ABSTRACT
Site investigation (SI) is the data-gathering phase of projects and is used to inform the design model. A staged SI approach can provide more relevant data for the designers and target key issues as the project plan develops. The extent and depth of the SI relevant to the project are presented. The topic of SI is a specialist area, and this chapter aims to illustrate its importance and to highlight some lesser-known or less-discussed aspects of testing. Field testing has many assumptions and variabilities. These include testing, spatial, and temporary variability; they should be considered when deriving the design characteristic value. Even simple and common tests for standards have assumptions. Overburden, energy corrections, and even time of year influence the design value derived from testing. Two case studies are used to show how no SI or drilling technique type using different drill bits influences the development of the ground model.
