ABSTRACT
An adequate ground investigation is an essential preliminary to the execution of a civil engineering project. Sufficient information must be obtained to enable a safe and economic design to be made and to avoid any difficulties during construction. The principal objects of the investigation are: (1) to determine the sequence, thicknesses and lateral extent of the soil strata and, where appropriate, the level of bedrock; (2) to obtain representative samples of the soils (and rock) for identification and classification and, if necessary, for use in laboratory tests to determine relevant soil parameters; (3) to identify the groundwater conditions. The investigation may also include the performance of in-situ tests to assess appropriate soil characteristics. Additional considerations arise if it is suspected that the ground may be contaminated. The results of a ground investigation should provide adequate information, for example, to enable the most suitable type of foundation for a proposed structure to be selected and to indicate if special problems are likely to arise during excavation.
