Standards Development

Scope

This standard describes the test method covering the procedure for drilling the borehole, inserting the probe, and performing the test in soils and weak rock by axial shearing of the borehole wall. It does not include high pressure testing in hard rock. The test works best in sands, silts, clays and weak rocks, which will maintain open test cavity or which can be held open with drilling fluid.

NOTE This document is intended to be used in conjunction with EN 1997-2. EN 1997-2 defines the way ground investigation has to be done to define a reliable ground model including resistance of soils and rocks.

Purpose

In the context of climate change, sustainability of urban area, infrastructure, these tests are the only one able to obtain, in situ, the shear resistance of ground.

This family of tests is fundamental for the knowledge of shearing resistance of soils in the context of stability of slopes and embankments. The standard proposed will be used by all the stakeholders of construction process: government's agencies, contractors, investigation and design companies, etc.

This standard is requested by EN 1997, geotechnical design.