace expression,

level,

are

geotechnical

available

of

to establish

the various

parameter

refraction

Both methods

surveys

soft

water

and compressibility.

water

for

ground

of

all

in this

preliminary

and composition

thickness,

of

and a review

information

or with

exploration,

various

and geological

accomplished

PRELIMINARYEXPLORATION: In the
depth,

site

programs

preliminary
of

by,

(US Army, 1972).

of a review

photographs,

of

(2)

A description

exploration.

be planned

Sampling

reconnaissance,

is

and bathymetric

should

should

and additional

clay,
be
bore

CETN-III-15
Revised 3/88

holes,

sufficient

graphy,

to develop

should

a full

be specified

discussion

It

is often

soils

during

of

demobilizing

a sampling

on each

of

geotechnical

to take
boring

barge.

barge).

engineer,

Two holes
Disturbed

on board

or

undisturbed

samples

shear

taken

at the

same layers

other

boring

logs.

with

occur.

disturbed

samples

are needed

of

spit

spoon

characterize

data

from the

on critical

may be used

preliminary

A successful
nary
phase

should

of

sampling

the foundation

testing

the earlier

phases

borings

have revealed

with

a spacing

the design

in the weakest

The depth

ily

dependent

below
for

the

loads,
loads

bottom

establishing

vertical

normal
and based
will

soil

load

(1967)

cause

are

taken

with

the

driller,
number of

layers.

fully

soil

(one

first.

a limited

Vane

sampled

exploration

as a means of

pro-

filling

discontinuities

soft
of

clay

not

bore
caused
that
of

holes
by the

in
available

its

soil

should

of

of

induced

estimate

determine

boring

be taken

in the

is

marsh depovicinity

of

may not

conditions

suggested

a function
soil

of sampling
in the

settlements

of

is

soil

primar-

profile.

even when well

by Terzaghi

and Peck
of

the

by the project

the maximum depth

Formulas

both

profile.

to make an estimate

in the subsoil

increase.

when

testing

on the

and in situ

is

value

the conditions.

layers

The method

stress

based

project

objectionable

old

extensive

compressible

depth

i.e.,

may be required

is

--The

For instance,

profile,

cases

prelimi-

in this

design.

cost.

profiles,

in the

Testing

for

depth

distribution

a significant

needs

the necessary

soft

may cause

the recommended

on this

erratic

fill

above.

data

against

in such

the structure.

stress

adequately

or on an average

stress

on the presence
of

specific

very

layer,

the

surcharge

and Peck

Such a layer

soil

to which

the estimates

and

at each location

to correlate

discussed

of 25 to 50 ft

be justified.

Usually

will

an erratic

But for

Terzaghi

soils

must be weighted

such discontinuities.

found

program

be aimed at answering

of additional

sits,

or subsurface

cohesive

results.

detailed

description

to consider

layers

mobilizing

of

the cohesive

it

necessary

cost

at what depths

gram is

is appropriate

of

samples

follow-on

it

contains

samples

communication

and decide

to fully

the high

DETAILED DESIGN EXPLORATION: When a detailed

needed,

strati-

EM-1110-l-1804

can be sampled

in direct

the

layers

the subsurface

some undisturbed

because

can analyze

tests

anomalies

of

sampling.

preliminary

the

understanding

when such

more economical
the

side

adequate

for

at which
calculating

these
these

depths can be found in Smith (19'70) or many geotechnical notebooks. When a subsoil profile
contains only sand layers, the data from sampling to depths of about 30 ft is generally
sufficient to estimate performance.
CONSTRUCTION MONITORING: Frequently, completion of the design and soil exploration
activities occur about the same time. The soil profile assumed during the design phase
is frequently not representative of actual site conditions. If assumptions are not
corrected, the design can result in a misleading stability analysis. Observation of the
structure's performance and the foundation soil's reaction to loading should not only
extend through construction, but periodically throughout the life of the structure.
However, like all phases of geotechnical investigation, the level of monitoring should
be proportioned to project size, probability of condition changes, and risk of damage.
In general, a monitoring program during construction should be instituted to verify the
anticipated soil profile or to discover deviations from this profile, and to provide data
for determining their impact on the project. Installing settlement plates, piezometers,
and inclinemeters to monitor the time rate of consolidation of the soil and any lateral
displacement permits the engineer to estimate when settlement prediction are within
acceptable limits. Detailed discussion of project monitoring is found in EM lllO-2-XXXX
(US Army, 1988).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Contact Andrew Morang, Andrew.Morang@usace.army.mil for
additional information.
REFERENCES: Hvorslev, M. J. 1949. *'Subsurface Exploration and Sampling of Soils for Civil
Engineering Purposes,11 USACE Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS, (Reprinted by
the Engineering Foundation, 1962, 1965 obtain via ASCE.
Smith R. E. Mar 1970. "Guide for Depth of Foundation Exploration," Journal of the Soil
Mechanics and Foundations Div., ASCE, Vol. 96, No. SM2, pp. 377-384.
Terzaghi, K., and Peck, R. B. 1967. "Soil Mechanics in Engineering Practice," Second
Editions, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., NY.
US Army. May 1971. 'Geophysical Exploration," EM 1110-l-1802, US Government
Printing OfPlce, Washington, DC.
US Army. 1972. "Engineering and Design-Soil Sampling," EM 1110-2-1907, US
Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.
US Army. Sep 1981. "Geotechnical Investigation for Civil Works and Military
Construction,"EM 1110- l - 1804. US Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.

us Army.

1988 (in preparation). "Coastal Project Monitoring," EM- lllO-Z-XxXx, us

Government Printing OPPice, Washington, DC.